Heroin Use and What Parents Need to Know
Of all the drugs available today, heroin is one of the most addictive. It does not take long for a person using heroin to become physically dependent on it and addicted to it. A shocking recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health revealed that about forty percent of teenagers do not see any major problem with trying heroin one or two times and even more worrying is the fact that around nineteen percent of teenagers do not think that using heroin once a week will cause any risks. It is important therefore, as a parent that you are familiar with the warning signs and dangers of heroin use and that you keep your child informed of these dangers.
Heroin
Signs to be on the lookout for when it comes to heroin use in teenagers
- Nausea
- Drowsiness
- Constricted pupils
- Impaired mental functioning
- Slurred speech
- Poor personal hygiene
- Runny nose
- Euphoria
- Slowed breathing
- Hostility
- Drug paraphernalia
- Change in friends
- Track marks on the arms or other signs of injection such as infected sores or bumps
- Lack of interest in usual activities or family and friends
How is heroin taken?
Heroin looks like brown or white powder and it is usually injected. However teens these days are under the false assumption that it is safer to swallow, smoke or snort heroin and they are turning to these methods instead.
Street names for heroin
- Tar
- H
- Chiva or Chiba
- Smack
- Mud
- Brown Sugar
- Skag
- Junk
The dangers involved with using heroin
Because heroin enters the brain very quickly, users can become physically dependent on it very quickly. It is highly addictive and there are a whole host of risks involved with injecting this drug such as diseases from sharing needles including hepatitis C, hepatitis B and HIV. Another problem with heroin is the fact that every dose can vary in strength so there is never any way of knowing how one hit will affect the user.
Heroin Use: facts and statistics
- According to a report by SAMHSA in 2006, 14.4 percent of teenagers said they would find it very easy to get their hands on heroin if they wanted to.
- Of those teens who had developed major depression, 34.6 percent of them had been using illegal drugs such as heroin at the time.
- Around forty percent of teenagers do not feel there is any major risk in trying heroin one or two times. Around nineteen percent of teenagers do not see any major risk in using heroin one or two times a week.
- Almost half a million people received heroin addiction treatment in 2006.
How can I prevent my teenager from using heroin?
Make sure you are familiar with the warning signs.
Speak to your child about the dangers of using drugs such as heroin as teenagers are fifty percent less likely to use drugs if they learn about the dangers from their parents.
Make sure you know where your teenager is and make a point of getting to know their friends and their parents.
Tackle signs of drug abuse immediately before an addiction to that drug develops.
Choosing a heroin rehab facility for your teenager
It is very important to decide if your teenager needs assisted medical detox for heroin addiction because of the severe withdrawal symptoms caused due to the highly addictive nature of this drug. The types of treatment provided as well as after care programs and staff credentials should be things you consider when making your choice of rehab facility for your teenager. Speak to a medical professional about your teenager’s symptoms and they can help you to decide between out patient treatment, residential care, treatment for dual diagnosis of co-occurring disorders or assisted detox.
Recovery Ways specializes in treating a wide variety of addictions and co-occurring disorders. For more information on how to get you or your loved one help, call us toll- free: 877-686-6751.
7 Ways to Heal Your Childhood Trauma
The general nature of children is their highly resilient character and the tendency to bounce back from most any situation, but in certain cases, traumatic experiences in an individual’s childhood can have contrary personality developments. These effects are so severe and long-lasting that if untreated are likely to affect their adulthood in almost 90% of such cases. Childhood trauma can be a result of anything grave enough to make a child feel helpless and disrupt his sense of safety and security. This includes different forms of sexual, physical and verbal abuse. Sometimes domestic violence disrupts the child’s mindset bringing an unstable or unsafe environment for his mental growth. Separation from a parent, neglect, bullying, serious illness; or intrusive medical procedures are other reasons which might form a category of traumatic and grave situations that can result in helpless trauma for a growing child.
For those who are undergoing a situation that disrupts their emotional and psychological growth, an effective healing process can be helpful in this regard. Some of the ways through which you can reclaim your life and endeavor to live it to its fullest are:
An effort to acknowledge and recognize the trauma as what it is: Childhood traumatic victims are often observed to hide the fact to one’s own consciousness or pretend like it never happened and sometimes are found to be succumbed to feelings of guilt or self-blame. The crucial and only way you can begin healing is to first acknowledge that a traumatic event did actually occur and make yourself believe that you were not responsible for it.
