Expert: Jurriaan Plesman, Nutritional Psychotherapist - 3/13/2008

Question
Hi I would like to know what are the symptoms of a person who is on drugs? My husband and I suspect my daughter just because of the way she is acting. She is 19 years old. She lives at home.  Her room looks like a tornado went through it.  She doesn't do chores like helping clean.  She always asking me money. She is so lazy she doesn't take good care of her 2 children.  She works, she is always gone, never help me with the children.  She is always angry. She lies too much.  She forgets come home, to take over the care of the children so I can go work.  What is going on?  Is there a way of finding out if she is on or not?  Is it possible to have her tested? So much question.  But I need HELP!!!!

Answer
Dear Benie,

I am so sorry to her about your daughter. It is very difficult to say whether your daughter is taking drugs, except by medical tests. I suggest that you have to deal with her behaviour.

The best is to ask your daughter straight out whether she is on  drugs and whether you parents can help her getting off drugs. Of course she will have to WANT to. Teenage years are the most difficult periods in the child's life and especially to parents.

You can help her by understanding the underlying biochemistry of addiction. Most addicts suffer from hypoglycemia and this can be tested by medical tests. But the test for hypoglycemia is different from testing for diabetes. You could for instance ask your doctor to have a her tested for diabetes with a full Glucose Tolerance Test over at least four hours as described at:

The four hour medical Test for Hypoglycemia explained at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/testing_hypoglycemia.html

Please read:

What is Hypoglycemia at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/what_is_hypo.html

The Serotonin Connection at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/serotonin_connection.html

Drug Addiction is a Nutritional Disorder at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/drug_addictions_nutritional_disorder.htm...

Depression is a Nutritional Disorder at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/depression_disorder.html

Please discuss with a Nutritional Doctor or a Clinical Nutritionist.

I hope I have been of some help.

_______________________________________________
Jurriaan Plesman BA (Psych) Post Grad Dip Clin Nutr
Editor of
The Hypoglycemic Health Association of Australia.
www.hypoglycemia.asn.au
Author of "Getting off the Hook"
Freely available at Google Book Search