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
I was just on an eating disorder support site and came across their online memorial page. There are over six-hundred entries for people who have died from anorexia-nervosa and bulimia. Many of them were adolescents. One Los Angeles girl died on her way to treatment. Seeing all of these names of people who have actually died from complications from their eating disorders really struck me. Sometimes it is easy to dismiss eating disorders as not being that serious. I never think that restricting my food intake or binging and purging could lead to my death. Seeing the names of people who have died from their eating disorder really makes me want to take my eating disorder recovery seriously.
It was hard for me to address my eating disorder when I was in adolescent eating disorder treatment, since I felt like there were so many things already wrong with me, like my challenges with substance abuse. I am so glad that I was forced to look at my eating disordered behaviors honestly, and that I was offered such quality treatment in such a supportive environment. Left to my own devices, I would have continued to act in my eating disordered behaviors, which would have most likely resulted in me compromising my sobriety. My drug use and eating disorder were strongly linked, as body image and self esteem issues were a large contributor to my using drugs. Being forced to address my eating disorder in treatment is probably one of the main reasons I have stayed clean. The issues that drove me to starve myself or binge and purge are the same issues that led myself and others to use drugs. I learned that the most common element surrounding ALL eating disorders is the inherent presence of low self esteem.
Visions recognized these links and provided me with not only substance abuse treatment, but specialized care for my eating disorder. I was challenged to learn how to make healthy food choices, and was able to work through difficult food issues in a safe environment. Having my meals and behaviors monitored was not at all something I wanted to happen, but working through all of the discomfort of recovery turned out to be very beneficial. I began to learn tools to help me build my self-esteem and less destructive ways of dealing with my feelings. I am so grateful that I was able to address my eating disorder and to find a path to recovery in eating disorder treatment. As I look at all of the names of those who fell victim to their eating disorders, I know that no one else has to die from this. Recovery is a reality and eating disorder treatment can be the first step to freedom.
If you think your teen is suffering from disordered eating, body image issues, or any other form of self harm or abuse, please don’t hesitate to contact us today for adolescent eating disorder treatment in Los Angeles
It’s pretty hard to brush off teen cocaine abuse as innocent experimentation. Cocaine has long been classified in the “hard” drugs category and it hasn’t gone away. Warning signs of cocaine use include:
-A runny nose
-Frequent bloody noses or sinus problems
-Dilated (big) pupils
-Increased excitability or irritability
-Increased heart rate and blood pressure
-Fast speech
-Paranoia
-Sleep loss and weight loss
-User seems to go through money very quickly, needs money frequently. Lies about -where money is going
-Stealing
Paraphernalia includes small mirrors, razor blades, rolled up papers or dollar bills…check the table tops, CD cases, or other flat surfaces for a white residue or razor marks- evidence of cutting cocaine
Teens abusing cocaine are at risk of heart attack and respiratory failure.
Repeated abuse can increase the risk of full-blown paranoid psychosis where they completely lose touch with reality. Adolescents addicted to cocaine may commit more and more risky behaviors to acquire the drug. Addiction often gets between the teen and school, their families, and themselves. Our adolescent residential treatment center in Los Angeles works with your teen to provide a customized treatment plan, addressing not only the potentially deadly effects of drug addiction, but the underlying issues that have driven our someone to use. This all-encompassing cocaine rehab approach works to provide a solid foundation for your teen, offering them a solid chance at long term sobriety.
If you think your teen is abusing cocaine, or any other substance, please don’t hesitate to contact us today for teen cocaine rehab in Los Angeles
It’s not surprising that teens experiment with alcohol, but in some cases, teens cross the “party” line and end up in the world of alcohol abuse. Teens abusing alcohol run the risk of damaging not only their interpersonal relationships, but have increased risk of depression and suicide, injury through risky behaviors, and death. Alcohol abuse can be a red flag indicating some more serious emotional and behavioral problems. If your teen is abusing alcohol, they’re may be some very serious underlying issues that need immediate attention. Teen alcohol abuse can very often be a type of cry for help.
Rehab helps teens and their families deal with not only the destructive force of alcohol dependence, such as scholastic problems and relationship troubles, but serious emotional issues such as depression, bipolar disorder, or borderline personality disorder. Our professional staff is prepared to help your teen with a personalized treatment plan that addresses all areas of your teen's life. The Scholastic Academy at Visions addresses behavioral and academic issues that can arise with teens struggling in traditional school settings. The supportive and flexible educational environment is geared for your teen’s success. Our staff of doctors and counselors work one-on-one with teens to best outline a program for long-term sobriety. Group therapy and recreational activities work to improve interpersonal communication skills and provide a safe and fun therapeutic environment conducive to recovery. Learning that your teen is struggling with these issues can be a very scary time, but we are here to help you figure out which treatment plan would best serve your teen and your family.
I just got back from a wedding in New York and I guess I should have asked my readers if they wanted me to bring back any souvenirs. Percocet? Darvocet? Oxycontin? Vicodin? There were more prescription drugs floating around that wedding party than an Orange County high school. I was amazed at how quickly people offered up pills for any malady. The bride has cramps? “Oh here hon, take half an Oxy.” I was sitting at dinner the night before the wedding as one bridesmaid prepared a list of pill requests for the next day and was surprised to hear the bride’s 13 year old sister pipe in, demonstrating her knowledge of pharmaceuticals. “Oh yeah,” she said when I asked her about it. “All of my friends are on that stuff.”
