Unfortunately, teenage drug use is all too common.
Many teenagers will experiment with drugs, but this recreational and occasional drug use could become more serious and turn into an addiction that requires the attention of a drug rehab center. A severe drug addiction is often easy to notice, but you want to be able to spot your child’s drug use before it gets to this point. Often, the first signs of drug use include behavioral changes like lying.
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Common Lies Teens Tell About Drugs
Teenagers may lie to get out of trouble, but addicts lie for many reasons. When you are the parent of a teenager on drugs, it may be the worst of both worlds. It is important to recognize these lies early on, to get your child help.
Some frequent lies about drugs, your teenager may use include:
- Blaming a friend
- Lying about who they were with or where they were
- Sneaking out
- Saying they only tried it once
- Claiming the drugs aren’t theirs or they don’t know where it came from
- Downplaying their drug use, whether it’s regarding frequency of use, the type of drug, or both
- Claiming that a particular substance is not a drug or an item is not drug paraphernalia when, in fact, it is
Signs Your Teenager Is Lying About Drug Use
While you want to believe your child, continuing to take their word for it may be letting their drug habits slide and their drug use could quickly lead to addiction. Instead of letting your child’s drug use continue, look for these signs of lying in your teenager.
- Looking away and avoiding eye contact
- Using a higher pitch
- Sweating
- Speaking faster than normal
- Fidgeting or rocking back and forth
- Going pale in the face
- Taking long pauses before talking
- Using a lot of filler words like “um,” “like,” or “so”
- Gesturing only after the story is over
- Trying to change the subject before the explanation is complete
- Playing with their hair or clothing while speaking
- Stumbling over their story or contradicting themselves
- Using too many details
- Being too vague
- Their body language doesn’t match what they are saying
You may not be a human lie detector, but you are a parent. The key to recognizing a lie is often realizing that someone is uncomfortable. If you notice your teenager acting strange and you believe they are lying, trust your gut. You know your child better than most people, so if you believe they are acting unusual as they offer an explanation, this should be a red flag.
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What to Do If Your Child Is Using Drugs
Once you are able to recognize when a child is lying about drugs, it may come with the stunning realization that your teenager has a problem. This is a difficult situation to be in. Your teen may be lying to you because they fear the consequences, or they may be lying about drugs because they are ashamed or in denial. Regardless of their reasoning, it is important to take action before their problems get more serious. Make sure to leave your emotions out of it and calmly confront your teen. You want them to feel like they can talk to you and also that they can trust you. Try to encourage them to get professional help. If an addiction has developed and they are hesitant to get treatment, you may want to the enlist the help of a drug intervention specialist.
At Banyan Treatment Centers Philadelphia, we offer both drug and alcohol addiction treatment for people 18 and older. Addiction can quickly take over a person’s life, so do not let this happen to your child.
To learn more about our various programs as well as our facility, call us today at 888-280-4763.
