Thank you for your email. I understand that approaching this subject can be difficult. Talking to teenagers about the dangers of drug abuse should begin when they are young children. Whether they are young children or adolescents teaching them to think critically may help to prevent them from experimenting with drugs. Guide teenagers to learn how to solve problems in their daily life instead of adopting an 'I don't care attitude.' Find out what your adolescent already knows about drug abuse, by asking pertinent questions such as:" Why is taking drugs not such a good idea? How can drug abuse influence your plans for the future?" Asking important questions may stifle any desire they may have to experiment with drugs. Questions not only stimulate conversation, but encourage them to think critically as well. You can tell them how you resisted temptation when you were an adolescent, and that having a strong identity, (knowing who you were, and being confident), really helped you not to be influenced by your peers." I always made decisions for myself. I never let anyone influence me," you can tell them. Provide facts by referring your adolescent to newspaper articles, television programmes, and talks on how drugs can cause brain damage, result in infertility, and compromise their safety when they are under the influence.
If you want to relate personal experiences to your adolescent, decide if doing so would actually be beneficial in stopping your child from continuing to abuse drugs. In most instances it will probably come as a shock to them to know that their parent also succumbed to drug abuse, and may make them feel helpless, depressed and out of control. "It's in my genes there's nothing I can do about it." In most instances it is probably more effective to visit a drug rehabilitation centre, or talk to a drug counselor, than having to deal with the news that your parent is an ex- drug addict. There are times when an adolescent or an adult child is undergoing psychotherapy, and it may be necessary for the parent to disclose personal information to assist in the teenagers healing process. However, the information would only be disclosed under the supervision of the psychiatrist or psychologist.