I will put this openly; my mother had an addition to pain pills. As far back as I can remember, my childhood years consisted of being a “mini parent”, attempting to cook dinners and wash and iron work clothes for my father who worked diligently to try and provide for us.
The years of emotional, physical and financial strain her addiction put on not only her, but our family was devastating. Despite her passing from the years of abuse in 2005, I still carry scars and guilt from her battle. What else could I have done to help her?
Wait – I need to stop and back up if I may; I know this is only my second post and it’s a rather heavy one, I need to explain why. While doing some reading tonight about ways to get involved in the battle against prescription drug abuse I read some staggering stats on prescription drug abuse in teenagers and I wanted to help immediately; and what a better way to get involved is right here! Sure I don’t have a huge following, but if just one of you read this and remember even a fraction of it, you could save someone’s life some day.
So here is what I read…
Prescription and non-prescription drug abuse is the Nation’s fastest growing form of drug abuse, only second to Marijuana. According to the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, considered the preeminent national study on teen substance abuse, since 2002 prescription drug abuse has jumped 20 percent among those ages 12 and older. Among those ages 12-17, prescription drug abuse increased 17 percent, jumping from 2.3 percent of youth in 2008 to 2.7 percent in 2009. In addition, the 2009 Monitoring the Future Survey showed that 5 percent of teens have abused an over-the-counter cough medicine to get high over the past year. (source: )
So what can you as a parent do? Know the signs and do not turn the other cheek, do not deny that it could happen to your child or anyone in your household for that matter. If you suspect it, act on it.
Below are commons signs that your child or someone you know could be abusing.
Stimulants (medications used to speed up brain activity causing increased alertness, attention, and energy that come with elevated blood pressure, increased heart rate and breathing)
• Hyperactivity
• Shaking
• Sweating
• Dilated pupils
• Fast or irregular heart beat
• Elevated body temperature
• Seizures
• Paranoia/nervousness
• Repetitive behaviors
• Loss of appetite or sudden and unexplained weight loss
Sedatives/depressants (medications used to slow down or “depress” the functions of the brain and central nervous system)
• Loss of coordination
• Respiratory depression
• Slowed reflexes
• Slurred speech
• Coma
Opioid analgesics (medications used to treat moderate-to-severe pain)
• Sleep deprivation or “nodding”
• Pinpoint/constricted pupils, watery or droopy eyes
Please also check out the links below. The first link is a great resource for parents, the second is for both parents and tweens/teens alike.
I would also like to add that I am obviously not an expert on teen drug abuse, I was not the abuser, but I saw what my Mother endured; I saw first hand what prescription drug abuse can do. If creating this post can help just one family then I have succeeded.
Sources:
http://ncapda.org
http://teens.drugabuse.gov
http://www.cadca.org