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Please
note: Miracles In Progress Family Teen Group
provides information to teens to teach them to
make correct and healthy decisions!
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~*~Prescription Drug Use and Abuse ~*~
Angie overheard her parents talking about
how her brother's ADHD medicine was making him less hungry. Because
Angie was worried about her weight, she started sneaking one of her
brother's pills every few days. Todd found an old bottle of
painkillers that had been left over from his dad's operation. He
decided to try them. Because a doctor had prescribed the pills, Todd
figured that meant they'd be OK to try. Both Todd and Angie are
taking huge risks, though. Prescription painkillers and other
medications help lots of people live more productive lives, freeing
them from the symptoms of medical conditions like depression or
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). But that's only when
they're prescribed for a particular individual to treat a specific
condition.
Why Do Some People
Abuse Prescription Drugs?
They think they're not doing anything illegal because these drugs
are prescribed by doctors. But taking drugs without a prescription —
or sharing a prescription drug with friends — is actually breaking the
law.
Which Drugs Are Abused?
The most commonly used prescription drugs fall into three classes:
1. Opioids
- Examples: oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin),
and meperidine (Demerol)
- Medical uses: Opioids are used to treat pain or
relieve coughs or diarrhea.
- How they work: Opioids attach to opioid
receptors in the central nervous system (the brain and the spinal
cord), preventing the brain from receiving pain messages.
2. Central Nervous System (CNS) Depressants
- Examples: pentobarbital sodium (Nembutal),
diazepam (Valium), and alprazolam (Xanax)
- Medical uses: CNS depressants are used to treat
anxiety, tension, panic attacks, and sleep disorders.
- How they work: CNS depressants slow down brain
activity by increasing the activity of a neurotransmitter called
GABA. The result is a drowsy or calming effect.
3. Stimulants
- Examples: methylphenidate (Ritalin) and
amphetamine/dextroamphetamine (Adderall)
- Medical uses: Stimulants can be used to treat
narcolepsy and ADHD.
- How they work: Stimulants increase brain
activity, resulting in greater alertness, attention, and energy
What Are the Dangers of Abusing Medications?
Like all drug abuse, using prescription drugs for the wrong reasons
has serious risks for a person's health. Opioid abuse can lead to
vomiting, mood changes, decrease in ability to think (cognitive
function), and even decreased respiratory function, coma, or death.
This risk is higher when prescription drugs like opioids are taken
with other substances like alcohol, antihistamines, and CNS
depressants. CNS depressants have risks, too. Abruptly stopping or
reducing them too quickly can lead to seizures. Taking CNS depressants
with other medications, such as prescription painkillers, some
over-the-counter cold and allergy medications, or alcohol can slow a
person's heartbeat and breathing — and even kill. Abusing
stimulants (like some ADHD drugs) may cause heart failure or seizures.
These risks are increased when stimulants are mixed with other
medicines — even OTC ones like certain cold medicines. Taking too much
of a stimulant can lead a person to develop a dangerously high body
temperature or an irregular heartbeat. Taking several high doses over
a short period of time may make a drug abuser aggressive or paranoid.
The dangers of prescription drug abuse can be made even worse if
people take drugs in a way they weren't intended to be used. Ritalin
may seem harmless because it's prescribed even for little kids with
ADHD. But when a person takes it either unnecessarily or in a way it
wasn’t intended to be used such as snorting or injection, Ritalin
toxicity can be serious. And because there can be many variations of
the same medication, the dose of medication and how long it stays in
the body can vary. The person who doesn't have a prescription might
not really know which one he or she has.
How Do I Know if I'm Addicted?
If you think you — or a friend — may be addicted to prescription
drugs, talk to your doctor, school counselor, or nurse. They can help
you get the help you need. It's especially important for someone who
is going through withdrawal from a CNS depressant to speak with a
doctor or seek medical treatment. Withdrawal can be dangerous when
it's not monitored.
If someone has become addicted to prescription drugs, there are
several kinds of treatment, depending on individual needs and the type
of drug used. The two main categories of drug addiction treatment are
behavioral and pharmacological.
Behavioral treatments teach people how to function without drugs —
handling cravings, avoiding drugs and situations that could lead to
drug use, and preventing and handling relapses. Pharmacological
treatments involve giving patients a special type of medication to
help them overcome withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings.
If is it not prescribed to you....
Do Not Take It! |
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How can Miracles In Progress Family Teens Group Help Me?
Here, on MIP, you will find other teens, who are affected by someone else's alcoholism or addiction, sharing not only the pain of such a hard situation, but also their hopes, dreams, experiences and strengths. We have a message board, resource listings, fun links and a chat room hosted by the most loving people.
The pain of having a family member caught in the mere of alcoholism or addiction is one of the most severe suffering one ever endures. It effects the whole family. Not just the person who is alcoholic or addict.
Our well-being is adversely affected by someone else's alcohol or drug abuse. The pain can be overpowering. It is agonizing. It is NORMAL. Everyone’s family is unique but everyone’s pain is the same. Alcoholism or Addiction is a friend to no one.
What is Family Teens Group? It's a place where peers in an online chat room environment teaches that you have "permission to feel, heal and recover". A place where you learn that the emotions you can't understand are seen in a "mirror image" of someone describing exactly what you are going through, and you say to yourself, "that's ME they are describing". So you learn you are not crazy - that the thoughts of the alcoholic or addict, the home, family, etc, that consumes you from the moment you wake from sleep, that finally comes after endless waking hours, are not only yours. You don't have a
monopoly on the fears, hurts, anger, disappointments, or shame. It's a place where you find that every word you heard in the beginning and could not believe yourself, suddenly are spoken by you to someone else you see that is in pain and you realize, "that's ME talking" ....now it becomes a place where you have learned that by receiving the support and understanding that helped you get through the pain (of having a alcoholic or addict family member) you are now helping someone who is where you have been. It's a place where you CAN recover from the pain, move away from old survival skills and learn new living skills.
It’s a place of belonging.
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Do You have any short stories or poems that you would like to share about teens? e-mail them to: ftg@12stepforums.net
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Links Related to Teen Issues
A Game Arcade is available from the Teens
Message Board!
| Find a safe environment. If you
find yourself avoiding your house as much as possible, or if you're
thinking about running away, consider whether you feel in danger at
home. If you feel that the situation at home is becoming dangerous, you
can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 799-SAFE. And
never hesitate to dial 911 if you think you or another family member is
in immediate danger.
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