Is Your Child at Risk for Teen Addiction?

More often than not, people associate teen addiction as something that happens to other people’s children and not theirs. Unfortunately, not addressing the fact that in today’s world everyone has the potential for addiction is ultimately asking for a bigger problem later on down the road.

For parents who are concerned about whether or not there is a chance that their child could become an addict, then it is important to make sure you are aware of what to look out for. There are important factors that come into play that affect the risk factor; in order to avoid having to deal with teen addiction, take the following circumstances into account and make it a point to talk to your children about sober living.

Not having a stable home environment. One of the main factors that comes into play when it comes to your child’s chances of having to deal with teen addiction later on in life is their home environment. Parental behavior has a huge impact on teen’s choices later on in life, with early childhood trauma such as emotional, physical, and sexual abuse as one of the main causes of teen addiction. At Awakenings for Women, we not only provide a stable environment for women of all ages who are newly living sober in Boca Raton, but we also help teach healthy coping mechanisms that will steer your children away from making poor choices later on in life.

There’s a family history of substance abuse. Do you have any family members with a history of drug or alcohol abuse? If yes, then this heightens the risk of your child developing a teen addiction; take the time to have an honest conversation with your kids about their own family history and the importance of living sober. Genetic predisposition alone does not dictate whether or not your child will eventually turn into an addict, but it does serve as a red flag for parents.

Your children have easy access to alcohol and drugs. Most parent don’t know that, “Addiction is primarily a disease of adolescence,” as noted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. By the time adolescents are seniors, about 70 percent of high school students will have already tried alcohol, half will have taken an illegal drug, 40 percent will have smoked a cigarette, and over 20 percent will have abused prescription medication. What’s even more alarming is the fact that teens who begin drinking alcohol before they turn 15 years old are five times more likely to develop a teen addiction. These statistics only emphasize the importance of talking to your kids about living sober – before they make a choice that could set them down the wrong path.

If you or a loved one suffer from teen addiction, then call Awakenings for Women today for more information – we are here to help!