I don’t know if this group was particularly special in their pill consumption or if I just don’t hang out with “normal” people very often. I have been reading so much about the escalation of prescription drug abuse in this country and to see it firsthand was honestly a bit of a shock. I mean, I abused a lot of prescription medications when I was using, but to see someone offer up Vicodin as readily as most people offer up Ibuprofin was kind of scary. I talked to the 13 year old sister some more when we were alone. I saw some fresh cuts on her arms and felt concerned about her, growing up around all of this casual pill abuse. She told me about her friends in 8th grade that are snorting oxycontin and cocaine, and how a friend of hers overdosed on a scary cocktail of marijuana, mushrooms, vicodin, klonopin, cocaine, and alcohol the other day after his girlfriend broke up with him. All of her friends in this suburb of New York City are engaging in some really dangerous behavior. She insisted that she hasn’t tried any of drugs but that her friends pressure her daily. We talked about how it’s hard to not use drugs when everyone around you acts like it’s normal. I hope she continues to resist. She and her friends cut themselves and show each other, and being in therapy is like a badge of honor among them. I hope that she makes it through all of that. I told her about the struggles I had and about the treatment center in Malibu that I went to. I told her if she ever needs anything, or if her friends are looking for help to call me. I guess that’s all I can do, and sometimes that’s a hard thing to realize.
The Scholastic Academy at Visions, a day school, provided my son with safe and sober learning environment to meet his individual needs which consisted of addiction and behavioral problems, he was previously unable to function in a mainstream environment. The Scholastic Academy created a setting which was conducive to his emotional growth. A conventional school setting had too many social increased stressors like his old "friends".
I'm proud to say that this fall he will be starting his senior year at Newport Harbor Day. None of this would have been possible if Visions hadn't furnished an environment which continues to enable students to stay grounded and keep perspective in the face of adversity.
"The Razor Edge" a presentation by Visions Adolescent Treatment Centers.
Visions is a sponsor at the up coming "Moment of Change" Intervention conference September 28-30, 2009 in Palm Beach, FL. The conference is focused towards providing addiction training and offering the most up to date information for the addiction counselor who deals with teen treatment centers and families in crises. John Lieberman Director of Operations at Visions Adolescent Treatment Centers and Keith Fierman Certified Interventionist will be presenting on specific issues for families when their children are struggling with drug use, abuse and addictions. "The Razor Edge" is the title of the presentation and defines the energy and feeling of crises families feel as they take the first steps addressing drug and alcohol use and abuse at home. The goal is to provide a framework for the adolescent addiction professional and educate them as to the unique issues that parents face during this turbulent time.
Please join Visions Adolescent Treatment Center at South Coast Medical Center June 11, 2009. Christopher Kennedy Lawford will be presenting, Moments of Clarity, his latest book filled of spiritual epiphanies enabling those that had them to move from addiction to recovery. Moments of Clarity was released in January 2009, and quickly hit the New York Times best sellers list. Christopher was born into political and movie royalty. Lawford successfully navigated these two worlds as an actor, author, and advocate. However, before his successes, Lawford battled a drug and alcohol addiction for much of his young life. Sober for more than 22 years, he shares his personal story of addiction with others in hopes of making a difference.
The National Drug Control Policy recently reported that unintentional deaths from prescription opiates, like Oxycontin, increased by 114% between 2001 and 2005. In 2006, accidental deaths from overdoses exceeded those by firearms and were second to car-accidents in the United States. Reports from across the country all point to the ever-increasing risks of teen prescription drug abuse in the United States. These alarming numbers point to the need for increased awareness and treatment of this epidemic.
Perhaps it is the perception that these medications aren’t as dangerous to use as say, crack or heroin. The numbers say otherwise. I now recognize that my drug abuse was just as bad and deadly as the junkie downtown. The decision to ask for help and enter teen drug treatment can be a very difficult one, but it is not nearly as difficult as trying to maintain a life of active addiction. In residential treatment, adolescents are given new tools to help deal with not only the acute problem of drug and alcohol abuse, but the underlying issues that drive them to use in the first place.
Craig graduated from Transitional Living in Tucson, Arizona on April 29. He entered the In Balance program immediately upon leaving Visions on June 22, 2008. The staff of Visions helped craig to lay a foundation upon which to build a life. He learned by working with Celeste and others that he had a right to a life, that he could be forgiven for his past and did not have to live the rest of his life defined by his failures. We learned, as a family, how to communicate with honesty. I learned how to let others take responsibility for their own decisions without trying to cushion the blow.
We sent Craig to Visions on February 15, 2008 with one prayer...that he would not die of a deliberate or accidental drug overdose. The road he was on surely lead to that end. The outcome for Craig has been so much more than we would have even dared hope for. He has been sober since he entered Visions. We would have liked to bring Mike home when he left Visions. I am so thankful that we listened to Celeste's recommendation and had Craig continue in a structured recovery program. The staff at In Balance has helped him to build upon the foundation that was laid at Visions andcraig has begun to build a beautiful life for himself.
He has decided to stay in Tucson where he has a very strong support network of friends in recovery and an amazing sponsor. Craig is also sponsoring a young man in recovery, He will get his high school diploma on May 21 and plans to enroll at Pima Community College. He will begin working towards his associate's degree in Social Work with a concentration in Chemical Dependency Counseling this summer. He is on staff at In Balance's Intensive Outpatient Program and at the In Balance Ranch, a therapeutic boarding school working part-time as an aide.
Of course Craig's recovery and growth hasn't been a constant upwards line. There have been periods where we all; Craig, his dad, and I took three steps forward and two steps backward. However, we have all continued on a path of recovery and growth. Each of us can say with certainty that, although we don't know what lies ahead, we know how far we have come and we never want to go back again.
There are no words that can convey our gratitude for the fact that on February 15, 2008 a young man who seemed destined to self-destruct is now a young man with a purpose who is planning for his future with optimism and a desire to be of service to others!
Symptoms of Oxycontin Opiate Abuse, from a former opiate abuser:
I often read through information on addiction, including symptoms of addiction and think that someone should really expand on some things, so I’m going to address some of the things I, a former opiate abuser, consider telltale signs of opiate dependence or abuse. remember the opiate family is large, it includes heroin, Oxycontin, dilaudid, vicodin, hydrocodone, codeine, cough syrups and other pain killers...
-Nodding out, or being “on the nod“. This is when the user is so intoxicated they can’t keep their eyes open. Their head will literally nod forward as they go back and forth between being nodded out to jerking awake. If your teen is sitting straight up, asleep, they probably aren’t “just tired”. I don’t think anyone sleeps like that.