Reclaim control. A feeling of helplessness can carry on effecting the adulthood and can make you a perpetual victim. It gives back nothing but leads to you taking choices based on your past pain. It is a settled fact that when you are a victim, the present is in control of your past. But where you have conquered your pain, you are all set to beat this theory and experience the present being controlled by you. Until you are willing to let go of the defenses and crutches you have used throughout to navigate your trauma, you will not be able to reclaim the control of your life and heal that endless pain.
Do not isolate yourself. A commonly observed practice, trauma survivors tend to withdraw from the society of others. However, this would only make things worse. A supportive aspect of an effective healing process is your ability to connect with people. This helps in maintaining relationships and you receive support which makes overcoming the bad phase faster. Try talking to a trusted family member, friend or a counselor. Those who have been a sufferer and interested in the cause must make an effort to join a support group for survivors of childhood trauma.
Adopt healthy practices. Your ability to cope with stress increases if you are keeping yourself healthy. Take required and routine rest, eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly. Adopting healthy practices means giving up of alcohol and drugs. Depressed people are often found seeking a solution of doing away with depression by smoking. No doubt, sooner or later they realize that it is causing them more harm but it gets too late and they find themselves addicted. This only causes more depression adding more to your traumatic state of mind. You must realize that these attempts might provide temporary relief but will inevitably increase your feelings of depression, anxiety and isolation which can worsen the trauma symptoms.
Learn accepting and letting go. Acceptance means you know what has happened with you, and you have decided how you are going to do deal with it. It is you who can decide if it can rule your life or to let it go. Letting go is a feeling which releases you from the burden of an event which if not dealt will haunt you for the rest of your life. It literally means no longer allowing your bad memories and feelings of a bad childhood to rob you of living a good life now.
Adopt good habits. Good habits, if not adopted, will bring around negativity and create mistrust in your mind for others. It is observed that in such situations, people find themselves as loners and turn towards alcohol or drugs. These bad habits can be hard to quit, especially when used as crutches to relieve the pain and trauma. Instead, a support group or a therapist can help you learn the tools necessary to break such bad habits and replace them with good ones.
Finally, observe patience. Where you have been hurt as a child, the emotions get out of control, hopelessness, defense mechanisms and warped perceptions are built which become difficult to let go of. It will take a lot of time and hard work to let go of these feelings. The ultimate remedy is to be patient with yourself and honor your progress, no matter how small it may seem. These are the little victories in your recovery process which would eventually help you win the battle and heal your childhood trauma.
Recovery Ways specializes in treating a wide variety of addictions and co-occurring disorders.
For more information on how to get you or your loved one help, call us toll- free: 877-686-6751.
Alcoholism: What Is it and Whom Does it Affect?
Alcoholism is a disease that does not discriminate. Anyone can suffer from this addiction, regardless of race, age, or religion. Millions of people in this country alone are affected by someone who needs addiction help.
Addiction rehabs are full of people who are trying to get help. The streets hold those who aren’t. Alcoholism is a serious problem in this country. Addiction centers are available to try to alleviate some of the strain, but if someone is not willing to get help, then it is hard to help them.
- When someone is an alcoholic, they crave alcohol. When they don’t have alcohol, their body goes through physical withdrawals. Often, when they start drinking alcohol, they can’t stop. Without the help of an addiction doctor, they may find their lives on a downward spiral of despair, with no way to fight back to the surface.
- More than 14 million Americans are alcoholics; a grave statistic. And the more they drink, the more their tolerance goes up, meaning that they will eventually need to drink even more. Often, it is impossible for an alcoholic to quit drinking without the help of an addiction treatment center.
- Without another kind of outlet, many people use drinking to run away from their problems. This disease is quickly becoming an epidemic and needs serious attention. Addiction centers offer an alternative for alcoholics: help.
If you or someone you know is an alcoholic, don’t let the problem get any bigger. Recovery Ways is a residential treatment center that can give you some hope.
We provide relief from addictions by offering natural remedies to get your life back in order. We try to heal you from the inside, focusing on mental outlook, nutritional, and physical health.
Don’t let alcoholism rule your or your loved one’s life anymore. Call us today so we can help you or your loved one get back on the road to recovery.
