Drug and/or alcohol use changes teens and has a bigger effect on them than it does on adults. Their brains are still growing, their personalities developing and regular substance use changes their direction.
As parents we have to get past the idea that "they are just being kids" and it is "normal" for them to be drinking or experimenting with drugs.
Regular drug and /or alcohol use is a problem for teens. They quickly lose their ability to have fun without it and that is a problem. They also lose their ability to manage stress and this tends to cause more substance use and often some depression. We may see the depression and worry about that but we need to really look at what is causing it.
Help your teens stay real.
