To understand the severity of your child’s substance use, it’s important to look at patterns and consequences, not just frequency. If they’re experimenting, it will likely be occasional and won’t derail their life. They’ll still be engaged in activities, and have good relationships and communication with you (we get it, it’s still scary.) The shift to dependence and addiction comes when they’re using to cope with everyday emotions or difficulties, choosing substances over activities they once loved, and continue using despite consequences that would have deterred them before. Your parental intuition is picking up on something – honor that.
