Teenage Vicodin addiction

Teen Vicodin Addiction - How To Identify and Help

If you’re a parent, then you probably have, at one point, had long talks with your kids about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. But have you talked to them about prescription drugs? What about teen Vicodin addiction? Many teens are misusing prescription medications, including Vicodin. Teen Vicodin addiction is a very real thing in today’s society, and there are many side effects when taking this medicine as a form of recreational drug. Today, teens are taking these medicines to relax from anxiety, depression and relieve stress and other social or physiological problems. There are many signs and symptoms of teen Vicodin addiction that parents should be aware of. This article will go over some of these signs, including how to detect teen Vicodin addiction. Our staff at Key Healthcare can help adolescents struggling with a teen Vicodin addiction by providing structure, care, therapy, and support. Our Los Angeles teen opioid abuse treatment program has seen very positive results. Contact us today.

What is Vicodin, and How Does it Affect The Body?

Vicodin is an opioid painkiller and belongs to a class of drugs called narcotic analgesics. It is used to relieve moderate to severe pain and is a controlled substance. Vicodin is used in combination with rest and physical therapy to treat long-term (chronic) pain. Vicodin abuse is a serious health concern in teens and young adults, and because of its potency, teens are at a higher risk for overdose, addiction, and accidents.
Opiates like Vicodin can help relieve pain, but some people who abuse prescription drugs develop a tolerance for them and become dependent. Then they need to take more opioids to achieve the same level of pain relief. This happens because the brain associates pain with more opioids, which results in a negative reinforcing effect that causes the user to increase their dose. This cycle of abuse can be dangerous and lead to addiction. Many prescription painkiller overdose deaths likely occur because the doses were too high to resolve the addict’s pain. Even among teenagers and adults who abuse opioids, too many drugs in the bloodstream can make a person riskier for overdose.

Why Teens Abuse Vicodin

Vicodin is one of the most prescribed painkillers to teens and young adults. In addition to non-prescription drugs, prescription drugs are easily obtainable over the Internet, gas stations, or doctor’s offices. It’s easy for adolescents to develop a teen Vicodin addiction because this drug is a combination of acetaminophen and hydrocodone, two of the most commonly abused prescription drugs in the United States. The most severe problems are associated with abrupt withdrawal or neuropathic pain, leading to depression and suicidal thoughts. These depressions can turn into anxiety and depression if a person is not getting the right treatment. Besides the tragedy of teens struggling with this addiction, these problems can seriously harm a person’s ability to function and even become life-threatening. Teen Vicodin addiction also has severe consequences for the body, especially liver damage.

How to Identify The Signs of Teen Vicodin Abuse

What are the symptoms of teen Vicodin abuse? Is your daughter or son hiding drug paraphernalia like needles, pipes, or spoons? Are they lying about where they are going and who they’re with? Have you found pills in their room that they won’t identify? If you have any reason to believe your child is abusing prescription drugs, such as Vicodin, you should take immediate action. Parents need to be aware of the warning signs of Vicodin abuse by teens. Some warning signs are a weakened immune system, slow learning, shortened attention span, sudden anger, and aggression. By recognizing the telltale symptoms of Vicodin abuse, parents can help their children break this destructive addiction cycle before it begins.

Teen Vicodin addiction statistics

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, one in four teenagers who take prescription painkillers for non-medical reasons will become addicted to the drugs, and the rate of addiction in adults is even higher. As a result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that three children die every day from prescription drug overdoses. Adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 who use this prescription painkiller are more likely to try heroin than those who don’t take it.

Common drugs that lead to teen Vicodin abuse

Common drugs that lead to teen Vicodin abuse include hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine, codeine, OxyContin, Percocet, Oxycodone, Xanax, and hydromorphone. These medications are the most commonly prescribed painkillers in the United States, and many teenagers turn to these drugs for recreational use or out of curiosity.

Proper support

One of the most vital steps to help a teen overcome an addiction, whether alcohol or drugs, is proper support. Teens always look for help from someone who can understand their problem as they grow up and understand the difference between right and wrong. Today life has become faster, flashier, and more dangerous for teens. The ability to get their hands on drugs is more accessible than in the past. With the help of our teen treatment program, adolescents are overcoming their teen Vicodin addictions and learning to become part of society again. Teens eventually detach from the fake feelings the drug gave them and realized that this drug is not helping solve any problems. Instead, the teen understands that it is harmful and dangerous to consume.

Sometimes it is possible that your teen might be suffering from mental illness that’s the reason they might have started taking drugs so that they can be free from their thoughts so we can also help your child in fighting their mental problems. You can contact us today for your teen mental health treatment and also learn more about our teen aftercare plan. 

Different mentoring

Mentoring plays a significant role when dealing with teen drug addiction these days. There are different types of mentoring, including clinical mentoring, therapeutic mentoring, parent support coaching, and family therapy. Mentoring helps the teens understand they are not alone, and there is someone who will guide and help them remove this addictive drug from their life and understand their problems better. They will open up, which they hesitate to do in front of their parents because they often feel ashamed or fearful. Through different mentoring processes, the teenager will start to talk about their problems and feel better. This mentoring is essential to ending teen drug addiction.

Teen Outpatient Program For Teen Vicodin Addiction

The main objective of Key Healthcare Teen IOP (teen outpatient program) is to improve the teen’s overall well-being and provide outlooks on life that the teen can get behind, like focusing on and discovering new passions. Our Teen Outpatient Program also offers several academic disciplines that help teens learn about teen Vicodin addiction, how to recover, and live a healthy and happy life – drug-free. When kicking a drug like Vicodin, it’s essential to begin new practices and start a new daily routine. We’ll provide the necessary support for your teen during this trying time.

Family participation

Parents are involved in treatment before the teen is admitted to Key Healthcare. During this treatment, the expert or consultant will ask the teen’s family questions relating to the teen’s behavior and the level of function. After that, the specialists will start developing an individualized child treatment plan, and family therapy will take place weekly. Slowly, with patience, we can break the teen from Vicodin addiction.

Partial hospitalization program

Children spend 8 hours per day, five days per week in this program. Education about essential life skills and meaningful life sentences motivates them and breaks them from any drug addictions they are going through. In this program, the teens are surrounded by staff that help them heal mentally, physically, emotionally, and socially. Yoga is also practiced to maintain better health.

Different mentoring specialists

Different specialists like a therapist, psychologist, resident advisor, fitness coach, etc., mentor the teen. These mentoring experts help these teens with proper guidance and support. Their high level of knowledge in these fields specializes in how to stop addiction.

Learn new skills

Experts at Key Healthcare help teens understand addiction. They help teens learn different life skills essential to understanding anger management and establishing healthy relationships. Other topics that are covered include anxiety, stress, time management, and proper nutrition.

Different types of treatment

Any teen suffering from depression, drug addiction, mental health concerns, or behavioral issues will benefit from taking these different treatments. They have experts who will mentor these teens through proper communication. The teens will feel more open to them, and these experts will deal with them tactfully and help these children with any mental or health issues they are facing.

Conclusion

Today we are living a fast life where there is a fine line between right and wrong. Children are becoming victims, and we need to give importance to their life and understand them better. Teens don’t know that they can talk to adults about their problems or other mental disorders. No one is perfect in this world, and today we can cure any addiction with the help of Key Healthcare.