-Pinned eyes. Lizard paint. These terms explain how small pupils get when a person is under the influence of opiates. It’s freaky. Also, when someone is coming down from an opiate high, or is in withdrawal, their pupils tend to get really big. I used to try to blame this on my antidepressants, but opiates are the only drug I can think of that do this.
-Itchiness. Opiates usually make you itchy, especially the face, for some reason. Someone under the influence of opiates may seem to absentmindedly rub their face a lot, or scratch themselves elsewhere. Symptom lists seem to leave this one out a lot, but this combined with a couple of other factors helps me to peg an opiate user pretty quickly.
-Being cold when it is not cold. Especially when a user is “sick” (beginning withdrawal), they will get super cold. You can usually spot an opiate user because they are the one wearing a sweater when no one else is. When I was using opiates and I was sick, no amount of clothing could keep me warm.
-Sleepy, or not sleepy. Haha I know this one sounds weird, but when a user is high, they might sleep a lot- like, at really inappropriate times. Being in withdrawal makes you not be able to sleep.
-Stomach problems. If your teen suddenly loses their appetite or seems to be having a lot of stomach trouble, you may have an opiate user. (Or an eating disorder…see previous post on those symptoms.) The rush from an opiate high can often make one vomit. Withdrawal from opiates can make you vomit. I remember a lot of vomiting. If anyone had “food poisoning” as much as I claimed when I was using, all of Los Angeles should have been shut down. Also, withdrawal gives you really bad diarrhea. So glamorous.
-Runny nose. Withdrawal makes your nose run. Again, very glamorous.
-Other symptoms of withdrawal, in my experience, are muscle and back pains, cramping, sleeplessness, irritability, panic attacks, crying, hurting…ugh it was gross. Withdrawal sucks. It should be enough to keep sane people from using again, but often perpetuates use with addicts. At the end, I kept using because I didn’t want to get sick. This is especially dangerous because “chipping” (using and then quitting and then using and then quitting etc) messes with your tolerance and one can easily overdose. And die. It’s a big deal. Because withdrawal from opiates can be such a difficult and painful thing, I think it’s a really good idea to do it in a safe a supervised place, like residential treatment. When I had tried to quit cold turkey on my own, I never made it past two days because I couldn’t stand the withdrawal symptoms. I will admit I am quite the crybaby when it comes to pain, which I’ll admit is weird coming from an ex-cutter/IV drug user. I “kicked” opiates in a safe environment under a doctor’s care, and once I was safely detoxed from the drugs, was able to begin my real recovery process. I hope some of these “insider tips” help. Opiate dependence is a very serious issue; opiates kill people. If you think your teen is struggling with Oxycontin-opiate addiction, don’t hesitate to contact us today.
Sometimes I feel lonely being the only person at my work or from my school friends who doesn’t drink or do drugs. Last night a bunch of kids from my school had a party and I wasn’t invited because I don’t drink. I guess some of my “normal” friends are afraid to drink around me because they think I’m going to go crazy and just grab the alcohol away from them and start chugging away. I know my limits these days, about what kind of situations I can put myself into, for how long, and how often. Being around alcohol now doesn’t really bother me because I have made a decision in my life to not drink or use. Over time in my recovery, it has become second nature. It’s just not something I do. This isn’t to say I spend all of my free time at raging keggers or raves- I have a deep involvement with a 12-step program and spend most of my time with my recovery friends mostly because we just get each other. I guess I just had a little flash of that loneliness I used to feel in early recovery when I really did have to cut myself off from people who drank or did drugs. It was a necessary precaution. As time has gone on, I feel more and more solid in my recovery identity and the occasional party where alcohol is being served doesn’t trigger me to use.
Finding a balance between my recovery life and my school or work life has been a challenge. If I spend too much time immersed in my recovery world, I miss out on other relationships and experiences. I don’t want to become a recovery zombie. On the other hand, I can’t devote all of my time to school and work. If I do that, I can easily lose focus on what is important, like my sobriety. I learned early on in adolescent treatment that if I don’t put my recovery first, I will lose it. Sometimes it has been hard to put it first when I see my peer group at school in Los Angeles going out drinking together. Sometimes I feel left out, but when I really think about it, nothing is as important as my recovery. When I feel left out or like someone my age should be out drinking and having fun, I have to remember where drinking took me, and all of the painful work I had to do to get where I am today. I may not have been invited to the party, but I have grown more in my early adult years than any of my work and school friends. I wouldn’t trade who I am or what I’ve been through for the world. I have very good friends in recovery and from my treatment center that love me and support me in my growth, and who will be there for me though all of life’s ups and downs. When I made the decision to go ahead and give rehab and recovery a shot, I lost my old life, but gained a new one that is better than I could have ever hoped for. So even though I felt kind of bummed out this weekend about not being invited to the stupid party, I ultimately feel grateful for the life that treatment helped me find.
A new study revealed that marijuana in the U.S. now has a THC potency of 10%, compared to 4% in 1983. This figure alarms many experts who fear that adolescents who are currently abusing the drug are at a higher risk for serious side effects such as dysphoria, paranoia, and irritability. As the debate over the legalization of marijuana continues, consideration of teenage drug users should not be ignored.Many teens don’t take marijuana abuse seriously, but its abuse can bring just as much destruction and havoc to a teen’s life as any other drug. If a teen is abusing any substance, from cough syrup to heroin, it is a red flag of a serious condition that does need to be addressed. Few teens who abuse drugs can find support from within their immediate peer group with regards to recovery, which is why adolescent treatment is such a helpful solution.
When I was using, I didn’t have any friends in Orange County that I thought would support me getting off of drugs. Since my peers used drugs, it seemed like normal teenage behavior. Maybe it was, for some of them, but for me, it was total hell. In residential treatment, I learned that it wasn’t about the substances I used or how much I used that made me an addict. It was the obsession and compulsion to use, regardless of the consequences. It was the pain of not being able to stop even when I wanted to. It was my deep self loathing. I learned it’s not up to me to figure out if my friends were addicts or not; I could only take responsibility for my own recovery. That meant that when I left residential treatment, I had to find new friends that supported my recovery. Sometimes it was really lonely, but as long as I kept my recovery a priority, as I learned to do it rehab, I could continue to plow through challenging times and come out a stronger person.I have so many friends today that have helped me walk through all situations in my life, and that love and support me for being me.
