The new drug of choice amongst teenagers today is not the so much the cocaine, LSD, and ecstasy as was in the 1960’s, but rather painkillers and other prescription drugs giving this generations teen use the name “Generation Rx.”
Teens have found it easy to get their high straight out of their parent’s and grandparent’s medicine cabinets; so much so that studies are reflecting that teens today are more likely to have abused prescription drugs vs. illegal drugs.
Can part of this be due to the ADHD trend that has been seen throughout the schools U.S. wide - where kids are being medicated with the same drugs that end up being abused as well?
Teens get involved in prescription drugs in a variety of ways and it is unsure how much exactly the widespread prescribed use of ADHD meds has played into the Generation Rx. However, they have been introduced to prescription drug abuse; even the experimental stage can be very dangerous. Teens already have their own inert sense of indestructibility and that they are immune to the problems they see on the streets such as homelessness, addiction, and even incarceration. They look at their drug experimentation as something every teen does, just part of growing up, for fun, and just to “party”. They do not look at what it can actually lead to – long-term addiction, homelessness, incarceration, and even death. Some teens do just experiment and stop, however a significant number continue to use and develop a dependency.
There is no one set formula that can predict which teen will develop a dependency to prescription drugs and which won’t. It is just as likely that the popular teen carrying an honor roll status from a two parent home can become an addict just as quick as the teen from a broken family living on welfare with a “C” to failing average. Remember, addiction doesn’t show favoritism.
The best you can do is to stay in touch with your teen, what is going on in their life, and what they are doing. Be aware of what prescription drugs you have in your home and be responsible for them. If you think your teen may be experimenting with prescription drugs, check your own medicine cabinet and put prescription medication up. Seek consul for your teen if you feel your teen is using with your family doctor.
If you need help, are struggling with an addiction, or know of someone who is, please contact A Better Tomorrow Treatment Center today. We are here to help.
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Staying in touch with my teen is not as easy as you make it sound. He acts like I have the plague or worse. I do try to talk but he shuts me out. It breaks my heart to know he probably is using drugs. The signs are all there. I hope he comes to his senses before he gets hooked. He's a smart boy, but I'm still very afraid.
ReplyDeleteThey certainly wouldn't find much in my house because I only take vitamins. It's appalling to think that kids would take and share drugs that were not prescribed for them. This is surely a different world than the one I grew up in.
ReplyDeleteMost teens are laboring under the delusion that nothing bad can happen to them. Heck, I know some people in their 20's that aren't much better. They think they have control of their drug and alcohol use, but few of them do. I don't know why they seem so surprised when they realize that it is controlling them instead of the other way around.
ReplyDeleteIf you would have asked me last month, I would have said my kids don't use drugs. This month, I am not so sure. One of my prescriptions has several pills missing. My first thought was the pharmacy but I don't think so. My youngest has been acting different lately. I think as soon as he gets home from college this weekend, we need to have a talk. I hope I can find the right words to address this problem.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why so many of todays youth have turned to drugs. It appears to me they have it all, and it's still not enough. Maybe that's the problem. They do have it all and most of them didn't even have to work for what they got.
ReplyDeleteI never gave this a thought before. I just cleaned out all of my old medications. I also bought a lock box to keep them in from now on. I'm ashamed to say that this could have already happened here and I would not have noticed it if it did. Now, I know better. Thanks.
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