“Addiction is a family disease. One person may use, but the whole family suffers.”- author unknown

An article titled ‘How to Identify Addiction’ written in addictionblog.org defines addiction as “a compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal.” The article also says that the addictive behaviour of that person will be persistent and counter-productive, that is, it will undermine the person’s ability to perform as he or she normally would in daily life.

The first step towards curing or helping an addict is identifying the signs and symptoms of addiction. These signs can be physical (bloodshot eyes, weight loss, tremors, unusual odour), behavioural (secrecy, dishonesty, absence in school, lethargy) or psychological (anxiety, paranoia, mood swing, outbursts, demotivated attitude). It is most likely that multiple signs occur repeatedly and simultaneously, and though ae hard to miss, should not be misinterpreted as a typical teen behaviour.

When it comes to your children, this addiction could be anything. From Netflix to social media to alcohol, addictive behaviour can seep into their lives with excessive use of anything. And, it is most likely to impair not just their academic performance, but their normal functioning as well. However, any addiction is bad for your child’s well-being, and hence needs to be identified, addressed and cured.

To learn more about how to do all these, take guidance from the articles given in our ClipBook.