Teen Opiate Rehab Canada

Oh, Canada. What are you doing? A Canadian study including Victoria, BC, in which heroin addicts were given either morphine or HEROIN to treat their heroin addiction found that those in the heroin group were more likely to stay in “treatment.” What? Of course more teen heroin addicts that were given heroin stayed in treatment. They were being given free heroin! The study concluded that the heroin group was less likely to engage in illicit activities when they were supplied with heroin. Yeah, okay. Only a couple of people overdosed during the study.
I can’t imagine having this program in my life rather than the one I have now. I wouldn’t have changed anything! I would still be a junkie! I might not have gotten arrested or stole from my parents but uh- not having enough free, legal heroin wasn’t my problem. There weren’t enough drugs in the world to feed my problem.
I know what works for me, and that’s what I learned in Teen opiate rehab. I can’t successfully use drugs or alcohol. Complete abstinence has given me an entirely new kind of freedom. Of course it was difficult to give up drugs, but the personal changes that resulted from that decision have helped me become a better person. I don’t believe that the answer to my heroin problem was more heroin. The answer to my problem was to seek real help, make some serious changes, and change my life.

Club Drug Use By Teens

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.

If you suspect that your teen is abusing club drugs, don’t hesitate to contact us today.adolescent drug treatment in Encino.

Symptoms of Oxycontin Opiate Abuse, From a Former Opiate Abuser

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.

Marijuana Addiction Treatment Doubled in the United Kingdom

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.

Click here to contact us about Marijuana addiction treatment

CSI Miami Unvails new drug "Cheese"

Blog October 28, 2008

CSI

This weekend I was watching CSI: Miami, as I do most weekends. However this weekend the episode that I was watching showcased a very interesting phenomenon. In this episode there was a substitute teacher who was getting kids to sell drugs for him. A new drug called “cheese”. Cheese is a drug that contains heroin and over the counter cold medication. It is commonly used by watering down heroin and combining it with Tylenol PM. He was getting the kids to sell it by giving them new “cool” shoes. Weird! Not to mention creepy. But anyways, my point is that I have not heard much about this “cheese” drug. I work at a rehab and I have never known anyone who has used this. Now I am not saying that it is not prevalent, I am sure it is, I just have not heard of it here in southern California. So, since it is news to me I am thinking that it is news to you. Therefore, I will educate you. Cheese has mainly been linked to the Dallas, Texas area so far but just as with all drugs, news travels fast. Black tar heroin contains 30% heroin and cheese contains anywhere from 2-8%. It can be bought as a powder and it is used by sniffing it, it is not usually injected such as traditional heroin. Cheese first became known when it was found in due to arrests, and in elementary, middle and high schools in Dallas, Texas between 2005 and 2007. It is basically known as the “gateway drug” to heroin. It is also commonly used by young kids, some still in elementary school. Between April 2006 and February 2007 there were 71 teen drug users arrested (ages 10-16) in the Dallas area. Dalas rehabs and adolescent drug treatment centers started admitting younger and younger kids, where before they were 15-17 years old, they are now admitting 11-13 year olds. Cheese is also considered a cheap drug. It goes for about $2 a hit and $10 a gram. Cheese looks like a tanish-brown powder and is usually folded up in notebook paper. Drug dealers are targeting adolescents and kids by putting this drug in an easy to use powder form, making it more affordable and giving such an innocent name. They are calling it the most addictive and deadly drug since crack-cocaine.

My Sister Finally Went Into Drug Rehab!

Sisters in Recovery


My sister and are were thick as thieves growing up… and eventually started using drugs together and literally began thieving together. This went on for years and eventually we stopped getting along once I fell in love with Heroin and she fell in love with Methamphetamine – somehow, we just weren’t compatible anymore. Go figure.

Well, by the grace of god, I stumbled into the rooms of Narcotics Anonymous and have stayed clean since Dec. 2002. My sister kept using. Once I found out that there was another way to live, free from the chains of active addiction and away from the horrors that a using addict feels trapped by, I wanted her to know all about how happy I was. I wanted her to know that every emotion I felt was 10 times better when I experienced it clean (even the not-so-nice feelings). I wanted her to know that meetings and the 12-steps weren’t as lame as TV or movies had made them seem. I wanted her to know it actually took a lot more effort to get and use and find ways and means to get more drugs than it did to just stay clean and go with the flow of nature (totally appealing to the lazy addict). I wanted her to know that through the help of a sponsor and stepwork, I was actually beginning to accept myself, and work to improve in my areas of weakness. I wanted her to know everything beautiful I had experienced. Most of all, I wanted her to know that if I could do it, she could do it.