The University of Southern California has released a study showing that people who drink to improve one’s mood are more likely to become dependent on alcohol and are more prone to depression. Using alcohol as a coping mechanism causes one to ignore what’s really going on emotionally and negative feelings can ferment, leading to depression, which usually leads to more drinking. This is especially alarming because of another recent study showing that adolescents that drink when depressed are at a higher risk of suicidal behavior.
When the alcohol and drugs are taken away from an addict or alcoholic, the negative feelings can remain. This is why I am glad I got clean in treatment because it gave me a safe place to address my depression and other issues. As I detoxed, doctors were finally able to get a better diagnosis for me, since there weren’t any drugs in me altering my mood. I learned more positive ways to deal with my depression. As I addressed the underlying issue in residential treatment, I began to find ways to deal with my feelings that didn’t involve cutting, using drugs, drinking, or my eating disorder. I learned that I couldn't always control my brain and my feelings but that I could change how I reacted to those feelings. I had to learn to take responsibility for my life and my recovery. This comprehensive approach to my situation let me leave treatment a whole person, the person I was meant to be.
Professional athletes and Olympians aren’t the only ones juicing up. Performance-enhancing drug abuse by teenagers is an area that is often overlooked. Junior high and high school athletes often feel intense pressure to perform well from the stresses of trying to obtain athletic scholarships, coach, parental and peer pressure, and unhealthy body images. As junior high and high school has become more and more competitive, the demands of scholastic and athletic success can lead teens to look to drugs to gain a competitive edge, as mentioned earlier this week in regards to stimulants. Sometimes teens look to performance enhancing drugs such as Creatine, Anabolic Steroids, and Steroid Precursors such as DHEA. Creatine is an over-the-counter supplement used to increase muscle mass and strength. Side effects include muscle cramps, nausea, and high doses can severely damage the kidneys. Anabolic steroids are synthetic testosterone that can increase strength and muscle mass, but also can halt bone growth resulting in a short stature for still-growing adolescents. Most steroid precursors are illegal without a prescription, but DHEA can still be bought in over-the-counter supplements, says the Mayo Health Clinic. Side effects are similar to those of steroids. Dependence on these substances can have devastating effects. Signs of performance-enhancing drug abuse in your son may include increased acne and male pattern baldness. Girls who take these drugs may develop a deeper voice and dark facial hair. Teens abusing these drugs may have increased moodiness or fits of “’roid rage”.
Since this is an area often left out of the discussion about the dangers of drug use and few people suspect teens of such abuse, increased discussion is imperative. Talk to your teen about the dangers of performance-enhancing drug abuse, and encourage an ethical attitude and the importance of fair play. Set rules, such as taking away their sports privileges if drugs are taken, and make sure they understand the dangers and consequences of drug abuse. Monitor your teen’s purchases, checking for potentially harmful ingredients, and make sure your child’s coach knows that performance-enhancing drug abuse will not be tolerated. Communication with your teen is essential- even if they act like they know everything. Let them know you support them regardless of their athletic ability. Teens often perceive pressure from parents and coaches and put undue amounts of pressure on themselves. Check in with your teen about the demands of their schedule. If it seems to be too much, work with them to make life more manageable. Athletics can be a fulfilling part of high school life, but if they are negatively affecting other parts of your teen’s life, it may be time to reassess their importance. Having your child playing for the [insert favorite college team here] may be great, but not if it kills them in the process. If you do suspect that your teen is abusing performance-enhancing drugs, don’t hesitate to contact us. Performance-enhancing drug abuse is a serious issue with serious consequences. Regardless of the substance, teen drug abuse deserves serious attention, and we are here to help.
Teen suicide risks increase when a depressed teen drinks. Really? At first I wasn’t really surprised to read this, but the numbers are actually quite staggering: A new study has reported that suicide risk rose 68% in teens who drank when they were depressed and who had contemplated suicide before. The risk increased threefold in those who had never contemplated suicide before. Suicide is the number three killer of teens in the US, and recognizing and respecting the link between alcohol abuse and suicide may help lower this number in the future.
Alcohol abuse in teens can contribute to depression, creating more of a need for alcohol. As the effects wear off or become harder to obtain, teens may feel more and more depressed. As dependence grows, so does hopelessness, loneliness, fear, and isolation- many of the same feelings that lead teens to attempt suicide. No one should underestimate the emotional devastation that alcohol can wreak on a young person’s life. If you are a teen struggling with addiction or the parent of a teen suffering from substance or alcohol abuse, don’t give up. Help exists and recovery is possible.
Signs of Anorexia or Bulimia, by an Anorexic/Bulimic
There are plenty of websites with useful lists of signs and symptoms of eating disorders, and I thought I’d add my own explanations or other versions of the symptoms- kind of like what I would have looked for if I was going to bust myself when I was an anorexic/bulimic teen.
· Wearing loose or baggy clothing either because of perceived weight gain or to hide weight loss.
· Taking a shower right after meal time. As soon as I was done with dinner with the family, I ran off to take a shower. I thought the sound of water running covered up the sound of vomiting and shampoo smells covered up vomit smells. Gross, I know.
· Strange food rituals such as pushing the food around on the plate, cutting food into tiny pieces, or making sure lips avoid contact with the fork when eating. I personally tore food apart into little pieces. I absolutely hated biting into anything. Food was unrecognizable on the plate when I was done. I still kind of do this. I also tended to pick apart food, eating only certain parts, such as only the cheese on pizza or only the carrots in soup. Don’t even get me started on what happened to burritos.
