The effective treatment of adolescents with substance abuse and behavioral disorders requires an approach that includes attention to every aspect of a young person’s life. We see every individual as a whole being. In addition to fully understanding the emotional, developmental, physical, psychological, familial, social and cultural factors, there must be appropriate resources in place to address these issues. Need help? Contact Us Today! (866) 889-3665
Health Day News reported on April 21, 2009 that teen binge drinking damages white matter in the brain, which helps to relay information. The MRI study showed that the effects of binge drinking impair memory and the negatively affect performance in school. With the current rate of adolescent binge drinking in the US, at least one in four teens are at risk for this type of damage. I know that my alcohol abuse negatively affected my performance in school, and the effects reached far beyond my memory and ability to concentrate. The disease of addiction consumed all areas of my life. The constant obsession of when I was going to get my next pill, fix, or drink kept me completely preoccupied. My obsession with getting drunk and high made me put aside the things I really cared about, like my family. I damaged a lot more than my white brain matter. I didn’t think I could ever repair the damage I had done to my family, and didn’t think I would ever get their trust back. I pretty much resigned myself to living with my parents in Los Angeles and just squeaking by. Fortunately, my parents weren’t in on this plan.
As my life at school and at home deteriorated, I was forced to make some tough decisions: flunk out of school and hit the mean streets of the LA, or take the help that was offered to me and try to find another way to live. I decided to go with the latter and give recovery a shot. I didn’t have much to lose. At Visions, I had an opportunity to participate in family sessions. In multi-family groups, all of the families got a chance to share in each other’s challenges and celebrations. I got to hear not only from my own family, but from other families, to see how much our addictions hurt and scared them, and how much our little successes made them happy. In individual family sessions at the treatment center, my family and I began the process of healing some of the damage done. I started to see how much my actions affected my family, and they got to see me growing and changing. Visions also offered guidance to my family on how to best help me and deal with me. I am so grateful for the help that Visions gave my family and me. We have our challenges, as every family does, but now we all have new tools to help love and understand each other.
Mission Hospital of Orange County has found a way to help prevent teen drunk driving accidents by providing South County Safe Rides, a program that gives intoxicated Orange County teens a safe ride home. The program enlists high school students who travel in pairs to pick up intoxicated callers and deliver them safely to their destination, thus reducing the number of intoxicated teens on the road. In 2008, the program had over 700 callers. One of the volunteers, a San Clemente High student, argues that teens will continue to get drunk and high, and that this program at least helps to alleviate the dangers of teens drinking and driving. The attention this harm reduction program has garnered also calls attention to the growing number of teens in Orange County abusing alcohol and drugs. In Southern California, where drinking and drug abuse is often portrayed as glamorous, more light must be shed on this very real problem.
As Orange County begins to take notice of this issue, the next step is looking at solutions. Some teens need serious help when it comes to dealing with their drug and alcohol problem. Residential treatment offers a safe place for teens and their families to begin the healing process. In the therapeutic community, teens are given the support and structure needed to help rebuild. I was initially threatened by the idea of structure, but found that it was actually very helpful. Coming from the chaos of my life of addiction, the structured program at Visions made me feel calm, like I could relax and let other people take the reins for a bit. As I learned more tools for self care, I gradually gained more privileges and felt more qualified to make healthy decisions for myself. The periodic field trips and weekly dinner/movie/meeting trips made me realize how much fun can be had in recovery. It was the first time I really felt alive in a long, long time. As I bid farewell to residential treatment and moved along to outpatient, I began to see the huge difference in the person walking in the doors to the person walking out.
