Ep 115: Beating Substance Abuse and Addiction

Richard Capriola, author of The Addicted Child and a seasoned
addiction counselor, gives us the details on vaping, marijuana
use, and drug abuse in teens. Together Andy and Richard go in
depth on what to do if you suspect substance abuse and how to
start a successful recovery.


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Full show notes


As more states legalize marijuana and vape companies continue to
pander to young people with “fun” flavors, there’s an increased
risk that your teen might do some experimenting. But while adults
might be able to experiment and handle it, teens, with their
still-developing brains, are much more likely to get addicted.


Widespread availability plus technology makes clandestine access
to alcohol and drugs easier than ever. Recent research shows that
illicit drug use is starting younger and younger–current stats
show kids starting as early as age 14! Kids these days are more
susceptible than ever to potential substance abuse that can have
serious, long lasting effects on their brains and bodies.


That’s why this week, we’re talking to Richard Capriola, author
of The Addicted Child: the Parents Guide to Adolescent Substance
Abuse. Richard has worked with families for over twenty years to
guide struggling adolescents towards recovery from debilitating
psychological and substance related conditions. His mission is to
rescue kids from the depths of drug addiction and bring them back
to a healthy, happy way of life.


In our interview, Richard shares what he thinks every parent
should know about the realities of adolescent addiction. He
explains how you can identify possible substance abuse in your
teen or a teen you may know, how you can react without worsening
the problem, and what steps you can take to create a plan for
recovery.


Spotting Substance Abuse in An Adolescent


It can be really scary to think your teen might be suffering with
substance abuse that you’re not aware of...so how can you
determine if you should be worried? To help ease your anxiety,
Richard outlines some potential warning signs in the episode.


To start, he encourages paying close attention to your teen’s
behaviors, and monitoring for any significant or concerning
changes. Does your teenager suddenly seem disinterested in things
they used to enjoy? Have they suddenly become secretive about who
they're hanging out with? Have their grades dropped or have they
stopped caring about their appearance?


If you notice anything of this nature, Richard says your teen
might be dealing with something serious. It could be a
psychological issue, a substance abuse issue, or both–Richard
tells us the two very often go hand in hand.


To be pre-emptive, Richard champions the idea of starting a
channel of communication with your teen before they reach
adolescence. If you can give your teen the ability to trust you
and come to you when they’re feeling stressed, they’re more
likely to key you in if they’re developing a substance abuse
issue. Hopefully they’ll feel comfortable enough to talk through
their emotions with you before they even begin engaging with
these substances in the first place, preventing the problem
altogether. Richard and I discuss specific ways you can work on
building trust in the episode.


So you’ve noticed a teenager is behaving a little
differently...and you discover that they’ve been, say, popping
prescription pills all day long. What the heck do you do now? How
do you reach out without alienating them or making them feel
attacked?


Talking to your Teen About the Issue


It’s definitely not easy to approach a struggling teen,
especially one that might be in denial about having an issue.
They might be defensive or angry, or give you an attitude. It can
also seem to them that you’re only trying to guilt or shame them
instead of help them.


Richard advises against jumping any conclusions--just because
your teen has been out past curfew all week and seems to be
asking you for more money lately doesn’t mean they’re hooked on
crack. He recommends having a comprehensive list of concerning
behaviors that they’ve been exhibiting, in order to illustrate
your concern. Why have they been avoiding your questions about
their whereabouts? Why have they suddenly begun sleeping until 1
P.M.?


What’s important is that they know you are concerned with their
well being above all else, says Richard. When you’re asserting
that their behavior is unacceptable, you’re doing so because you
believe that it’s unacceptable for them to treat themselves so
poorly!


One thing Richard has always incorporated in his work is
education; by teaching kids what drugs do to their brains, you
can help them understand why their substance abuse is a
legitimate problem. When you show them a diagram of a brain and
explain the ways taking adderall three times a day causes serious
physical damage to their neural landscape, they begin to
comprehend the gravity of the problem.


In the episode, Richard and I talk further about how you can have
productive, constructive discussions with a teen whom you suspect
might be struggling with substance abuse. Once you’ve had this
important heart-to-heart, it’s time to put together a plan to
help the teen progress past this problem.


Making a Map to Recovery


Overcoming a drug addiction is incredibly challenging for anyone,
especially teenagers who might be overwhelmed with life or unsure
how to make better choices for themselves. Although the road to
recovery is potentially lengthy and filled with road blocks, it’s
far from impossible! In our interview, Richard outlines the steps
you can take to help your teen get back on a positive path.


An important first step, Richard says, is setting up a
comprehensive assessment of your teen’s health: that includes the
physical and the psychological! One of the things Richard
emphasizes in our interview is that if a teen is addicted to a
substance, there is almost always an underlying psychological
cause. It might be anxiety, PTSD, depression...whatever it is,
it’s just as important to deal with than the addiction at hand.


During the treatment process, Richard believes that it’s always
important to remain positive rather than punitive. When kids
relapse or fail to meet the standards we set for their recovery,
it can be tempting to punish them or impose restrictions.
However, Richard urges parents not to discount the
positive–rewarding teens can be incredibly powerful! He and I get
into specifics about when and how we should reward kids when they
make progress.


All teenagers are different, and are going to need help in unique
ways. Some kids might need immediate medical help and
hospitalization, Richard says, while others should set up a
meeting with a local counselor. In the episode, Richard dives
deeper into how we can assess what a specific teen needs to fight
addiction.


In the Episode...


My interview with Richard encompasses a wide range of topics,
discussing everything from why someone might do bath salts to the
effects of respiratory particles on cognition. In addition to how
addiction can be spotted and treated, we discuss:


What to do when a teen resists getting help

How to prevent kids from selling their prescription
medication

Why “...