· Bizarre rules regarding food that seem to defy logic. Example: I hate chicken. I do not, in fact hate all chicken. I hate chicken in salad or chicken strips. I hate chicken breast or chicken in a sandwich. Chicken salad is ok as is rotisserie chicken and a whole fried chicken, but then only white meat. Chicken in soup is okay, as long as the pieces are really little, and I can do chicken in curry sauces, but again only if the chicken is really little and I don’t have to cut it. So, figure that out.
· A sudden switch to vegetarianism, veganism, or other restricted diet. This is not a definite sign but when combined with other behaviors it should be considered a red flag in my opinion. By switching to vegetarianism, I eliminated an entire food group and could be much more picky about the foods I ate.
· Frequent sore throats or swollen glands (from vomiting). My orthodontist was the only person that didn’t buy my line about my retainer giving me all of those ulcers in my mouth.
· Bloodshot eyes or watery eyes upon emerging from the bathroom. Also, check the toilet occasionally. Sometimes we miss a spot. Also, if your toilet is suddenly very clean, you may have a bulimic on your hands. And seriously, vomit smells. If you get it on your hand or in your hair (it totally happens), you will smell like vomit. Smelling like vomit means you probably just vomited.
· Constantly reading nutritional content on food labels.
· Reading about eating disorders. Sometimes those are the best places to get ideas.
· Bruised or callused knuckles. (Stomach acid will do that to you.)
· Visible restriction of food. Visible agitation when confronted with food.
· Reluctance to eat in front of people. Harsh criticism of others’ eating habits.
· Excessive exercise.
· Seems to have always “just eaten”. I liked to act like I had already eaten at school or at a friend’s house. If you never see your teen eat, they might not be eating.
· Rigid, perfectionist personality. Very small issues would set me off. Typically numb to large events like moving or people dying and hysterical when I got a “C” in class.
· Anger or defensiveness when confronted about eating issues. Visible irritation when “trapped” after a meal, such as at a restaurant or Thanksgiving with family.
These are just some of the behaviors I engaged in when I was active in my eating disorder. Recovery is a very difficult journey but I believe it is possible. It is not as black and white as not using drugs, but I make progress every day in continuing to develop a healthier relationship to food and weight. In our culture, that can be difficult, but fortunately I got my foundation in a safe and structured environment where I could begin the healing process.
I was going through old journals the other day when I came across some truly sad entries about my inability to stop cutting myself. As I battled my various issues, new ones tended to pop up lack a game of whack-a-mole. I stopped using drugs? Bam! Here comes my eating disorder! I stopped puking after meals? Bam! It’s time for cutting! No more cutting? Bam! Drugs again! This cycle continued for what seemed like forever until I got my fully comprehensive treatment at Visions. It wasn’t until I recognized all manifestations of my addiction simultaneously that I began to recover in all areas of my life.
I think that my tendency to self-injure may have been the most baffling and insidious of all. Even today, when frustrations arise, my first impulse is to hurt myself- not to use drugs or eat a bunch of donuts. I used to get so angry and feelings would well up so hard and so fast that nothing else would calm me down. When my family tried to keep sharp things from me, I improvised. I was crafty. I could make weapons like I was raised in a prison. I wore long sleeves year round, decided to “bring back arm warmers!” and had insane excuses for what happened to my arms: I tripped while carrying a fish tank. I fell into a thorn patch while rollerblading. My friend has a really big, mean, OCD cat. There is also a strange habit I’ve noticed most of us cutters do- we tug on our sleeves. Constantly. It’s like nervous energy is just exploding out of us.
In adolescent treatment, they knew what I was about, and I couldn’t get away with any of my old tricks. I had to learn the most frustrating, boring, but eventually worthwhile solution: sitting on my hands. Everyone always says, “The feeling will pass,” or “Just walk through the feeling,” but what does that even mean? Sitting on my hands taught me how to sit through feelings. Where before I would have never tolerated the discomfort of a feeling, I began to learn how to just sit and feel. I hated it. I absolutely hated it. I would cry and pout, but when it was over- I hadn’t done it. That little victory led to more. I began to realize that just because I feel like doing something doesn’t mean I have to do it, and I began to use my little victories as ammunition against the voice in my head that told me cutting or using or puking was the only solution. Anger management and art therapy gave me new ways to deal with my feelings, but sometimes, I just had to sit there. And it got better. It may be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but breaking the cycle of self abuse is possible.
The Partnership for a Drug Free America has found that parents are becoming increasingly aware of the dangers of prescription drug abuse in their children. Lack of concern about prescription drug abuse among youth has dropped significantly over the last several years as parents become more and more aware of the increasing number of adolescents abusing prescription medications. One in five adolescents reports misusing prescription medications, and the study reports that parents are more likely to talk to their children about the dangers of tobacco, alcohol, and street drugs rather than prescriptions.
A recent national telephone survey indicates that parents also underestimate how easy it is for teenagers to acquire prescription medications. 19% percent of teenagers report that prescriptions are the easiest drugs to buy, with alcohol being easiest to buy for 15% of teenagers. The study also found a strong correlation between adolescent prescription drug abuse and the degree of parental awareness in their child’s nightly activities. Of the teen’s out past 10pm, half of them claimed to be with people who were using drugs and smoking. While half of the teenagers surveyed reported being out on a school night, only 14% of parents reported being aware that their teenager was out. If you are concerned that your teenager is abusing prescription medications or other substances, don’t hesitate. Contact us today.
The Associated Press, on May 6, 2009 reported that New Jersey has passed legislation that would give immunity to underage drinkers when seeking emergency help for their intoxicated friend or for themselves. Lawmakers hope that this immunity will encourage scared teens to help their friends in an emergency rather than hesitate and risk their friend’s life.