The United Kingdom recently reported that the number of people admitted to treatment for cannabis addiction doubled since marijuana was downgraded from a “C status” drug to a “B status” drug. Most doctors, anti-drug campaigners, and law enforcement officials believe that this was due to the fact that people began to see the drug as less harmful since it was legal. As the legality of marijuana is beginning to be questioned again in states across the US, I believe that it is imperative that we continue to take this drug seriously. Many teens don’t think of marijuana as a big deal, but the effects of this drug can have devastating effects on a teenager’s life. When I was in my addiction, I sometimes rationalized my drug use by saying, “It’s just weed,” or, “It’s just alcohol.” Since the prevailing attitude in society is that marijuana and alcohol are socially acceptable, I didn’t think that my addiction was “bad enough” to ask for help. When you hear about addicts in school, they often highlight the heroin addict living on the street, or the PCP user who jumps out of a window because they think they can fly. They don’t talk about the teenage marijuana addict, who scrapes together enough lunch money for marijuana. They don’t talk about the feelings of desperation, isolation, and loneliness that every addict at some point feels. They don’t talk about what an oppressive force drugs- any drug- can be in your life.
Because of the attitude I had about marijuana when I was an adolescent, it took me a long time to feel like I deserved help. I made increasingly worse choices and got myself into more and more pain, and into more and more trouble. I didn’t think anyone would take me seriously because I was a teenager and I couldn’t stop smoking pot. In treatment, I learned that it doesn’t matter what kind of drugs we did. Addiction isn’t as much about the substance as it is about the feelings that drive us to use. It didn't matter what substance I used or how long I used it. The issue was that I was using an ineffective tool to help me cope with the world and I needed help learning new tools. I think that if society had taken marijuana abuse more seriously, I might have too, and I might have asked for help sooner. Today I know that no matter what substance someone abuses, they’re right to help and treatment is equal. The pain of addiction doesn’t discriminate between drugs. I am so glad that I finally reached out for help.
I can’t stop thinking about 17 year old Josh Anderson, the West Virginia high school student who killed himself a couple of weeks ago, on the eve of his high school discipline hearing after being caught with marijuana on campus. Whenever I hear about a death surrounding drug use, it hits me in my very core. In his suicide note, Josh wrote, “Why does it have to be like this?” I wish I could tell him that it doesn’t. I have met countless addicts, myself included, who at the bottom of their addiction have asked that same question. No one will ever know exactly why Josh did what he did, but I know that suicide had crossed my mind a million times when I was struggling in my addiction. I didn’t think I could be anything but an addict. I didn’t think I would feel anything but misery. I didn’t know that another way of life was even possible for me. I remember asking myself, “Why does it have to be like this?” every single day.
Obviously it’s not uncommon for a teenager to feel misunderstood, but there is a profound sense of isolation, depression and desperation that comes from being a teen struggling with addiction. When drugs were once the only solution, they too began to fail me and I felt absolute hopelessness. I felt like a loser so I did drugs, and then I felt like a loser because I couldn’t stop doing drugs. There were times that I thought that I would have to kill myself because I couldn’t stand what my life had become. People think that teenagers are overly dramatic, (and often we are) but teenage drug abuse is a serious issue, and teens feel hopelessness like everyone else. In treatment, I began to see that a new way of life was possible for me. I didn’t always have to believe it. All I had to believe was, “maybe I can.” With the power of, “maybe I can,” I was able to sit back and listen in treatment, and to start to talk about what was going on, and became willing to make some changes. I am so glad that I got this second chance. I wish I could answer Josh Anderson and tell him, “It doesn’t have to be like this,” but I can’t. The thing I can do though, is tell my story to other teens, so that there will be more of us who made it through the dark times than those who didn’t.
The world of prescription drugs is a complex place, no where is that more true than Los Angeles. Even though studies have shown that use of drugs such as alcohol and marijuana is down in adolescents, prescription drug abuse is on the rise. Many teens can easily buy these drugs on the street, at school, or find them in the medicine cabinet at home. Typical ways to administer these drugs are: orally, or crushed up and snorted. The most common pills that are used are Valium, Xanax, Ritalin, and Oxycontin. Prescription drugs can be classified into three groups:
*Pain relievers or Narcotics
*Depressants/tranquilizers/sedative/anti-anxiety
*Stimulants(prescribed for AD(H)D/anti-fatigue
Below is a short list of common prescription drugs and some of their street or slang names. If you hear these names or see them written by your kid, you may be concerned.
