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 remember one Christmas where I was so loaded that the nutcrackers started walking around during dinner and I couldn't look up from my plate. Then there was that other year that I threw a tantrum and locked myself in the bathroom through dinner. Oh, and that other year where I nodded out for most of the day on prescription drugs and later threw up in the front yard. Ah, memories. It seems like the holidays tend to bring out the beast in active addicts, for one reason or another. My addiction really put a damper on the holidays for myself, and also for my family. It became a time that we all dreaded, rather than looked forward to.
Then one Christmas, I got sent to rehab. I wasn’t too excited to spend the holidays in rehab, as you can imagine, but at the time, it ended up being the best holiday my family or I had had in years. Instead of a car, or a pony, or a new ipod, I got the gift of recovery. Thumbs down, I thought. Totally lame. I didn’t want to do the crafts, I didn’t want to go to group, and I surely didn’t want to stop using drugs and alcohol, but as time went on, I began to change despite myself. The staff’s patience and love gave me the room and tools to find the best, truest version of myself. I’ve had some really good holidays in Jackson Hole, Wyoming since then, all thanks to that one year I got to go to rehab for Christmas.
At Visions Adolescent Treatment Center we've noticed the use of “club drugs” by teenagers has been on the rise. Teenagers involved with raves or other all night dance parties often take these extremely dangerous drugs thinking they are harmless and non-habit forming. Because they generally come in pill or liquid form, many of these drugs are easily hidden in pill bottles, candy containers, or eye drop containers or mouthwash or water bottles. Club drugs, or party drugs often refer to the following:
Ecstasy- (E, X, Beans, Adam, Lover’s Speed, Clarity, Hugs, X-T-C, MDMA, Candy, Thiz, Rolls) This drug is a hallucinogen and a stimulant. Users often feel a sense of extreme euphoria and energy. Chronic abuse damages users ability to think and regulate emotion. “Candyflipping” involves the combination of X and acid, or LSD. Overdose can lead to death, and the drug also impair the user’s ability to regulate body temperature and heart rate. User’s may suck on a pacifier or “binky” or suck on candy because the drug causes jaw clenching. Other signs of use include dilated (big) pupils, sleeplessness, and extreme irritability (crashing) on the day following use.
GHB- (Liquid Ecstasy, G, Georgia Home Boy, Goop) This drug causes the user to feel more relaxed, but increased amounts can lead to sleep, coma, and death. It comes in liquid form and can be consumed in water.
Ketamine- (Special K, K, Kay Jay, K Ways) Ketamine is an anesthetic used by veterinarians and causes the user to feel a sense of delirium. Taking too much causes the user to fall into a “k-hole” where they often cannot move or experience extreme confusion. It is often snorted.
Rohypnol- (Roofie, Roche, Rophies, Ruffies, Rope) More commonly known as the date rape drug, Rohypnol causes the user to suffer from memory loss, drowsiness, and dizziness or confusion. People actually abuse it though.
Teens abusing these drugs often combine them with other drugs like meth, acid, cocaine, and heroin. They may possess Tiger Balm for cramps, hospital masks lined with menthol ointment to get a “vapor rush,” baby pacifiers, lollipops, candy necklaces, fluorescent light sticks, and various containers for hiding pills. Club drugs are just as dangerous and harmful as street drugs, and teens abusing these drugs need help too.
Psychological difficulties, including confusion, depression, sleep problems, drug craving, severe anxiety, and paranoia -- during and sometimes weeks after taking Ecstasy (psychotic episodes have also been reported).
Physical symptoms such as muscle tension, involuntary teeth clenching, nausea, blurred vision, rapid eye movement, faintness, and chills or sweating.
Marked increase in body temperature (hyperthermia), which may further be exacerbated by the hot and crowded conditions characteristic of the rave environment. Hyperthermia can lead to liver, kidney, and cardiovascular system failure.
Increases in heart rate and blood pressure, a special risk for people with circulatory or heart disease. Other cardiac effects include arrhythmia, heart muscle damage, and reductions in heart rate and blood pressure. (Initially, Ecstasy increases heart rate and blood pressure, but following repeated use, this effect is reversed.)
Ecstasy can affect the hormone that regulates the amount of sodium in the blood, which can also cause hyponatremia (water intoxication).
Chronic use of Ecstasy has been associated with memory impairment, which may indicate damage to the parts of the brain involved in memory processing.
Sometimes a rash that looks like acne will appear on the skin which has been linked with liver damage.