I think that this is an excellent move, something that New Mexico has already implemented and that eight states are considering. I believe that the fear of penalization keeps most teen addicts from asking for help.Fear of getting in trouble was my number one reason for never seeking help for my own drinking and substance abuse. I am lucky that I am alive. My using “friends” once told me that one night, after using, I went into an unconscious state. Rather than seek medical help, they left me in someone’s bedroom. When I came to, over 24 hours had passed. At the time, I was glad that they didn’t call for help; I would have been in so much trouble. Now looking back, I am horrified that my friends left me unconscious for over 24 hours and I am lucky I survived! Fear of getting in trouble kept me from asking for help as my addiction escalated. I thought that my parents would be so mad at me, but I have since learned that a lot of times fear is manifested as anger. It was a difficult conversation, having to come clean to my parents, but it was the best decision I ever made. It just kind of blurted out, without me meaning to say it, but as soon as I did, I felt relieved. I felt like I was safe from my brain that was trying to make me use even though I didn’t want to. As soon as my secret was out, it began to lose its grip on me. My parents helped me find a safe place to recover in adolescent residential treatment. I hope that more options are provided to teens so that they can safely voice their secrets without fear of penalization. I know more teens would seek help if that were the case. I am so glad there was someone there to help me when I finally asked for help.
Today, instead of dreading time with my family, I enjoy it. Mother’s Day is now a time when I can be proud to be my mother’s child, and not feel full of shame and self-loathing and guilt. It has taken a long time to rebuild my relationship with my mother, but the work has paid off. My mother and I used to butt heads over everything: where I was going, who I was with, what I was wearing…I was awful to her. I treated her with no respect and kept her lying awake at night wondering where I was and if I was alive.
In treatment, I had an opportunity to work on my relationship with my mother. I found that I couldn’t tell her how I was changing; I had to show her. In treatment, counselors worked with my mother and me both individually and together to help us rebuild the relationship that drugs and alcohol destroyed. It took a long time for her to trust me again, and she had little reason to. Even today, if I am slow calling her back, she gets worried. This used to frustrated me, but now I realize how much I used to scare her by disappearing. Every day that I stay clean and sober, I am building that trust back a little more and a little more. I am so glad that I don’t have to put my mother through the things I used to put her through. This Mother’s Day, the best thing I can give my mom is my sobriety.
A recently published article in the journal, Addiction, reports on 12-step affiliation and recovery outcomes for adolescents. As little is known about adolescents and 12-step affiliation, the study sought to observe the recovery outcomes of 357 13-18 year olds who attended substance abuse treatment in Northern California and San Francisco. The study measured the teens’ success based on drug and alcohol use, 12-step meeting attendance, and other forms of social or religious support. The study concluded that at one year past treatment, 12-step meeting attendance was marginally significant, and that at three years, the relationship between continued sobriety and 12-step affiliation was strong. The study concluded that 12-step affiliation was important in maintaining long term sobriety.
In treatment I was introduced to 12-step programs such as AA and NA. We used the 12-steps to address issues inside of treatment and I also began to work the steps with my sponsor. I soon learned that there was a difference between treatment and recovery, and that the responsibility of my sobriety fell on my shoulders when I left treatment. In treatment, I learned that I have a choice in what I choose to do with my sobriety. I have chosen to remain actively vigilant in preserving and developing the recovery that I have worked so hard on. 12-step meeting attendance has greatly enhanced my life, as I have found a group of like-minded individuals who support me and who are trying to become better people themselves. I am accountable to my support group and an example to those newer than me. It is a great feeling, to be a part of something that saved my life, and to have a chance to help someone else. I never thought about helping other people when I was using, and being an active member of the 12-step community has led me to think of others and to consider how my actions affect other people. Treatment helped me deal with the acute problem that was my active addiction, and provided me with tools so that I was able to leave treatment and practice maintenance myself.
The University of California at Irvine recently began a study implementing text messaging in order to gather information on pre-teen alcohol abuse. The study hopes that by using a form of technology this generation is well adapted to, researchers will be able to more easily connect with their subjects. The goal is to not only get a better number of the amount of Orange County youth including Newport Beach that are drinking, but to identify what factors may be triggering risky behaviors or stopping them from acting out. To better understand these elements, they will be gathering information about their daily lives, support systems, and emotions.
One of the main reasons researchers cite for focusing the study on preteens is that more and more evidence indicates that consuming substances prior to age 15 can lead to unfortunate outcomes such as substance dependency, poor school performance, the contraction of STD’s, and criminal behavior. Another reason is that preteen substance abuse is on the rise: more that 50% of youth in the US have consumed an entire alcoholic drink before their 15th birthday, and that most 8th graders say that alcohol is relatively easy to get. Finally, new research shows that young teens may be especially sensitive to drugs and alcohol at this age and that delaying consumption of drugs and alcohol greatly reduces the risks of dependence. Rather than focus on drug use prevention programs, which are generally ineffective, the study hopes to see how teens make decisions when confronted with alcohol and drugs. Parents shouldn’t wait until prom night to have a talk with their teen about drugs and alcohol. They should start in junior high, or earlier. As the number of prescription drug abusers, marijuana users, and alcohol users climbs for adolescents, parents should maintain communication with their child. The teenage years can be scary for everybody (parents and teens alike) and even scarier for teens and parents of teens dealing with addiction. You don’t have to face it alone. For teens or families of teens struggling with addiction and alcoholism, there is help.
When I was using, I resigned myself to the idea that I was just crazy. My behavior certainly made it appear that way. My self-harming behaviors and bouts of extreme depression landed me in more than one psych ward before I went to residential treatment in Malibu. I remember sitting in the hospital one time, surrounded by doctors asking me, “What happened to you? Why are you like this?” I thought I was destined to be crazy. I never considered that drugs might be contributing to my growing mental instability and depression. I never considered that because I was constantly using and not being honest with doctors that I was making it impossible for them to give me a clear diagnosis and treatment. One day a Hospitals and Institutions (H&I) panel from Narcotics Anonymous came to the hospital. The H&I panel members were volunteers from NA who had brought a meeting in to us, since we couldn’t leave. Even though they were much older than me, I identified with the feelings they talked about, and the unreasonable compulsion to use drugs and alcohol. They had had that same kind of "crazy" that no one could put their finger on. They were addicts, and I was an addict. I was a teenage drug addict? I felt like I should have had my own Lifetime movie or after school special in order to be classified a teenage drug addict. It was a heavy moment for me when I realized that drugs and alcohol might be the culprits behind my steady decline, and that I had to use drugs, even when I didn't want to. I took it in as something to consider.