Pain Relievers
-Vicodin- vikes, beans, happy pills
-Oxycontin- oxys, OCs, hillybilly heroin
-Percocet (which is made from oxycontin and acetomenaphine aka Tylenol)- perks
Depressants
-Benzodizapines- benzos, bennies
-Valium
-Xanax- bars, z-bars, totem poles, ladders
-Klonopin
-Adivan
-Even sleeping pills such as Ambien and Lunesta act like benzos when ingested
Miscellaneous
-Amphetamine or diet pills aka “cross tops”
-MDMA- beans
-Ecstasy- X
-Ketamine- vitamin K, special K
-GHB or the “Date Rape Drug”
-Coricidin ( like Robitussin)- Triple Cs, skittles
Not to stay stuck on a Lindsay Lohan kick, but experts are reporting that Lohan has reached a dangerous weight, dipping below 100 pounds and entering a hazardous Body Mass Index (BMI) of 16. A healthy BMI for Lindsay would be 18-25. It makes me think of how vigilant I have to be in order to keep my own weight at a healthy level. Eating disorders have an insidious way of creeping up on you without immediate notice. A while back, I had to recommit myself to my own eating disorder recovery as I had slowly begun to eat less and was becoming less aware of making healthy food choices. In Adolescent treatment, where I dealt with not only my substance abuse, but also my eating disorder, I learned how to make healthy food choices and to see the warning signs of when I begin to slip back into old habits. I don’t consciously go back to my old ways, but under emotional and physical stress, I lose my appetite. It wasn’t long before I recognized that I was slipping into unhealthy eating patterns and that “losing my appetite” was no excuse for not eating dinner .
In treatment I learned to pay special attention to the stresses that trigger my eating disordered behavior, and when I’m under stress now, I make an extra effort to eat when and what I’m supposed to, and I check in with my support group. Sometimes I make goals for the week and let someone in my support system know what they are and check in with them on my progress. Recovery from my eating disorder is not as black and white as not using drugs. It is a very strange process…you have to eat to live! As I stay clean and continue to use the tools I first learned in treatment, like writing and using my support system, the process gets easier. I used to feel badly that I still struggled with my eating disordered feelings and reactions, but I have realized today that it is a process, and my continued vigilance and effort in that area is great. I feel good about the enormous amount of progress I have made, and positive about the work I will continue to do. In treatment, I learned not to give up on myself just because there is a bump in the road. I have come a long way and I look forward to the road ahead.
Rapper DMX will be checking into Dr. Drew’s 3rd season of Celebrity Rehab. The troubled rapper has been plagued by numerous drug-related run-ins with the law. Celebrity Rehab chronicles celebrities attempts at achieving long-term sobriety. Dr. Drew has long been an advocate of residential treatment and 12-step based programs, bringing his latest efforts at Pasadena Recovery Center to the public through his shows, Celebrity Rehab and Sober House. Residential treatment is an excellent choice for anyone struggling with addiction. Many parents may worry about sending their teens to treatment, but I am so glad that my parents and I made the difficult choice. The time I spent at Visions, away from my life in Los Angeles allowed me to focus 100% on my recovery, without the distractions and temptations that I faced at home and at my school. It was like I got to put my life on hold and face what was really going on.
At first, I thought that the suggested 45 days in treatment was going to be the longest time ever. I had no idea how I would live without face book for that long, much less not using drugs! I am so glad I went. Having the chaos of my everyday life taken away from me ended up being an incredible relief. I could calm down and focus on me. Through a highly structured program, I was able to learn new coping skills and ways to deal with my feelings. I began to make friends and saw that I wasn’t alone in how I was feeling. The other residents and I formed bonds of support. At the AA and NA meetings they took us to, I began to see that a life of sobriety was entirely possible- and actually enticing! With the support of my counselors and treatment staff, I began to work on my core issues- the things that kept me using. It wasn’t always easy, but the result is who I am today, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
One of the ways my addiction manifested itself was through my eating disorder. It was a difficult thing to tackle my substance abuse and eating disorder at the same time, but my counselors helped me see how the same feelings that led me into my eating disorder also led me into substance abuse. I just read in People magazine that American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi went to treatment for her binge eating disorder when she was younger, and that finding a creative outlet like music helped her to put an end to such a self-destructive behavior.
