Signs of Substance Abuse in A Family Member

If someone is engaged in substance abuse in your family they usually try to keep their behavior a secret. You might have a teen that is acting strange – but you can't quite tell what is going on or what is wrong.
There are tell-tale signs that they might be user. These symptoms include
• Bloodshot eyes or pupils that are 'pinned' or dilated
• Changes in appetite that result in sudden weight loss
• Bad breath and unusual body or clothing smells
• Deterioration of physical appearance and grooming
• Clumsiness and impaired coordination
• Tremors
• Slurred speech and an inability to be able to focus
• Always in need of money
• Engaging in secretive or suspicious behaviors
• Leaving people on a 'need to know' basis and being uncommunicative
• Frequently getting into trouble including fights and accidents
• Suddenly changing friends, hobbies and places to hang out
• Sudden mood swings, irritability or angry outbursts
• Unexplained changes in personality or attitude
• Being unusually giddy or hyperactive
• Appearing lethargic or spaced out
• Expressing anxiety, fear or paranoia for no good reason
• If the individual suspected of being into substance abuse is a teenager then look for these signs of addiction as well
• Denying you entrance to his or her room, drawers or certain possessions
• Being secretive about friends and whereabouts
• A sudden interest in offbeat fashions or music that seem out of character
• Avoiding eye contact with you or even making direct eye contact with you while you know the person is telling a lie
• Skipping class and declining grades
• Drugs are missing from your filing cabinet
• Money is missing from your purse
• Your teen spends a great deal of time sleeping
• Your child seems unusually withdrawn and depressed and isolates from friends and family
• Using a lot of incense, perfume or air freshener to conceal the smells from using drugs
• Uses eye drops frequently to mask the look of bloodshot eyes or dilated pupils
• Uses mouthwash a great dealt to conceal smoke or alcohol use.
If an adult or teen in your family has any of the above symptoms of substance abuse it might be time to seek professional help or counseling or consider talking that person in going to rehab.

Hair Loss in Teenagers and Young Women

It is one thing to lose your hair when you are older but quite upsetting to be in your late teens or twenties and find yourself facing sudden hair loss. The younger we are the more concerned we can be about our appearance as we are still in our 'mating years.' Hair loss can be rehabilitating to the self-esteem of a young woman and significantly impact her emotional well-being.

Normally hair grows about a quarter of an inch per month and continues to grow for six years. Then that hair falls out and another grows in its place. In a young woman the hair can fall out sooner and cause a thin or balding look to the hair. The good news is that most young women this happens to do not suffer either complete loss of hair or permanent hair loss.

In young women sudden hair loss can be caused by emotional strain, anxiety and worry. It can be caused by feelings of being overwhelmed, by taking onto many projects at once and not leaving enough time to recover from fatigue.

Relationship and social problems of all kinds can also cause a young woman to become emotionally unstable and cause a malfunctioning of the metabolism and hormonal systems. The result can be the hair coming out in clumps in the brush or in the hand. Many women discover the hair loss when they take a shower and watch the hair swirl down the drain or they notice that when they part their hair the part seems a lot wider than usual.

Hormonal changes are usually the physical cause behind hair loss in young women. Hormonal changes can cause a young woman to produce too much of the DHT hormone. This hormone clashes with estrogen in the body and can cause the hair to suddenly fall out.

Rather than rush out and buy wigs or get hair transplants younger women are advised to wait the hair loss out. This is mainly because it is usually not permanent. Once the source of the stress disappears, whether it be a life situation, emotional reaction or a health problem causing it, the hair often grows back. Hair will typically grow back in three to six months times.

Foods that a young woman should eat to help remedy the situation are liver, fish, eggs, brewer's yeast, yogurt, liver, eggs, dates, raisins, avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil and fish.

A supplement rich in phytoestrogenic herbs such as black cohosh and nettle might also help restore hair. Phytoestregens stimulate the pituitary and endocrine glands so that the hormones in the body operate more efficiently and stimulate hair growth. However be aware that sometimes taking too many phytoestrogens.

To help the situation young women should be sure to take their vitamins, drink plenty of water and avoid crash dieting. They also need iron supplements and should stop being vegetarian as not eating enough meat can cause baldness as well.