Following the hospital stays, I began my attempts at sobriety, finally ending up in residential treatment. As I stayed clean and began to work the 12 steps with my sponsor and work more closely with the counseling staff at the rehab, I began to see myself kind of “level out.” In early recovery, my reactions to discomfort were rather volatile, but as I developed new behaviors to replace my old, destructive behaviors, I began to feel my insanity lift. Who’da thunk it, that taking away the drugs and alcohol and lunatic drama that was my life in Santa Monica would make me feel less crazy? The structure in treatment and the life that followed in outpatient and sober living was key in maintaining and developing my mental stability. My newly developed tools were best practiced in safe environments for awhile. After developing such a strong foundation, I have been able to take my skills into the world with me. In treatment I learned how to ask for help and worry about saving myself before saving face. I learned how to think before I speak and react. I learned anger management tools and practical application of the 12 steps. I learned how to show up even when I don't feel like it. When I walked out of the doors of Visions, I walked a out a completely different person than the fearful, depressed person that walked in.
Us Magazine attributed Lindsay Lohan’s recent weight loss to her abuse of the prescription drug Adderall, a stimulant usually prescribed to combat ADHD. Abuse of the drug is rampant among youth and college students, who often use the medication to lose weight or to stay up in order to study for exams. Adderall and other stimulants such as Concerta and Ritalin, are chemically very similar to methamphetamine, and when abused, pose similar health risks. Because the drug allows people to focus for longer periods of time, it deceives the user into believing that they will do better in school, but as with most drugs, the cons outweigh any pros. Long term abuse can lower the levels of dopamine in the brain, creating a need for larger amounts of the stimulant in order to achieve a “high.” Withdrawal can cause the user to feel dysphoria and depression. Abuse can lead to hallucinations, psychotic episodes, extreme paranoia, irregular heartbeat and even death. Giving the pills away or buying and selling them without a prescription is a felony. If anyone in the household is prescribed a stimulant, pills should be kept in a secure area and counted regularly.
Adderall abuse in teenagers and college students is common, as most students know someone with a prescription and can easily get the pills.
How to tell if your teen is addicted to or abusing Adderall? If your teen is prescribed Adderall, you should count their pills regularly and dispense the pills yourself. Regular contact with your child’s doctor is important. One of the most noticeable physical signs of stimulant abuse is dilated pupils. Whenever I abused Adderall, my pupils got gigantic. There was no hiding it. Kids on Adderall may be noticeably excited, overly talkative, or irritable. Stimulants often cause the user to feel very thirsty, and create a loss of appetite and eventual weight loss. Users often refer to “tweaking out” on something, which is when the user hyperfocuses on a task, such as obsessive cleaning, drawing, studying, or playing video games. Finally, Adderall and other stimulants cause sleep loss. Abusing stimulants can keep the user awake all night or, on a binge, multiple nights. Users coming down from the drug may “crash,” sleeping heavily all day following the binge. Withdrawal from the drug often makes the user feel extremely irritable, hostile, or depressed. Prescription stimulant addiction is very serious as addicts will often move on to abusing methamphetamine (meth, tweak, speed, or shit are some common street names) because it is a much stronger version of Adderall. Prescription Adderall abuse is taken very seriously and should be addressed by professionals. Adolescent drug treatment is a very helpful option in dealing with teen prescription drug addiction.
Eminem recently opened up to Vice Magazine, admitting that he used to be heavily addicted to prescription painkillers and sleeping pills. He reported that at times he was taking 10-20 Vicodin a day and so many Valium and Ambien that he couldn’t count them. Again we are reminded of the growing problem of prescription drug addiction. After a nasty relapse following a knee injury, Eminem got clean and stayed clean. In the article, he shares about his initial struggle to write raps sober. He says, “I almost feel like a little kid again with rap. I wanna play around with different flows. If I don’t feel like it’s what I’m fully capable of, if there’s one weak line, I wanna change it. Rap was my drug. It used to get me high and then it stopped getting me high. Then I had to resort to other things to make me feel that… Now rap’s getting me high again.”
Most of the people I know in recovery are highly creative in one form or another. Many addicts in early recovery struggle with the fear that they will not be able to do the creative things that they used to do when they were using. Art therapy is an extremely useful tool in exploring emotions and recovery. I associated painting and drawing with using, and I thought that I wouldn’t be creative anymore without drugs, which is a lie. I felt like art was a best friend that I could never go back to again, and it broke my heart. Recently, I heard a speaker share that as an artist, in order to overcome her challenges with creativity, she had to remember that she was a creative and clean person before she started using, and that she was a creative and clean person now. Art therapy at Visions helped me readjust my perspective regarding art. I began to see it as a useful tool in my recovery. Painting and drawing are now forms of meditation for me, and a way to work out challenging issues. I don’t know what role art will play in my future, but I know that I don’t want to be without my creative outlets.
‘Tis the season to admit to having a prescription drug problem it seems. Paula Abdul joins Eminem this week in admitting to her past addiction to prescription painkillers. She reports that she finally took the plunge and went through the pain and discomfort of withdrawal last Thanksgiving because she couldn’t go on the way she was living. She recognizes now that the pills could have killed her. The singer and American Idol judge cites longstanding health problems, multiple surgeries, and strong drive to keep working and performing contributed to her increased dependency on pain pills.
Celebrities opening up about their own struggles with substance abuse generally helps to shine the spotlight on the addiction struggles of everyone else.
