The overwhelming responsibility of helping a child across the bridge of their teen years into adulthood can feel like an impossible task when it comes to attempting to discern whether or not your child is using drugs. What drugs are even out there? What drugs does your teen even have access to? And what does being under the influence look like? Is this really drug addiction or innocent experimentation?

Here are a few things you can look for that may tip you off about drug abuse that requires drug addiction treatment:

* Slipping Grades. It’s virtually impossible to keep up with the hectic demands of homework and tests when you’re experimenting with any drug or alcohol. You may even notice an overt or sudden disinterest in even going to school. You might want to check with the attendance office at your teen’s school to make sure that she hasn’t been absent more often than you’re aware. If he or she has been a part of extracurricular activities in the past, her interest and participation in these may falter or disappear completely as well.

* Health. Using drugs or alcohol weakens your immune system. Also, recovering from a binge can look like an illness. If your child has previously been healthy, but suddenly seems to pick up every cold or constantly feels ill, drug use may be the cause.

* Physical Appearance. Extreme changes in dress or a sudden lack of interest in grooming at all may indicate depression, changes in peer group or friends and may also point to drug use and abuse.

* Mood Changes. Moody behavior and general irritability and crankiness are hallmarks of the teenage experience, even they never touch an illegal substance. If your teen’s interest in privacy suddenly seems extreme to the point that you are permanently excluded from entering their room under any circumstances or they disappear with friends who you may or may not know very well without telling you where they’re going, then they may be using drugs.

* Financial Urgency. A lack of funds during the teen years is nothing to be concerned about. It’s totally normal. But sudden and constant requests for money without a good reason or purpose may be an indications of drug use, especially when combined with the disappearance of money from your wallet or other formerly safe storage places in your home. You may also notice that things are missing from house, which opens up the possibility that your child is stealing to pay for his or her drug habit.

If you think that your teen is using drugs or exhibiting any of the abovementioned behavior, you can start by asking them about it. One or two signs may be easily explained by something other than drug use. Don’t accuse, but do show your concern. If you feel quite sure that drug use is the cause of the changes in your child, The Canyon can help by providing you with a professional interventionist to confront your child and get him or her into the drug rehab facility they need.

What are some changes you noticed in your child’s behavior that tipped you off to his or her drug use?