Struggling with addiction is common in both adults and children. Over the years, dealing with addiction from all ages has gained public exposures and the dangers and effects are quite alarming.
Addiction means that a person do not have control over what he does and takes. It could be physical, psychological or both. The 2019 Youth Risk Behaviour Survey revealed an alarming statistics of high school students with different addictions. Thus, the need for an effective control and solution from the root and the most vulnerable which are the children.
This topic has two dimensions
First, recognizing addictive tendencies in children.
Second, possible ways to deal with them.
Recognizing addiction in children
Every child is unique, so is their symptoms of ailment and expression of distress. As parents watch their children grow up from babies to different stages of their young age up to adulthood, their involvement in their lives gets to decline with each passing stage. At a time, children begin to live by their own, make decisions on their own and take responsibility of same. They either make use of the morals instilled in them by their parents or succumb to peer pressure. If the latter is the case, they begin to experiment with both good and bad behaviours and this may move so fast that before they know it, they’re drowning in addiction.
Recognizing addiction in children starts with the little things they do. During their play time, the type of play activities they do, the time they spend on them, their reactions when they’re stopped and the effects of those activities on them. All these need to be closely observed. Many children are addicted to games and that is an early sign of addiction. Parents who starts by dealing with smaller addictions early, find it easy to deal with bigger addictions when they come. Addictions like alcohol, smoking, medicine and many substance use, found mainly in adolescents, become difficult to deal with because the smaller addictions like excessive gaming, staying glued to the television always, too much use of electronic gadgets, etc, were overlooked.
Ways to Recognize Addiction
- The first way to recognize addiction is by the grades of a child. It starts to decline with significant poor performance in classes.
- A child with addiction begins to decline in social activities and may be inclined to fighting and other aggressive behaviours.
- Some children fall ill more often and start getting either too withdrawn or too involved in family and social matters.
- Their circle of friends may begin to change and they start to spend longer hours on phone calls and chats with friends.
- Sometimes their sleep pattern is altered. They either sleep too much or begin to lose sleep.
6. Their eating pattern also changes. Some children experience significant weight loss or weight gain. Some gets red eyes, nauseous and vomit often.
- They become hyperactive, either excessive talking or excessive playing or too much engagement in outdoor activities.
- Emotionally, there is sudden loss of interest in their normal routine like family time.
- They become chronic liars, dishonest and disrespectful. Sometimes paranoia sets in, that’s being too secretive and locking themselves in their rooms.
- Mood swings, easily irritated, nervousness, lack of motivation and so on.
Dealing with Addiction
These changes may be mild or severe. Unfortunately, some parents don’t pay close attention to early signs and some schools don’t have the resources to identify them early. It is important for parents to speak to their children schools about any signs noticed and for schools to employ the necessary tools needed to solve it.
When Addiction is recognized early, dealing with it becomes less difficult.
Depending on the age of the child, here are ways to deal with addiction
- Talk to that child. Let him know he can talk to you and trust you. Offer to help in any way possible.
- Make him realize the dangers of addiction. Cite practical instances for clarifications.
- Speak to his school, dealing with addiction is a collaborative effort of all the adults in the life of a child.
- Gradually but steadily withdraw the child from it. Listen more, show more love and criticize less.
- Set a time table of daily routine and activities and let the child understand the need to comply.
- Limit friends and their influence both in school, home and other applicable places.
- Find suitable substitute for him, depending on the type of addiction and the effects.
- Involve a psychologist, a counsellor or a medical professional if it becomes difficult, depending on the type of addiction.
- Be more involved as a parent, teacher or carer. Be intentional about it, loving but firm and resolute.
- We should never forget the place of prayer in parenting. Pray for divine intervention with faith and confidence in God.
Addiction of any kind is a sickness that has severe damaging effect on the physical, emotional, mental and psychological wellbeing of a child. With these aggregate damaging effects, it means a child with addiction is faced with a life long damage. Thus, it is a serious issue that requires serious actions.
Amara Ann Unachukwu
