I Found Cocaine in My Teenager's Room, What Do I Do?
The last thing you want to discover inside your teenager’s room is an illegal drug. While you want to keep your child away from harmful substances, you cannot control what they have access to once they are out there. In Los Angeles alone, the number of teenagers using illegal drugs, particularly cocaine, is alarming. So, what would happen if you discovered that your teen was also using cocaine? Can you imagine what your reaction would be if you found cocaine in your teenager’s room? What would you do?
What to Do if You Found Cocaine in Your Teenager's Room
One of the many illicit substances that are popular and accessible in Los Angeles is cocaine. Cocaine is a stimulant drug that creates a euphoric effect in the central nervous system. It comes from the coca plant, which has been used for medicinal and recreational purposes for centuries. Nowadays, however, cocaine is typically used recreationally for its sedating effect. And one of the biggest consumers? Teenagers.
In California, 2020 data shows that 2.5% of 8th graders, 3.4% of 10th graders, and 5.7% of 12th graders have used cocaine. Along with the rapid increase in cocaine addiction among teenagers comes the demand for teen cocaine addiction treatment in Los Angeles.
Knowing that help is available for troubled teenagers might be a relief, but that doesn’t mean that you can remove yourself from the picture. You are in the frontline. Once you find out that your teen is using illegal drugs, your reactions can make or break the situation.
Understandably, discovering cocaine in your teenager’s room is not an easy situation to handle. No one would want to be in that situation. Nonetheless, if you ever find yourself dealing with it, you might want to consider the following.
- Compose yourself. Compose yourself first. If you find cocaine in your teen’s room, you might get highly emotional. However, acting and making decisions based on your emotions are often not helpful. Be sure to calm down first before deciding the next step to take. If you are calm, you can think of better solutions. This can save you from making the situation worse.
- Talk to your teen. Do not lecture them. While you have to talk to them, doing so while being overly emotional might make you sound like you are lecturing them. You mustn’t threaten or judge them. Tell them your concerns in a calm and composed manner, and try your best to be rational throughout the conversation.
- Determine the reason. Just like in an investigative project, you must know what’s the root of the problem. Ask your teen the reason why they are using cocaine. Knowing this is crucial to get them to quit. It can give you an insight into how to solve the situation effectively.
- Conclude the conversation with a plan. Come up with a comprehensive plan that aims to help your teens get back on track. A drug contract between parents and teenagers can be beneficial. Note that your teen must be comfortable with this plan. It should make them feel that you are helping them rather than leading them.
In addition, you must trust your instincts. If you strongly believe that you can’t handle the situation alone, seek professional help. You can contact a Teen Cocaine abuse treatment center in Los Angeles, like Key Healthcare, to help you with your situation.
Additional Things to Know About Cocaine
Cocaine has been around and used for centuries. It used to be purified and used as the main ingredient of tonics and elixirs in the past. Even Coca-Cola was known to include cocaine as an ingredient in the early recipes of their cola. But over time, additional research and studies have stressed the negative effects of this drug, especially if consumed inappropriately. Such findings have led the authorities to ban cocaine production and to oversee its market. However, this decision also led to the establishment and operation of black markets.
How Cocaine Works
Cocaine is known for its euphoric effects, which makes it popular among teenagers. It has an immediate effect on the body, especially on teens since their body is still developing. The drug increases the production of dopamine, which is a natural chemical messenger in the nervous system.
With higher dopamine, the sense of pleasure and reward is also increased, creating a sedating sensation. In addition, dopamine plays a big part in a person’s ability to think and plan. Aside from increasing dopamine production, cocaine also blocks the chemical from recycling back to the cells, so it builds up and increases the body’s energy.
With continued use of cocaine, the person’s body starts getting used to it, and the intensity of its effects diminishes. A high tolerance results in an increased urge to take higher dosages of the substance.
Side Effects of Cocaine
Cocaine addiction, like other substance addictions, has adverse effects on the user. It can change your teen’s behavior, their social relationships and ruin their lives.
The adverse effects of cocaine addiction range from simple symptoms to fatal ones. Short-term effects include but are not limited to dizziness, extreme happiness, hyperactivity, paranoia, irregular heartbeat, restlessness, and tremors.
While the short-term effects can be treated immediately, the long-term effects can last a lifetime. The following are the long-term effects of cocaine use:
- Schizophrenia — A large amount of dopamine production in the human brain often leads to schizophrenia. The symptoms include hallucinations and delusions.
- Dependence — Prolonged use of cocaine may heighten the tolerance to the substance. The user starts to depend on the substance even to be able to function.
- ADHD — Continued cocaine use may also result in a lower production rate of dopamine due to increased tolerance. When this happens, a person’s ability to focus is decreased.
- Lung damage — Since the most common type of cocaine is snorted, cocaine use may result in lung damage. Symptoms include coughing, shortness of breathing, and asthma attacks.
- Nasal damage — Snorting cocaine often leads to severe nasal damage. Loss of smell and nose bleeding are early signs of nasal damage.
Preventive Measures
To keep your teen away from harmful substances, here are some ideas to consider that will help you figure out how to quit cocaine:
- Inform them — Raise awareness about drugs, especially cocaine. By being informed, they are less likely to be swayed by pressure to try the substance. Information often trumps curiosity.
- Trust them — No one wants to disappoint their parents. Let them know that you trust them. If they feel trusted, they are less likely to do things that may disappoint you.
- Secure them — An unsafe family environment is one of the main reasons why teens use drugs. Make them feel that you truly care for them. If they feel secure, they are more likely to make better decisions.
- Make a contract — Mutually agreeing on cocaine-related rules can be best to keep a teen abstinent. A drug contract with their parents helps them feel responsible for their actions, motivating them to stay clean.
Choosing the perfect teen treatment program for your adolescent is as important as choosing their university. Let them have a say in their treatment and recovery process to feel better during the transitional period. If your teen needs immediate treatment for substance addiction, Key Healthcare is the best fit for you.
The Key Healthcare Teen Cocaine Addiction Treatment program can help your child make a full recovery, and get back to life before addiction.
Key Healthcare is a teen drug rehab center in Los Angeles which can offer the best possible help by providing to teens so that they can cure their various addictions. Contact us to learn more about our teen cocaine abuse treatment program, including our adolescent intensive outpatient program.
You can also schedule a visit at our teen IOP facility located at 1251 Westwood Blvd Suite 300, Los Angeles.
