HOUSTON, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Children as young as age 11 are experimenting with drugs and alcohol, but many U.S. parents don't recognize the signs of substance abuse.
"The kids we treat have been using for quite some time before their parents figure it out," said Dr. Norma Clarke, medical director of the Menninger Adolescent Treatment Program.
"They convince their parents that they are not using, because their parents don't want to believe they are using. Also primary care doctors often don't ask about drug use, and most psychiatrists don't ask."
Doctors may diagnose the mood swings caused by drug use as symptoms of bipolar disorder or a mood disorder, preventing adolescent patients from getting the treatment they need.
Spotting substance abuse in pre-teens can be tricky, Clarke says. Tell-tale signs of drug use include major changes in eating or sleeping, changes in friends, deteriorating relationships with family members, school problems, loss of interest in favorite activities, wild mood swings and chronic lying or stealing.
Children who learn about the risks of drugs at home are up to 50 percent less likely to use drugs, according to a 2005 study released by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America.