.My counselors in treatment helped me to identify some of the motivations behind my using and my eating disorder and my drug abuse, most of them tying in to my need to control the world around me. I felt that if I could control everything, I wouldn’t be so afraid. As I continued in my recovery, I began to build up my self esteem by arguing against my defective logic and replacing the negative self talk with positive affirmations. I felt like a big dork doing it at first, but reluctantly recited my affirmations in the mirror anyway. I finally got to where I could look in the mirror and say, “I love you,” and mean it. Kara’s idea about finding an outlet for feelings is right on. I found that painting and drawing was a great outlet for me to express my feelings. When I paint and draw, it is meditative. All of the people I know in recovery have a creative streak, and developing mine has been a wonderful tool in battling both my addiction and my eating disorder.
Lindsay Lohan appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show today, talking about the challenges of getting herself back together after her breakup with Samantha Ronson. She emphasized the importance of her support group and talked about her goals of getting to know herself better and developing her personal strength. This led me to think about the various relationship challenges I’ve dealt with in recovery. Breaking up is hard to do, and it can be even harder when coupled with the massive self-esteem deficiencies addicts and alcoholics seem to deal with.
My first big breakup in recovery ended up being the best thing for me because I really did get a chance to get to know myself better and to analyze what I really wanted from another person. I waited a long time after getting clean to even try testing the relationship waters, and when the first one finally did end, I had a strong foundation underneath me to get through it. Although the breakup wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened to me, I still had to step up the amount of meetings I went to and surrounded myself with other recovering people. I also learned how to enjoy time with myself, like taking myself to a movie or out to dinner. This time I spent with myself allowed me to really feel good about who I am, and over time it really amped-up my feelings of self-worth. Instead of being lonely, I learned how to enjoy solitude. Maybe Lindsay should try going on dates with herself for awhile. It certainly helped me find myself.
Tom Seibel was interviewed on Forbes.com today regarding the Meth Project, a campaign aimed at saturating the adolescent market, focusing solely on meth use prevention. It’s a noble and productive cause to try and prevent teen drug abuse, but what if you’re the teen who’s already tried meth? I had a compulsion to use drugs that reached beyond common sense; in fact, that is one of the factors that I use to define myself as an addict. I learned all about how bad drugs were for me when I was in junior high. I had friends overdose. I overdosed. But something in me kept me using.javascript:void(0)
Through the help of my friends and family, I was able to get help and go to treatment. I learned in treatment that my addiction sometimes defied logic, which is one of the reasons my parents were so frustrated with me and why I felt so crazy when I was using. I’d always been a smart kid, and the choices I made when I was using were anything but smart. My drug problem didn’t make me a bad teen, or a teen with no willpower- it made me a teen that needed help, simple as that. In rehab I learned to give myself a break and learned to care for myself. So for those of us that didn’t heed the warnings, there’s hope. Rather than spend all of our efforts on prevention, an ample effort towards treatment should be made as well.
What happens after rehab is just as important as what happens in rehab for adolescents. CNN.com, April 14, 2009 emphasizes the importance of “soft landings” after adolescent drug treatment, like sober high school, where teens can avoid being dropped back into their old environments, where the threat of relapse increases. In recovery, I learned that I had to change everything- including who my friends were and where I hung out. Returning to my high school after treatment without any kind of support would have been a disaster.
Being in treatment feels safe, and the first couple of weeks out made me feel like a baby deer trying to walk. It can be lonely and scary. Luckily, I continued with outpatient treatment and was able to stay connected with the support group I had begun to form in treatment. Back in Orange County, I kept going to AA and NA meetings regularly which allowed me to expand my support base further. I’m grateful for my “soft landing” out of treatment. I learned in treatment that I didn’t need to test my recovery or put myself in situations where drugs were around. I eased back into the world and my awesome support system helped me feel stronger and more confident in my recovery every day.
Last night I spoke at a meeting at a drug rehab in Newport Beach. It was
interesting to see the diversity of the group. I am always excited to see newcomers, but what made me even happier was seeing the majority of the people in
the recovery house were young people. I even saw some Visions alumni! It is good to see that young people and adolescents are coming into recovery homes.
