E's Up! Substance Misuse for Young People

Parents Survival Guide

E's Up is for young people living in the Portsmouth area who are having problems with Drugs, Alcohol or Solvent misuse and want help.

This Parents Survival Guide is designed to help parents and carers access substance misuse information and support.

Signs and Symptons of Substance Misuse

Marked and uncharacteristic mood swings, aggression and apathetic behaviour.
Truancy and lateness for school, college, work etc.
Deterioration in personal hygiene and dress.
Covering suspicious behaviour with lying, being vague etc.
Unusual conflict with authority figures.
Sudden and marked change of habits, loss of purpose in life, lacking in motivation of goals.
Excessive borrowing of money.
Stealing from family, friends, school, shops, work etc.
Selling of own property with little or nothing to show for it.
Furtive telephone calls and use of drug slang.
Many short visits from new or old friends and many short excursions away from home.
Wearing dark glasses even in dull weather.
Short-term memory loss and deterioration in performance.
Loss of concentration and loss of co-ordination.
Poor appetite and weight loss, or eating binges.
Suffering a succession of colds and episodes of 'flu which may persist for an unusually long length of time.
Depression, shyness and poor self-image.
Spending time away from home usually overnight.
Excessive sleeping, usually after time away from home.
Drunken behaviour and slurred speech.

NOTE: Many of the above may simply be normal signs of adolescence or due to some other cause rather than drug use. It will be wise to make further investigations.

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