So I tried to tell her, but she didn’t care. I was devastated. Here I was, showing her a way out, that she didn’t have to live like that anymore and she just didn’t care! My vision of the two of us skipping off to meetings together in the sunset was smashed! My NA sponsor told me I was powerless over other people (places, things), in addition to being powerless over my addiction (step 1), which I found very irritating. She said the only things I had power to do were being a living example of the program of NA in action and pray for her. Sigh.

I’ve been praying for years. Five years, nine months and eleven days of prayer that my sister finds her path, whatever it may be (I eventually realized that god’s will might not look the same as my vision of what her process should be… ugh). At the end of every NA meeting, we have a moment of silence for the addict who still suffers, inside or outside the walls (meaning clean or still using). My sister’s name is the first name that I think of; it always will be. She means everything to me.

…On Saturday I visited my sister at her Drug Rehab. She just got a sponsor in Narcotics Anonymous J and now has over 90 days clean. She introduces me to her rehab buddies as “This is my sister, she has 5 years clean,” with pride in her voice. Tears come to my eyes as I write this; I can’t express how much gratitude I have that she has found her way to the beginning of her process and I’m so honored to be able to be a part of it.

How Drugs Effect Teenagers

How Drugs Effect Teenagers

A drug is any chemical that produces a therapeutic or non-therapeutic effect within a body. Teenagers may be involved with legal or illegal drugs in various ways. Sometimes, experimentation with drugs during adolescence can be common. However, teenagers generally do not see links between their actions of the present and their consequences of the future. Teens also tend to feel invincible and immune to the problems that others around them experience.

Using alcohol, marijuana and tobacco at young ages will increase the potential of using other drugs like heroin, cocaine or speed later down the road. Some teens might experiment and stop, or continue to use occasionally, without significant problems. Others develop a dependency, moving on to more dangerous drugs and causing significant harm to themselves and possibly others.

When teenagers use drugs, they will tend to have symptoms or signs of something being wrong. For example, as far as physical appearance goes, the teen might have a sense of fatigue, red and glazed eyes and/or a lasting cough. On an emotional level, the teenagers might have general mood swings, or irresponsible behavior, possible low self-esteem, general lack of interest in anything or could be generally depressed. In a family environment, a teen drug abuser can often be argumentative, or they become very secretive in movements. In school, a teenager could decline participation, drop in grades, skip certain classes, or generally accumulate a myriad amount of tardiness. These are some of the reasons why it is important to keep kids safe and pay more attention to all that they need. They (teenagers) are always in need of something one way or another.

To Teach At an Adolescent Treatment Center

To teach at an adolescent treatment center has been such a gift to me. I have recognized my own weaknesses and strengths. The residents’ struggles remind me of my own when I was their age. Their strengths remind me to strive higher than I ever thought possible for myself and others. The adolescent years are very crucial in forming their perception towards who they are and who they choose to be. It is the time that they can recognize that they have a choice. It is their crossroad.

The lists of drugs that are available today are much more extensive than when I was in high school. During my time, it was marijuana and alcohol. Now, the kids have been introduced to a variety of pain killers, more harmful drugs such as heroin, meth, cocaine and more. I feel for these kids. They have a difficult battle to fight. I have to say, they surprise me more often than I thought with their progression towards recovery than their regression towards using.

Solange Petrosspour

Drug Dealers Target Teen Crowd

Drug dealers have begun to put a new spin on Crystal Methamphetamine in hopes to appeal to a younger crowd. They are targeting teenagers with a new form of meth called “Strawberry Quick.” Strawberry Quick is crystal meth mixed with a powdered strawberry drink to give it a more appealing color and a sweet taste which makes the drug easier and less harsh to ingest. By changing the color and taste of meth and giving it a less intimidating name, drug dealers are hoping to continue to attract a younger population. Police have also noticed meth being mixed with a variety of candy, flavored soda and chocolate flavors.
Crystal meth is a powerful drug and can become very addicting whether it’s flavored or colored, or not. This is especially true among younger users.
Dealers have also come up with a new heroine to target younger users. “Cheese” heroin is a combination of black tar heroine and Tylenol pm. This drug is most popular among adolescents in Dallas. It has been linked to a number of overdose deaths among teens. It is said that “Strawberry Quick” and “Cheese” are perfect examples of how drug dealers are attempting to attract a younger client base. By changing the name, the color, or the flavor of crystal meth and heroine, they hope to make drugs seem less harmful.