Being at a meeting like this allows me to be empathetic and share with them my experience with alcohol and drug addiction. The meeting turned out to be really awesome. Sharing with fellow alcoholics/addicts near the beach on a beautiful day, I
could not ask for more.
Through learning more and more about adolescent addiction and ADHD and have also learned about the link between the two diagnoses. “The combination of a higher intensity of cravings and the tendency to take risks without considering consequences may put ADD adults at greater risk for substance abuse (Kelly and Ramundo).” Impulsivity is a trait that both addicts and those with ADD posses. Everything that I have learned has helped me to remember rule #62; to not take myself too seriously. I have learned to accept my assets and have implemented tools to work on my liabilities. I no longer get into negative self-talk about how I should or could be. The book titled You Mean I’m Not Lazy, Crazy or Stupid?! also discusses how the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous can be beneficial when applied to ADD (Kelly and Ramundo). As the twelve steps are basically a program for having faith, taking personal inventory, cleaning up any harms and being of service to others.
Learning about the signs and symptoms of ADHD and addiction as well as the link between the two diagnoses has assisted me in overcoming many of the obstacles I have been faced with. “When you understand your disabilities, you can begin the process of discovering your abilities and unleashing your potential (Kelly and Ramundo).” I no longer have a constant feeling of less-than, now I can see that my learning style may differ from others but I am still equally capable. I don’t criticize myself incessantly for having a few too many unfinished art projects anymore, now I can giggle at myself and simply appreciate the fact that I am creative. And I no longer am tormented by the constant question of “what is wrong with me?”
Newport Beach and orange county teens who attend Visions Adolescent Drug Abuse Treatment Program are typically struggling with drug and alcohol and dual diagnosis related problems.
Visions Adolescent drug addiction residential treatment program provides a safe, supportive home-like environment for it's orange county clients can begin to learn the new skills necessary for achieving long lasting recovery. The intensive, structured program is filled with daily activities that help the resident to recognize their own denial systems, come to terms with their problems, become familiar with the 12-Step recovery principals and begin to make the positive choices that will lead them to a healthy and productive life.
The drug abuse treatment program is housed in a high-end residential ranch-like setting in Malibu, just far enough from Newport beach, Corona Del Mar and surrounding areas. This removal from their immediate setting allows them to focus on their recovery. The facility is in a rural setting that is on twelve acres of wooded land. There is a swimming pool and horse facility on and of site.
Fast forward to a year ago. I am twenty-one with four years sober and now I work at that treatment center that changed my life. I am a chemical dependency counselor and I specialize in adolescent addicts. I am the youngest person to ever hold this position within my company and I aspire to become a psychiatrist one day. Yet even with all of this going for me I have the nagging belief that I am not good enough, school is too hard for me and I am nothing without Adderall. Through a lot of prayer and support from family and friends I enrolled in my first classes at Pierce, the first step on the long road to my MD. Talking to a friend at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting one day, I casually mentioned that I was struggling with school and I noticed that I was self-medicating with excessive amounts of coffee. “Caffeine is a stimulant ADD adults frequently use for self-medication (Kelly and Ramundo).” My friend, who has 22 years sober, shared her experience with ADHD with me. She told me that when she had 11 years sober she felt like she was dying inside and didn’t know what was wrong with her. She gave me some books on the topic and recommended a psychiatrist that specialized in addiction.
I like to call this part of my life “my recovery with ADHD”. I am now taking a non-stimulant medication that assists with some symptoms but I have also made it a point to learn more about my disorder. “It’s difficult to grow up with the hidden handicap of ADD. Many of us feel that we’ve spent our lives disappointing everyone-parents, siblings, teachers, friends and ourselves (Kelly and Ramundo).” The same feeling of relief and identification comes over me when I read about ADHD as when I read the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. The more I learn the better I feel and the more coping tools I am trained to use. I have learned that medication is just one piece of my recovery; it is not the sole solution. “Finding a drug to manage some of your symptoms can be extremely helpful in your recovery. But you should regard it only as a starting place in your journey, not as the final destination (Kelly and Ramundo).” I have already implemented tools of increased structure, color-coding, studying in 20 minute increments, flash cards, etc. I am learning what works for me and how I work, so to speak.
