Signs of drug use?

To cover the last 5 years would take 500 pages, so to put it in short.  My stepson now 16 has had many problems with school.  He is smart but refuses to do the minimum in class.  He is failing two courses right now. He has been grounded from friends, phone, computer, tv, etc.....until he gets his grades up.  In the mean time, I found an Aderall pill in his room.  It was 20 mg.  He bought it from a friend to help him "concentrate".  I was livid!!  He claims it is the first time he was going to take the pill, but has had them given to him before and he passes them on (I don't believe it).  So, my question is...what do I look for to tell if he is taking these?  finding a pill that size is impossible if hidden. He tends to get into major "slumps" where he walks like a zombie and barely speaks...could this be a down from it? How do I tell if he is on it?  Also, he wet the bed for 15 years and had been totally dry for one year. He wet the bed the other night...any connection?  He is consistently tardy to classes (the school rarely does anything about it), he has stolen money from us before (mostly for candy), he manipulates people constantly to get out of consequences,. He has been to conselors, phyciatrists, etc and military school for a year, with basically, zero results.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated...

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

The prognosis is not good with this sort of profile at the age of sixteen. The most direct route to take re: possible drug use is to arrange a toxic screen (preferably urine). This can identify the presence of various illicit substances, prescription and otherwise. Depending on the rules governing the jurisdiction in which you live, court-ordered intervention (e.g., via a so-called Child In Need of Service - CHINS - petition) might be the best route.

[Miss brat]

i know what your going through im 15 and my 17 year old brother is the same way. i wish i knew what to do to help my mom out. shes so stressed out tell me more about your son please. id like to know more about him. im from washington thank you

[racerartist]

miss brat-- I wish I knew what else to tell you.  My stepson just does not have any desire to acheive or even do the basics.  He wants to ride his skate board and hang out with friends and the consequences of his future do not come into play.  He has been to Military school.  When he first got there they said that he was a model student all A's, and perfect discipline.  They said the hard part of him being there was them being able to challenge him academically.  Well, that lasted a month or two and he started right back into his ways.  by the end of the year, they told me they couldn't help him, he had no desire and he refused to help himself.  He ended up with D's.  So, we put him back in high school here. Deciding he should just live with his choices.  The thing we have found is no matter how much a parent wants something, you can not MAKE another person want it.  He may never get there.  The pills he has decided to take are his way of another "easy way out".  Thinks the pills will make him get better grades.  Anything but the right way.  I don't know what actions we will take next. Good luck with your situation.  We have 4 other kids in the family and they are all wonderful.

[longhaul]

your stepson my be on the right track. sounds like he may be trying to self medicate. i'd never heard of this until i read a book on women and add. seem alot of drug users are really ad/hd people and don't know it. so they abuse drugs to try to feel normal. i tell you this from experince i abused drugs from age 11 to early 20s. wasn't until age 40 i found myself taking medication for add. i'm 42 now taking adderall (adderrall) along with my eight year old son. i just wish i would have been diagnosed in childhood, would have saved myself alot of heartache. but things are good now because i sought help. so i urge you to talk to your stepson, his father and mother, get information on ad/hd and go from there. goodluck