Listen to Your Kids Because Talking to Them About Drugs Doesn't Always Work

We talk to our kids about drugs and it just doesn't seem to have any impact. Why? They have the attitude that they won't get into a car accident if they drive fast, they won't get pregnant if they have sex, they won't get addicted if they use heroin.... This "invincible teen attitude" is part of normal brain development. Their brains or specifically the prefrontal cortex is not developed yet. So, that proves that our teenagers are acting without a brain or at least the front part. The brains front section is responsible for considering risks and it helps us stop doing something if it's too risky. Since, this part of the brain is still developing in teens some of the wiring is not intact...the stop/go wiring. This creates a serious problem for parents but yet also gives of a sense of why teens act the way they do.

Using drugs when we told them how dangerous they are...is not defiance, its not rebellion — its their brain! They do not comprehend the consequences of drug addiction at all!

So what are we as parents supposed to do to keep our children away from drugs — when they're operating without an fully functional brain? Researchers have been trying to find out why ...risk factors such as genetics, mental illness [anxiety, depression or mood illness], early use of drugs, social environment, and childhood trauma seem to be recognized as the main risk factors.

In hindsight, I can identify that "social anxiety" was the main factor in my daughters heroin addiction and it started in middle school. All I can say is listen to your kids....I mean really listen. If they say "I don't want to go to school"...find out why. Ask as many questions as you can to find out what's really bothering them-don't just shrug if off as I did and respond by saying, "schools hard, sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do." Some children don't know how to handle anxiety...and if you don't help them find ways to cope with their feelings then they find ways to cope on their own — and sometimes they find heroin.

So, listen to your kids because talking to them doesn't always work.

Addiction Made Simple

There are several reasons why people use drugs [recreation, fun, peer pressure] but there is only one reason why people continue to use drugs and become addicted [mental illness].

For example, two people start using drugs, one of them stops and the other continues to use and becomes addicted to the drug. Why does one become addicted? Because the addicted person had a mental illness, anxiety, or a lack of coping skills to begin with the other did not.

If an addict stops using the drug the brain will eventually heal itself from the [addiction] but the mental illness will still need to be treated...

Psychiatrists normally treat the addiction first, then the mental illness. I wonder what would happen if you treated the mental illness first and then the addiction?

Is Heroin Addiction an Obsession?

Lately I've been thinking about addiction nonstop...It's become somewhat of an addiction to think so much about addiction. Why do some people become addicted to heroin and some don't? Why do some people become addicted to cigarettes and some don't? In a nutshell, there are many theories but no one really knows what causes it.

I've noticed in dealing with my own daughter's heroin addiction... [she's been taking seboxone and is still doing very well by the way] I think that addiction whether its an addiction to drugs, eating, or even to blogging...they're all dependencies, obsessions, habits, or cravings. The addict uses the addiction to self-medicate for a deficiency in the brain. Is this true? Could this be genetics? Using seboxone does reduce the cravings...counseling helps tremendously...however, I still notice the obsessions, habits, and dependencies if you will, are still intact. Once a person is clean...should they be redirected towards a new obession a new addiction? An obession that is harmless but yet still satisfies the brains need? What would that be? Will it be enough to prevent the brain from taking her right back to heroin, and to addiction?

Seboxone: Switching One Addiction for Another?

Some people think that taking seboxone for addiction is switching one addiction for another. My daughter has been heroin-free for almost 5 months now thanks to that little orange, stop sign- shaped pill called suboxone. Yes, it has its side effects and yes she is addicted to suboxone however, her chances of being arrested, contracting a serious disease, or worse death is worth it...don't you think? I have my daughter back...a young, free spirited teen who has her whole life ahead of her. As a mother of a now, not-addicted-to-heroin teen, I feel very lucky.

Is buprenorphine [suboxone] treatment just switching one addiction for another? According to http://www.naabt.org/faqs.cfm the answer is No– and I have to agree.

Basically, taking suboxone is just one part of the treatment plan. Counseling is another very important part of treatment. I've found this to be true. The counseling actually helps with learning why you turn to drugs in the first place. The drug-seeking behavior ends, the compulsive need to use ends, the stealing and the lying end. The anxiety and intense sense of need end...because you're not waking up in the morning wondering where and how you'll get your next fix. If you take your suboxone as directed, get enough rest, eat healthy, exercise and seek counseling you will be successful. Yes, there will be times when you feel the need to go out and use...you may want to ask your Doctor about increasing your dose for a while until those feelings subside. Or, maybe you just want to go out and use because you really love heroin...talk to someone...just to help you get through it. If you're just kicking around on the internet to get information on how to stop...there are some really great websites and some wonderful people out there who know what you're going through and how to help. Don't be afraid to stop. If you're in pain find a Doctor who prescribes suboxone...your pain will immediately be gone!

Switching a life threatening drug like heroin for a very small, orange, stop sign-shaped pill...is not switching one drug for another. I call it smart...

Slowing Down

My daughter is slowing down. She realizes there are some things she just can't remember or missed entirely. It worries her. She just stares off. I often look into her confused eyes and ask what she's thinking about. She responds by saying I'm trying to remember. Lately its been very insignificant things...Like the day she found out her sister had a game cube. She said, "Where was I when my sister got a game cube? I just say she bought it used last year....she just stares off. I feel really bad for her.