Children, psychoactive substances and family role

Everyone knows that legallly or illegally /even via Internet/, young person today can find hundreds of psychoactive substances with different chemical structures and properties.

Let me clarify that as psychoactive identify substances that affect the central nervous system and alter perception, mood, feelings, thoughts, behavior. Such properties have many natural products and even more synthetic similarities.

Some drugs are subject to strict international controls and prohibitions /heroin, cocaine, cannabis, amphetamines and others/. Other legally available in large quantities /alcohol, tobacco/.

However, they all have the ability to influence the brain by changing the level of availability of some of the most important neurotransmitters and foremost to dopamine.

Neurotransmitters are chemical signaling substances of the nervous system that transmit nerve impulses. Dopamine is one of them.

So psychoactive drugs, especially hard drugs activate t. Pomegranate. “Rewarding system,” leading to various pleasurable experiences /euphoria/. In fact, drugs grossly disturb the equilibrium in this finely balanced mechanism. However, it seems attractive person /especially – impulsive teenager/ ask again and again to “upset” the system by taking drugs to test already familiar pleasure. This can lead to serious pathophysiological changes in the brain level characteristic of addiction. This is a medical condition with chronic – relapsing course of conduct. Yes, it is, drug addicts are sick people and we should see them as such, strive to help them, not to judge and criticize, to see them as utrepki and criminals. In most cases, they are victims of failed family or other problems by trying to escape because of impotence to solve them. So they fall victim to the disease, but as any serious disease, treatment is very difficult. Usually young people who are dependent on psychoactive substances /drugs/ hide long problem and often parents do not even suspect, and when that happens, it’s too late and harder to treat. Often even too late.

It should be borne in mind that the visible signs of drug use are not sufficiently explicit and unambiguous, especially in the early stages. That is why other family members usually attribute the changes observed fatigue, mental stress, lack of sleep. Some of the changes observed may be due simply to puberty but not to the drugs. Furthermore, children who turn to these substances already have some deviations in behavior, defined as normal. Moreover narkotitsitevazdeystvat different in different individuals. The same drug may cause quite distinct effects depending on the individual and the circumstances.

The most common signs that should make you doubt that your child reaches for drugs are:

• Pale skin color and unhealthy appearance;
• Frequent and sudden changes in mood, acts of aggression, unusual for him;
• Sleeping problems. If the child is constantly sleepy and dizzy or vice versa – it can not sleep and spin all night;
• Quick weight loss due to lack of appetite or increased appetite for sweet;
• If the light teasing is him or he is complaining of nausea, pain or dizziness;
• Changes in speech, dry mouth, mucosal inflammation;
• Red eyes, dry mouth, inflammation of the mucous membranes;
• Tremors;
• Stomach and intestinal problems;
• Expansion or contraction of the pupil / especially under influence of stimulants and narcotics trace of needle-syringe;
• Change in lifestyle and disheveled appearance, change of environment and friends, accompanied by secrecy, room locking, etc.
• Isolation from the surrounding world, frequent lies;
• If expensive things start to disappear from home, which can be easily sold.

These signs are the most common and are not mandatory, but still they are a reason to sharpen your attention if they occur.

Risks of drug use to the development of the young organism occur before birth and must be monitored throughout adolescence. This is a long period, but it is a duty for the parent and the family. Especially during the critical teenage years. Even earlier, about the age of 10, children start experimenting with new behavioral forms, including at some point the use of tobacco, alcohol and other psychoactive substances.

Especially cannabis, young people does not realize fully the risks and how dangerous it is. One reason is the heated dispute “for” and “against” this drug. Many arguments /including scientific/ can be brought in favor of both views. But there are undeniable facts that can not be ignored. The number of underage users grows quickly, stronger forms of cannabis are offered and young people quickly become addicted, and many of them are looking for more powerful drugs and end badly.

This is why the number of people who seek treatment for their addiction to cannabis keeps growing. Most of them have started to use marijuana a lot before the age of 18.

Every parent should pay attention to child’s behaviour, especially unitl he fully develops and prove himself as a person. It is important that this is done delicately, without threatening his pride and self-esteem. To observe and to be close to your child, does not mean to spy on him.

Still, You need to know that the most irrefutable evidence of drug use is to establish a trace of it in biological samples – urine, blood, hair, saliva, etc. Pharmacies offer free express tests for urine for almost all the major psychoactive drugs – morphine, methadone, cocaine, amphetamine, benzodiazepines, etc. They are highly sensitive and can detect traces of drugs and their metabolites days after consumption.

It is important to find if something is happening with our kid on time and help him. It is important to keep your children close to you, to try to gain their trust, to love and respect them, not only to require from them. These are our children … and they are just like us, they carry our genes, but live in another time.We are not only responsible for them, but their entire future depends on us.