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For People with ADHD & Those Who Love Them |
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Cogmed Working Memory Training Outline: Everything You Want To Know About ADHD
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Return to ADDvisor Volume 2 2000 Index Number 21 November 1, 2000 In this issue: 1. Drug Abuse Solutions - Part 1
Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it. Helen Keller
DRUG ABUSE SOLUTIONS - PART 1
Prevention: parents can prevent drug abuse! Parents are the best protection youngsters can have against drug abuse. Prevention is the process, which builds into children a resistance to abusing drugs, so that drug use never begins. Prevention is a simple concept but it requires constant work to be successful. Prevention is a positive process. It is a process, which cannot be started too soon. Research indicates that children and teenagers diagnosed with ADHD are at greater risk to alcohol and drug abuse than children and teenagers in the normal population. The following are important elements in helping kids resist becoming involved with drugs and alcohol: 1. Love and affectionate as the child grows. 2. Consistent and fair discipline. 3. Open channels of communication for thoughts and feelings. 4. Opportunities for successful experiences at home and in school. 5. A stable family atmosphere (family time together, family rituals). 6. Tolerance of the child's mistakes (no put-downs). 7. Models of strong, thoughtful and feeling adults. 8. Accurate information about the problems of growing up today (sexuality, drugs, crime, etc.) For further help about specific things it parent can do to minimize their child's drug/alcohol use, please see a past newsletter entitled "What Kids Need". Using the ideas in this newsletter can reduce the risk of drug/alcohol use to as little as three percent. There is NOTHING more important in preventing drug abuse than spending time with your children. Take time to do what they enjoy, to share some skills, to build family rituals and rapport. What else can be done? Educate yourself, have enough facts to clarify your point of view, and talk to your children. Unfortunately, many parents wait until after their children are involved with drugs or alcohol to sit down with them and talk. Don't make this discussion a onetime thing; children and teenagers need to be constantly reminded of where their parents stand. They also need parents who will listen without being critical and without over reacting. Finally, your attitude and use of drugs (including alcohol and tobacco) will influence your children. Children learn more by watching what their parents do than they learn by what their parents say. Children need models of strong, responsible adults who are aware of their own chemical use. One reason we're seeing younger and younger children use alcohol and drugs is that they are "second generation" users, simply modeling their parents behavior. Zero tolerance for drug/alcohol use in our children and teenagers is the most reasonable stance for their long-term well being. Part of prevention is taking reasonable action at the earliest possible time. This means a parent should be vigilant to the subtle signs and symptoms as discussed in the preceding article and take immediate action when use is suspected. The third article in this series will address drugs of abuse and what to do if you suspect use.
CONTACT INFORMATION _______________________ Alan R. Graham, Ph.D. Bill Benninger, Ph.D. ADDvisor.com Voice: 1-866-ADDvisor Fax: 847-824-2386 Email: Alan@ADDvisor.com Bill@ADDvisor.com Web: www.ADDvisor.com
c) Copyright 2000 Alan R. Graham and Bill Benninger. All rights reserved The above material may be retransmitted or distributed to whomever you wish as long as not a single word is changed, added or deleted, including the contact information. However, you may not copy it to a web site. Republication of "The ADDvisor" in paper media is encouraged and permitted by organizations and associations which serve parents of ADHD children at the national, state and/or local level as long as the issue is reprinted in its entirety without charge and includes the contact information. With advance permission, we are happy to edit an issue to fit your space requirements. Republication is also encouraged under other circumstances, however, the advance permission of Alan R. Graham and/or Bill Benninger must be obtained in the event that changes in the text are desired or republication is to be made by individuals or by organizations other than those mentioned above.
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Questions or comments? Send e mail to Alan@ADDvisor.com
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