I have a 16yr old Boy, who, was diagnosed as ADD when he was 13, he was medicated for the last few years at School, and then in Yr 10 left to pursue his dream of becoming a motor mechanic. He was given a Cadetship at a reputable car dealership and in October when he turns 17 they will move him to an apprenticeship. He is no longer medicated as he can work etc and has no issues (the School he attended pretty much forced my hand to medicate him) I am a single Mum and I have 2 other Sons who have now flown the nest, so it’s just him and I, I do have a partner of 12 months but we both have our own seperate houses. Sorry this is long winded……In a nut shell he has started smoking pot, I have noticed he sneakily does it in his car - while it’s on the stationary on the driveway as we have had lots of rows over bringing it in the home. How should I approach this with him as I don’t want it to become a habit, I have noticed lately he’s moody and snappy and I’m unsure if it’s from doing this or just normal 16yr old hormone moods. My other two Sons had a big social network of friends and were out and about a lot more so I believe they did this at parties etc occasionally so I was unaware (until they owned up a while ago) . Am I worrying unnecessarily about this. He gets up everyday to work never missed a day doesn’t drink etc. I don’t want to come down hard on him and make matters worse. Just as a side note I never smoked pot so I am very nieve I just hate drugs of any sort. I have a great bond with my Son we communicate well but lately all we seem to do is fight. Thanks for listening/reading.
2 Replies
You're not worrying unnecessarily because besides the fact he's smoking everyday and its affecting his moods when he's not using it, there's also a risk that everything he's working for now could go down the drain. So many, if not all, industrial workplaces require drug screens and random drug tests throughout employment. He also risks losing his license if he gets pulled over, there's no second chances for P platers. THC stays in the system for about 6 weeks after you last smoked it so even if he's not stoned he could still show a positive test for work and for the police. Its just not worth the risk especially when he has an apprenticeship!
Edit - Maybe see about putting him back on his ADHD meds in case he's self medicating.
A lot of unmedicated ADHDers smoke pot to self-medicate.
Aside from it being illegal drug use, as someone else said this puts his license at risk, and that puts his job at risk.
My partner has ADHD & is fully medicated; he doesn't medicate on weekends because he thinks he's fine without it - he is not fine without it.
He can mask super well, but he's very scatty, he describes it as 100 radio stations playing inside his head - ritalin brings it down to 2.
If your son truly does have ADHD, I don't see how he can possibly be coping with a full life without being medicated - hence the pot smoking.
Also, ADHD is super prone to addiction.
Addiction to whatever it is - drugs, gambling, porn, whatever - gives them a dopamine hit - ESPECIALLY if they're not medicated.
I would have a very serious conversation with your son about getting back on his meds and getting off the pot.