Ecstasy, also referred to as MDMA, is a hallucinogenic amphetamine that is recreationally used and abused by teens. there is a recent trend towards an increase in ecstasy use among teen entering teen drug rehab. “X” is usually taken in pill form and one pill can last between 4-6 hours. “X” is most commonly used by teens at parties, nightclubs and raves, this may be because “X” produces a blend of mellowing effects, heightened arousal and enhanced self and group consciousness. The most common side effect for teens and other users produced from “X” is a rise in body temperature, which usually results in minor dehydration, which is dangerous considering that dancing for hours without very many breaks or water is common while using this drug. Other common side effects include an increase in blood pressure, chills, sweating, blurred vision and nausea. However, heavy use can result in speed-like symptoms of paranoia, liver damage and heart attacks. Studies show that “X” uses serotonin, which is a chemical in the brain that affects the mood. After the initial high, the user might feel depressed, tired and moody. The body eventually does produce more serotonin, but it may take some time to get the serotonin back to normal levels. Although research has not concluded that “X” will produce brain damage in humans, heavy use of the drug has produced neurological damage in rats and monkeys.
University of Adelaide researchers have found that ecstasy taken on a few occasions could cause long-term brain damage from severe damage to brain cells, with the potential to cause future memory loss or psychological problems.
Dr. Rod Irvine, of the University's Department of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology, with an increased use of ecstasy among teens, major health problems can be expected in the future.
"For many years it has been known from animal experiments that small doses of ecstasy - even if only taken on only a few occasions - can cause severe damage to certain brain cells," Irvine said in a news release. "More recently, evidence has started to accumulate suggesting that this damage may also occur in humans."
Brain scans and psychological assessment of teen ecstasy users has been used to obtain this information.
"If our suspicions are proved correct, it will mean many of our young people will have memory loss or psychological problems in the future."
Irvine's research shows that the drug seems to work mainly through its effects on one type of brain cell, and even through one molecule in those cells. He said, "the way the body reacts chemically to ecstasy is important in producing adverse effects, as is the surrounding temperature, which can lead to users overheating."
Irvine is looking at the shorter-term consequences of ecstasy "overdoses" and has found that the high rate of death is due to a different strain of ecstasy appearing on the market in the mid 1990s.
"Normal ecstasy contains the pharmacological ingredient known as MDMA as its main ingredient, but the new strain often contained no MDMA but rather a more potent chemical known as PMA," Irvin said.
"PMA hasn't been around since the early 1970s when it was responsible for the deaths of several people in Ontario, Canada, and now it's reappeared," Dr Irvine says. "We don't know where the PMA came from, but we do know that it has been prevalent since the mid 1990s."
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than eleven million people have tried MDMA (ecstasy), MORE THAN eleven million people have tried methamphetamine, and MORE THAN twenty three million have tried LSD (acid) at least once. Why are so many people trying drugs, is it that there is absolutely nothing to do so why not make life exciting or is it just for “fun”, “experimentation” and the all classic “my (add whatever you want brother, sister, mother, father, friends) _____ does it so why cant I”. We tell ourselves many things to make our actions that we know are wrong ok. .No one can really say why teens are doing drugs an individual is exactly that with free will so unless you are controlled by a disease you cant say why people do drugs or why so many teens are getting hooked. I use to look around and feel so sorry for the kids at my high school who didn’t do drugs because look at me I am experiencing life I am having so much fun and all they are doing is going home and studying. I thought everyone should see and think and feel the way I felt towards drugs and all that fun ended up at sixteen being admitted into an adolescent treatment center for drug and alcohol dependency. The fact is that the numbers keep rising so what can we do to change that? This question is for the community because no one person can say they know the answer.
Teens and Club Drugs A Rave is an all night party that originated in Europe in the 80's, making it over to the U.S. in the 90's and gaining popularity over the years. These underground parties will usually start at sundown and go until the sun comes up the next morning. They are attended mostly by teenagers. "Club drugs" are quite popular among teens who attend raves. Drugs such as Ecstasy (MDMA), LSD, methamphetamine, GHB, ketamine(Special K) and rohypnol are some of these club drugs. These drugs are discreet, which makes teenagers especially vulnerable. The do not have to be smoked. They can simply be popped in pill form or concealed in any drink. Raves can be appealing to young people who have a hard time fitting in or low self-esteem because the rave culture promotes acceptance. Ecstasy is just one of the popular club drugs of today. It can also be known as X, E, XTC, or Adam. It is taken in a pill form that causes an enhanced sense of self confidence and energy. However, its long term affects can be quite damaging. Repeated use may damage brain cells that produce serotonin. Raves are not the only place these club drugs can be found. They have also become popular on middle school, high school, and college campuses. Many teenagers will refer to club drugs as "fun drugs." Most are under the false impression that they are not dangerous. They are wrong. Club drugs can produce irreversible long term affects and can even be fatal.
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