Author: Charlie Carlson

There are no easy answers if you are dealing with a teenager who is abusing drugs. We want to help you get through the uncertainties of what to do next, and have written ‘5 Tips for Parents Dealing With Teen Drug Abuse,’ to help.  

We do this by providing you with the latest and most relevant substance abuse information.

Teenage drug abuse is holding steady in the United States. But the new phenomena of vaping is on the rise. Vaping is playing into increased nicotine drug addiction.

In general, drugs and alcohol are present in almost all facets of your teenager’s life.

There are some hard and fast statistics about teenage drug abuse. We have listed them below so we have an informational starting place.

• Marijuana, tobacco, and alcohol are the substances most adolescents or teenagers try and use.
• By 18 years of age, two-thirds of teenagers have tried or use alcohol.
• Marijuana is used by half of all students age 13-18 years of age.
• Four out of ten 18-year-olds have tried or now use cigarettes.
• 20% of all 18-year-olds have abused prescription drugs.

Teens Addicted

When teens become addicted to alcohol or drugs the addiction impacts their growth and development.

Teenage drug addiction targets the teenager’s brain development. Sometimes there is irreversible damage done to the brain.

In dealing with teenage drug addiction we must never forget addiction is a disease. It is not something your teenager is choosing to be or what they want to remain. Addiction affects their brain and their behavior.

The root of what causes teenage drug addiction has thousands of theories. Some say it is genetics.

Some scientists say it is the environment. Some scientists say it is a combination of genetic variations to environments. No one knows for sure. But there is a science to teenage drug abuse.

The Science of Teenage Drug Abuse

Scientists are continuing to study drug addiction. Many times teenage drug addicts suffer from magnified harmful consequences. This magnification of drug abuse in teenagers shows up in different ways.

For instance, some teenagers start taking part in more risk-taking activities. Activities like having unprotected sex or driving their car while under the influence.

Also, many teenage addicts have severe health issues later on in their life due to their earlier drug addiction.

Some of these health issues are heart disease, high blood pressure, and sleep disorders.

Even more frightening is when teenagers become addicted when they are so young, there is a greater chance of them developing substance addiction again later on in their life.

It doesn’t matter if they are addicted to drugs or alcohol. Any type of substance abuses can end up with increased addiction rates when they become adults.

20 million youth ages 12+ are drug or alcohol addicts. It is important to note, that once your teenager becomes an adult treatment options are up to them to seek.

Many treatment centers will work with your adult child and their family if permission is granted by your adult child.

But if your teenager is still under the age of 18, there are some drug addiction treatment options we would like to share with you. These treatment options are good for the whole family as well as the teenage substance user.

Teenage Drug Abuse

Teenage drug abuse issues change from teenager to teenager. No two addictions are the same.

The addictions may have the same symptoms or even consequences but the addict causes the differences.

If all the addictions in teenagers or adults were the same, the world could market and package one treatment plan which works for all of them. Much like antibiotics are used on all infections.

But no two addictions are the same much like no two people are the same. Rehabilitation, treatment plans, and services should be tailored. A tailored therapy based on the addict’s needs gives them the best chances of recovery.

Treatment Plan Information

There are around several types of treatment plans for teenage drug addiction. Remember, what works for one may not work for the other.

Which is why each treatment plan needs to be modified and customized to meet the needs of the teenage addict.

What works for one may not work for the other. Which is why each treatment plan needs to be modified and customized to the teenage addict.

All the treatment plans we are listing are designed to increase an addict’s coping skills.

It teaches them how to manage high-risk situations so they can avoid substance abuse. It helps the teenage drug addict focus on psychosocial rehabilitation.

Treatment Plan Options

If a teenage addict can learn what their triggers are they may be able to avoid them.

This helps them learn how to control their craving for drugs and alcohol. Some therapies which have been effective, include but are not limited to;

• A person-centered approach keeps everyone involved with the teenager’s drug abuse recovery.

