Understanding some basic principles of substance misuse counseling will help you as parents develop an approach to intervening with your child.

Substance misuse is a problem that involves the interaction among physical, emotional, social (friends), and environmental (family, school) variables. In the course of our normal daily interaction with our kids, we’re usually aware of any physical, social, and environmental issues. Since children are often not able to articulate their emotional struggles well, we need to look at their behaviors as possible signs of conflict.

People use drugs for reasons. And our behavior, no matter what age, reflects choices we make based on how we think and feel. Also, as humans we tend to move towards rewarding activities and away from uncomfortable activities. Problems with drinking and drug use are associated with the harmful choices we make, often as ways of helping us feel better in the short run. Chemically, alcohol and drugs offer available options ways to self-medicate the uncomfortable feelings of daily life.