Just Say No to Drugs?
One of the most harrowing experiences for any parent is dealing with a teen who is using drugs. And even though the most widely available drugs for teens are still tobacco, marijuana, and alcohol, the range of available substances is quickly expanding to include amphetamines such as Ritalin, cocaine, crack, cold and cough medications containing dextromethorphan (DXM), prescription depressants, ecstasy, heroin, inhalants, Ketamine (an anesthetic and tranquilizer), LSD, methamphetamine, and Rohypnol (a prescription anti-anxiety drug - the "date rape" drug).
Although as parents we'd love to think that campaigns telling kids to "just say no" to drugs are enough to keep them from making bad decisions, issues such as low self-esteem, peer pressure, and parent/teen conflicts often overshadow even the best decision-making skills.
Once upon a time, kids were pretty uninformed. Teens knew little about drug use, legal or illegal. Heck, even many adults were in the dark. With the advent of the Internet, which took developed nations well beyond the level of information predicted after the development of radio and television, ignorance is no excuse for either parents or teens when dealing with issues surrounding drug use.
Telling kids to just say no without giving them the information they need to make an intelligent decision is just silly. Remember when your little one(s) asked "why" so many times that you wanted to pull your hair out? Just because your kids have aged by a decade doesn't mean they don't want to know what is behind everything you say. Although they might be convinced that they sky is indeed blue, as you have so often insisted, they will still need proof that drugs are bad.
The fact is, although drugs can feel good at first, using them improperly when they have not been prescribed can create more problems than bargained for. Still not a believer? Ask an alcoholic or a meth addict.
Still, teens are invincible - or so they think. That daredevil, risk-taking, it probably-won't-happen-to-me behavior is what gets teens into so much trouble. And, honestly, this type of behavior is normal. After all, most kids who smoke pot, pop pills, or drink are just fine, right? Well, first of all, they're not fine. Something, whether bad decision-making, sheer stupidity, or brain damage, has caused them to take some pretty significant chances with their health, the law, and their lives. Second of all, the more chances you take, the greater the risk of something bad happening.
Why take chances? Just about every addict began using drugs because it felt good, because they felt pressured to do so, or because they felt a need to escape from something. The more you use drugs, the more you risk.
So, assuming you've got the smarts to point and click your way across the Internet for information on drugs, you already know that they are physically dangerous. Drugs work by altering the way your body works. Although sometimes this is good, as in drugs that help diabetics regulate blood sugar or drugs that alleviate depression, intentionally altering the way your body works when it is not necessary to do so is plain stupid.
Addressing why kids feel the need to try drugs is important for both teens and their parents. It's important for kids to be aware that sometimes just one try is enough to do permanent damage. Drugs affect each person differently - how harmful even the very first drug use can be depends on how much of the drug is taken, how it enters the body (as in inhaling, swallowing, smoking, or injecting), how often the drug is used, how quickly the substance reaches the bloodstream and, subsequently, the brain, the individual's body size and chemical makeup, and what other drugs, substances, and even food the individual has consumed.
There are so many factors that determine whether or not you live or die, get high or get sick, during that initial "try," it's just not worth the risk. Will you live to tell about it? Probably. But, is that a risk you want to take?
Ultimately, it's the teen who has to make the decision as to whether or not drugs are worth the risk. Parents need to keep open lines of communication and be there to support and redirect a teen who has made a bad decision. The goal is to keep kids off drugs whenever possible and to help them get back on track when they've gotten off course, not to unrealistically expect teens to make the right decision every time.
How Residential Treatment Works: Clearing a New Path
Residential treatment is often the last stop for an out-of-control substance-abusing teenager. It offers a "time out" from situations that trigger self-destructive behavior, a chance to experience predictable and consistent consequences of behavior, an opportunity to participate in community, and for family bonds to be repaired. In the process, self-esteem -- the major antidote to alcohol and drug use - is increased.
How does this happen? Let's follow Joan J. through several aspects of her treatment experience.
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Topics:
Drug Rehab
Addiction Treatment Centers
Substance Abuse Treatment
Recovery Programs