Below are listed common warning signs of chemical dependency. If you observe these warning signs in the adolescent's life, certain steps should be taken. You can complete the assessment on this website and submit it to the staff at Capstone and a determination of chemical dependency will be made. Once an assessment is made, appropriate treatment alternatives can be explored with the adolescent and family members.

• 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
• Changes in sexual behavior
• 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 pager/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, 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,etc.)
• Writes drug slang and phrases on notebooks, yearbooks, etc.
• Consistent lying and other suspicious behavior
• Change in appearance and/or hygiene
• Rise in aggression
• Depression
• Drop in church activities and other spiritual issues

Back to Top | Next