Click here to contact us for more warning signs and symptoms of addiction
The reason the teenagers from Orange County and Newport Beach that go through the Visions Adolescent Drug Treatment Center are so successful is that young peoples recovery is so amazing. Young peoples recovery in Orange County, CA is definitely and experience you cannot miss. Sobriety can be seen everywhere in the southern California hot spot. The more amazing thing within the recovery community in Orange County is the amount of young people getting and staying sober. There is an average of 2-3 young peoples meetings that can be found to go to every single night of the week. In these meetings young people are getting clean and sober. Teens in trouble can find inspiration within these meetings where they can find people their age to relate to in regards of drug and alcohol abuse issues. Parents also find hope when they know their teens in need can go to a safe place, and be with people who try and live a healthy positive lifestyle.
Young people in Orange County and the ever growing Visions Alumni group sets an amazing example of recovery for many other groups. They take “we are not a glum lot” to a new level, as young people getting clean and sober. You can often find a group of sober teens sticking together and supporting each other in their daily struggles, but also having lots of fun too. Young people in AA and NA in the OC are a tight nit community that opens their arms to anyone in need. If your are every in Orange County, do yourself a favor and experience young people getting clean and sober and see the miracle happen!
Upon entering treatment an overwhelming sense of relief flooded my body. The realization that I wasn’t crazy; I am not the one solitary nut job in the world that doctors can’t help. I am an alcoholic/addict. “Psychologists usually define substance abuse as continued use of a substance after several episodes in which use of the substance has negatively affected an individual’s work, education and social relationships. (Wood, et al.)” The more I learned about alcoholism/addiction the more I identified. The more I identified the better I felt, I learned more about myself. I learned that mainly being concerned with myself and operating in self-pity most the time was worsening my situation (Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous).
I had previously been diagnosed with ADHD at age seven at a clinique in Newport Beach and again at age 15. I was put on Adderall at age 15 and my grades improved. I never learned or read much about ADHD as I was in the mindset that Adderall was my solution. I began to abuse the Adderall when I started abusing Marijuana and in treatment they suggested not to take a stimulant as they have a high risk of abuse. When I had six months sober I tried to go back to school. I started taking a few classes at a community college. Before long I felt like I was in over my head. I felt like I was nothing without Adderall, it was the key to accessing my brain and my self-esteem plummeted with every class I took. After several failed attempts at taking classes I decided to take some time off of school.
What’s wrong with me? This is a question I have been riddled with since I can remember. I thought it might be because I was conceived in a Petri dish, or because my dad has a disease that turns his skin darker, but nothing fit snuggly in that empty hole I had. Learning about the signs and symptoms of ADD and Addiction has helped me have a greater understanding of myself with my assets, liabilities and quirks, and it has helped me learn healthy coping tools.
When I entered an adolescent treatment center in Malibu at age 17, I opened up the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous for the first time. Immediately the words “restless, irritable and discontent” jumped out at me. It seemed that my entire life I was trying to explain to people what was going on with me, why I was the way I was, and this book summed it up in three simple words. The closest I had ever come to explaining this feeling before is the feeling of wanting to jump out of my skin. In hindsight I can see that this feeling only pervaded me when I was not under the influence, but at the time I just felt different. It seemed that others were having a much easier time adjusting to the ebbs and flows of growing up. I felt “less than” in every aspect, school, parent relationships, even little things like drawing ability, I just could not measure up.
CBS News talks to Visions Adolescent Treatment Centers about Teen Depression.
At any one time, nearly six percent of American teens are clinically depressed. That's about two million a year, and many of them don't get the help they need, reports CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker.
Behind the statistics are teens like 18-year-old Taryn. She felt so depressed, anxious and isolated in 9th grade, she started using hard drugs and ended up in rehab at Visions Adolescent Treatment Centers.
"It was just getting so out of control that I couldn't wake up and have a normal day anymore," Taryn says.
VISIONS ADOLESCENT TREATMENT CENTERS Personalized programs dedicated to helping youth and their families recover from the destructive effects of substance and other behavior related problems. (866) 889-3665
