Below are listed common warning signs of chemical dependency, a double life of misbehavior hiding under the radar, or a life’s direction that is headed for a catastrophe. If you observe these warning signs in the young person’s life, certain steps should be taken to change directions. First, complete the assessment on this website and submit it to the staff at Capstone so that a recommendation of the level of the problem will be made. Once an assessment is made, appropriate treatment alternatives can be explored with the adolescent and family members.
• Parents’ suspicion of living a double or secret life
• Change in peer group with little interest in old friends
• Associating with an older crowd
• Fighting with peers
• Associating with known drug/alcohol users
• Very defensive especially concerning drugs and alcohol use
• Withdrawing from family and friends
• Easily upset, frequent changes in emotions
• Beginning or escalating sexual behavior including pornography
• Defiance toward parents, other adults
• Red eyes, frequent use of eye drops
• Loss of interest in hobbies, extracurricular activities
• Sudden drop or gradual drop in grades and achievement (no clear reasons)
• Skipping classes or days of school
• Getting in to trouble in school
• Sleeping excessively in class
• Excessive use of cell phone
• Cell phone bills show lots of one minute calls
• Change in language (profanity, slang, etc.)
• Financial management erratic (spending more, needing more, etc.)
• Nervous or agitated, having trouble sitting still
• Blackouts, periods of memory loss
• Trouble with the law
• Thefts, shoplifting, assaults, etc.
• Selling drugs and/or alcohol
• Careless or reckless behavior (speeding, car accidents, etc.)
• Slurred speech or changes in speech pattern
• Changes in sleeping patterns
• Weight changes (drastic loss or gain)
• Keeping drug paraphernalia (rolling papers, pipes, roach clips, foil, needles, pill bottles, etc.)
• Writes drug slang and phrases on notebooks, yearbooks, etc.
• Consistent lying and other suspicious behavior
• Change in appearance and/or hygiene
• Dresses like a rapper / gansta
• Preoccupation with “rock star” phenomena
• Increase in lack of eye contact
• Body posture with head down showing guilt/shame
• Rise in aggression
• Depression
• Drop in church activities and other spiritual issues
• Lots of time playing video games especially online games
• Entitled behavior
• Works parents against each other to get his way
• Idle and lazy
• Sleeplessness
• Nightmares
• Suicidal statements or ideations
• Nightmares
• Anxiety or phobias
• Self injury such as cutting, burning, etc.
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