Concerned about your child’s drinking or drug use is cause for alarm in and of itself. For if we are concerned, then likely there really is a problem. This may sound confusing, but think of it this way – something (whether it’s changed behaviors, changed friend groups, outrageous risk taking activities) is raising an alarm, and if the cause of those changes is alcohol or drug use, there’s an even greater concern that has to do with the brain changes caused in the developing brain by substance abuse.

So, if you are in any way concerned about whether your teen’s drug or alcohol use is a problem, PLEASE watch the 22 minute program linked below. It is produced by HBO in collaboration with the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and it will answer questions, such as:

– How can  you tell if it’s really a problem vs. just a “phase” they’ll grow out of?

– What makes for an effective treatment program for adolescents (why it’s not the same as treating adults)?

– What about marijuana — is it addictive?

– What if you used drugs/drank as a teen — are you being hypocritical telling your teen not to?

– What is meant about the adolescent brain being different than the adult brain?

– As a parent, what should I do?

Please watch — even if your child does not have a problem. It’s only 22 minutes, and it provides a wealth of information, just in case, some day, you need it. Trust me… you just never know.

CLICK HERE to watch “An Interview with Michael L. Dennis, Ph.D.”

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Lisa Frederiksen

Author | Speaker | Consultant | Founder at BreakingTheCycles.com

Lisa Frederiksen is the author of hundreds of articles and 12 books, including her latest, "10th Anniversary Edition If You Loved Me, You'd Stop! What you really need to know when your loved one drinks too much,” and "Loved One In Treatment? Now What!” She is a national keynote speaker with over 30 years speaking experience, consultant and founder of BreakingTheCycles.com. Lisa has spent the last 19+ years studying and simplifying breakthrough research on the brain, substance use and other mental health disorders, secondhand drinking, toxic stress, trauma/ACEs and related topics.

Latest posts by Lisa Frederiksen (see all)

• Does a Loved One Have to Hit Bottom? - November 20, 2022
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