Prescription drug abuse, especially amongst teenagers, is a growing problem. The Office of National Drug Control Policy reported in 2007 that the number of adolescent prescription drug abusers has caught up to adolescent marijuana abusers, and that prescription drugs are the most commonly abused drug among 12-13 year olds. The most frequently abused prescription drugs are the powerful painkillers OxyContin and Vicodin. The report states that adolescents are more likely than young adults to become addicted to prescription drugs, as they are often viewed as harmless by teens. Teens easily get these drugs from friends and relatives. BYOP (bring your own pills) parties are where teens bring whatever pills they have, be it their own prescriptions or their parents’, and mix the pills into a pile, called “trail mix.” Whatever you get is whatever you get. In order to keep highs exciting, teens blindly take medications so that they will be surprised by their high. If prescriptions must be kept in the home, parents should keep them in a locked location. Pills that have the potential for abuse should be counted frequently. Parents should talk to their children about the true dangers of prescription drug abuse. If you suspect that your teenager is struggling with prescription drug abuse, don’t hesitate to contact us. Help is available.
I never knew I could learn something from a horse, but in adolescent rehab, our frequent visits to the horses at equine therapy became my favorite part of the week. By working with the gigantic horses, I learned vital tools for my sobriety, such as patience, boundaries, and confidence. Strangely simple tasks produced mind-blowing outcomes. Somehow, the horses acted as a mirror, showing me my own insecurities and strengths. The horses seemed to sense what I needed, and I learned to see parts of myself within them. They too had been rescued, and it really felt like we were helping each other. The incredible Malibu view and the strong connection we developed with the animals really made me feel good for one of the first times in a long time.
I still think about the tools I learned at equine therapy. Learning how to cooperate in a group setting with such large animals really helped with my interpersonal communication skills- something I was severely lacking when I came to treatment. Instead of using my words, I turned uncomfortable feelings inward, which festered and came out as my addiction, my eating disorder, or self injury. Working with the horses helped me to feel more confident; the simple connection with such a huge animal was a stepping stone to developing human relationships. When I feel anxious, I imagine the strange calm that settled over me whenever I was with the horses. I imagine their silky coats and the way they smell. I pretend I am with the horses and whatever is bothering me usually lightens its grip on my mind. I am so glad to have had the great opportunity to learn from these animals.
Before going to residential drug rehab, I lived in Santa Monica, I had made several half-hearted attempts at getting clean. I tried going to AA and NA meetings and working with a therapist. I’d even been enrolled in a juvenile outpatient program. After each potentially successful attempt, I would inevitably return to using, to everyone’s dismay and frustration. I felt that I was destined to be an addict and alcoholic. Every time I went back to school, the drugs were still there, and I didn’t have enough of a foundation in recovery to face it without using. As a last-ditch effort, my parents sent me to an adolescent rehab, where I was removed from my entire life at home in order to focus fully on my recovery. As my time in the treatment center went on, I began to doubt my ability to stay clean after leaving the safety of inpatient treatment. My counselors and I began to focus on relapse prevention. I had put in so much hard work in treatment that I couldn’t bear to see my sobriety slip away.
I continued to build my support group. With the treatment center’s encouragement, I got a sponsor that I check in with daily. Frequent meeting attendance led me to start seeing familiar faces in the rooms. I identified some of my triggers- the things that make me want to use, and began to do work to take some of the power out of them. I began to recognize my own power of choice. Nothing could make me use; I made the decision whether or not I used. As one counselor put it, “You can choose to go there in your head, or you can choose not to.” Even today, when my head starts spinning over a particular issue, I remind myself that I choose whether or not I run with the thought or not. I can make a deliberate shift in what I’m thinking about. For example, if I am spinning over an issue, I’ll stop and think about what it’s like to ride a horse, or what my favorite birthday present was. It works for me. I also imagine that I am playing air hockey- just knocking the disturbing thoughts right out of my brain. I have begun the long process of replacing the old negative information in my brain with new useful information. As I have stayed clean, I have held onto the basic tools I learned in residential treatment. I am so glad that I was given the chance to learn some good tools that help me to make the right choices today.
When I first got clean, I was really worried about how I would ever have fun sober. I have since then found all kinds of ways to have fun without using drugs. Last night was a total blast. One of my best friends in recovery celebrated two years clean, so to celebrate, we all went out to Joe’s Crab Shack in Los Angeles. I don’t know what the waitress could have thought about our motley crew. If I’d never gotten clean I would never have known all of these beautiful and interesting people. I love my strange group of friends! We come from all walks of life, yet manage to connect and identify because we share similar feelings and a passion for recovery.
At the end of my using, nothing was funny. I was like a robot going through the motions of life. When I went to rehab, I started to laugh again. One of the first things I noticed in adolescent drug treatment was that my stomach muscles actually hurt from laughing so much. It was like my soul had finally come back to life. Last night reminded me of that. We stayed until closing, talking and laughing and eating massive amounts of seafood. When I was using, I never had the connections and levels of friendship that I do today. If you had told me when I was new to recovery that I would choose hanging out with a bunch of sober people eating crabs than using drugs, I would have never believed you, but I am so glad that I stuck it out long enough to find such happiness and freedom. It is an amazing thing after such fear and unhappiness to feel so carefree.
A new study by the UC Irvine has concluded that Anger Management may help smokers quit. The study showed that people with “angry dispositions” are more likely to start smoking and become addicted to nicotine, as nicotine produces a calming effect in the brain, and that anger provokes nicotine withdrawal and craving. As a recovering drug addict and nicotine addict, I can easily see how anger management tools helped me recover.
I didn’t think of myself as an angry person when I went into treatment. I didn’t lash out at people and I never got into fights. I was in fact fairly passive, but any time I got angry, I took it out on myself through self injury, using drugs, or just letting it brew into a nice, deep, depression. It was a scary thing for me to learn how to get angry. I was afraid of losing control. I didn’t understand why my counselors thought that this timid person should have to be counseled on anger issues. I began to learn that my anger and the destructive ways I dealt with it (or didn’t deal with it) were at the root of my problem. In anger management therapy, I learned how to most practically apply all of the things I learned in treatment. It was the way I learned to apply steps one two and three in the moment. I learned a lot of things in treatment, but whenever I got angry was when I had to road-test my new tools. Instead of reaching outward for a drink, a drug, a razor blade, or food, I learned how to reach for the new tools I had begun to develop. Anger management therapy doesn’t mean I will never get angry again, it just means that my anger doesn’t have to be a destructive force in my life anymore.
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