Protect Your Teen From Prescription Drug Abuse | Judy Davis and Sandy Fowler | Episode 4

Parents want to protect their children, especially from alcohol, high risk behaviors and prescription drug abuse. Grades, winning, being a leader, joining the right club, getting into the college of your choice, being liked on social media, what to do and who to be—these are all things that create huge pressure for our teens and twenty somethings.

One of the ways teens are dealing with that pressure is by overusing and abusing prescription drugs. This is a sneaky situation that takes parents by surprise. Judy Davis and Sandy Fowler, two of the co-founders of DASIUM and co-hosts of the Mighty Parenting podcast, are diving into the problem of prescription drug addiction and misuse; taking a look at who’s at risk and what parents can do to intervene and prevent it on the home-front.

A Favorite Quote from the Show:

Parents always ask, “How was I so blind, how did I miss all the signs?”

The High Points About Preventing Prescription Drug Abuse:

Our kids are under extreme pressure in everyday life. That pressure can lead to emotional pain. The emotional pain can cause them to turn to unhealthy coping strategies, including prescription drug abuse in teens.

Prescription Drug abuse sneaks up because:

• Parents don’t expect kids to use the family medicine cabinet as a drug source.
• Early use doesn’t have the physical display that street drugs or alcohol do.

Parents inadvertently contribute the pressure by:

• Judging our kids
• Sending the message that your child can’t handle things without you
• Refusing to take off our blinders and accept that our child could be in trouble
• Not teaching them alternative/healthy coping strategies
• Not allowing them to experience the negative emotions or consequence of actions when choosing to use unhealthy strategies for managing their daily lives.

Seven things parents can do to reduce the risk:

1. Watch what’s being prescribed*
2. Ask your doctor and pharmacist questions
3. Request non-narcotic pain relievers
4. Lock up prescriptions
5. Track prescriptions
6. Dispose of unused prescriptions (including pet meds)
7. Give your child a code word to get out of sticky situations

*At times there may be a need for a strong pain reliever in order for an injury to heal without putting unnecessary stress on the patient. So please talk with your doctor and find the healthy balance of when prescription medication is truly a necessity.

Sandy & Judy share some suggested words to say when talking to your child:

• Are you okay?
• How can I help you right now?
• I’m sorry that you’re hurting.
• Life can be tough and, while it may still hurt or be sad or make you angry, there are ways to handle that so you can pass through it to the other side. (Teach healthy coping strategies)
• Have you ever taken prescription meds without an adult present? / How did that make you feel?
• Has a friend offered you a pill? / How did you react to that?
• What do you think is a prescription med? And what do you think they do for you?
• Do you think it’s okay to use medicine that wasn’t prescribed for you specifically?
• When you think of relieving the pain you have, what do you think would work best? Discuss other options to try before going to the level of a prescription drug. For example:
  • Injury – ice
  • Muscle cramps – heat
  • Headache – food, water, essential oils
  • Chiropractic, acupuncture, etc.
  • Over-the-counter medications (Motrin, Tylenol)

More from our Hosts:

Judy Davis, aka The Direction Diva, is a sought after motivational speaker, entrepreneur, author and host of the Mighty Parenting Podcast. She is a small business and teen suicide prevention expert as well as an influencer in the military spouse community. Judy is passionate about providing programs and resources to families across the nation and is the CEO of DASIUM – a brand leading the way in depression, addiction and suicide prevention in teens and young adults.

A recipient of the 2016 Dove Real Beauty Award, Judy has also been quoted, featured, and profiled in a variety of publications and interviews including Smart Money Magazine, Hiring America TV, The Jim Bohannan show, Dr. Laura Berman Show, and more. She is regularly featured as a parenting and military lifestyle expert/guest on radio shows and panels highlighting the challenges and issues facing families today.

Sandy Fowler is a wife, mom, and business owner whose passion is teaching people to make powerful choices that impact their lives and businesses in the best way. At DASIUM, she guides parents and organizations in preventing depression, addiction, and suicide in teens and young adults. At Mighty Parenting, she helps parents learn skills that help them create an emotionally healthy family. And at Simple Strategies, she walks people through the process of identifying and quantifying their highest priorities then making them front and center in their life.

She has been quoted on Lifetimemoms.com and SheKnows.com, featured in a cover story in the Detroit Free Press Twist Magazine, published in Mompreneur magazine and the Clarkston News. Sandy is a co-creator of The Keys to Getting What You Want: 4 Little Known Communication Secrets, and the creator of the Calendar Magic coaching program. She authored two books that use her principles to guide moms through the holiday season. You can connect with her at SandyFowler.com.

To learn more or connect with our guests, visit DASIUM.net

Sandy’s available resources:

• Take Back Your Life Coaching
• Reduce Christmas Stress Books – The Christmas Secret & Christmas Magic

Judy’s available resources:

Warning Signs: Is Your Teen At Risk?

• Right Side Up
• Motivational Speaker for your next event: Visit TheDirectionDiva