• It is a form of community reinforcement approach used in therapy.
• It helps develop alternative activities and groups for the teenager.
• This helps minimize the teenager’s at-risk behaviors.
• Treatment which addresses interpersonal skills through group therapy, behavioral therapy, commitment therapy, mentalization-based therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy.

• These therapies help addicts identify, recognize, and avoid negative thought processes.
• It can help with the typical behaviors or situations which lead to substance abuse.
• It teaches teenagers about their cravings and how to cope with them.
• There are treatments which offer group and individual wellness activities and therapeutic outings.

• Teenagers can receive weekly family therapy sessions. These therapy sessions range in;
• Multi-dimensional, functional, multi-systemic, motivational or strategic) and anger management sessions.
• Case management works through individual therapy and recovery plans as well.

Through it all, we work on improving teenage substance abusers communication skills. We try to also help the family in support issues which reduce conflict.

We provide therapy which helps rewards constructive and positive behavior while discouraging unhealthy behavior. By doing that we can help teenage drug addiction one life at a time.

Teen Addicted

It doesn’t matter what we call it. If we call it teen addict or teenage addiction the end result is the same. You know or have a teenage drug abuse issue. You want help and you need to know what to do next.

That is what we are here for. We have the teenage drug abuse treatment programs which help.

We have a proven rehabilitation system for addicts. But we often have to start at the same place no matter the age of our addicts.

That is starting our substance abuse patients with detox. When your teenager is admitted to

Best Rehabs In Arizona our medical team does a preliminary screening.

This preliminary screening helps determine detox needs and health of the patient.

The Phases and Stages of Pathfinder Recovery Programs

The medical team does this preliminary screening to assess what pain or suffering your teenager may experience during drug withdrawal. We call it the stabilization phase.

There is no easy way to go through drug detoxification so we want to make sure we do it safely and privately. We make sure there is medical help available if needed.

The next phase is our vision phase. The vision phase enables substance abusers to help make their own recovery decision.

The decision-making tools we teach during this phase help our addicts come to a self-realization point.

It also helps determine if their substance abuse is combined with another dependency or mental health issue.

It is during this phase we want teenagers to understand their substance abuse issues with education. Substance-abuse education which shows all the levels and phases of addiction.

The last phase is the quest phase. This phase is highly recommended and most often used. It is a 90-day tracked program of individualized treatment planning.

This planning is done with a team of mental, medical and clinical expert professionals.

It successfully combines therapeutic, medication-assisted treatment and developmental therapy.

This combination of therapies is specific to the addict’s unique needs.

A Teenager At Risk

Do you know of a teenage drug abuse issue? Does this teenage drug abuse issue involve someone you know or care about?

Then it stands to reason you want to know more about us and if we can help. As we mentioned above, no two addictions are equal. No two teenage substance abusers are the same.

But finding a treatment center who cares enough to keep trying to reach the teenage addict is worth hanging onto.

Just like no two addicts are alike, no two treatment centers are equal to each other either.

The treatment center that is best for you and the teenage substance abuser who needs help is the one that works best for them. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says. If it is helping the

teenager who suffers from addiction, keep it.

There is no substitute for a treatment center which seems tailored to what you, your family and teenage substance user needs. In fact, those are the treatment centers which have the greatest possibility of success.

The Last Phase of Treatment

We understand that life didn’t stop in the world around us while your teenager is in treatment.

We know we need to help teenagers in their educational needs or life vocational career options.

We help find sober living environments on or off college campuses.

Sometimes we work with finding support groups and life coaches. Every step which is a positive one your teenager makes is a step which leads him to a healthy life.

We have even worked with teenagers while they plan a future while they are in treatment. A future which gives them a goal. This goal becomes a light they can follow. That light can help you and your family transition back into the world.

When we work together, we find transitions which were made in a healthy manner. Teenage drug abuse patients become some of our most successful and happy graduates.
Because teenage graduates who are free from their addiction disease are taking their first step towards making a healthy life for themselves. We hope we see you soon so your teenage drug abuse issue stops now!

86 percent of adults in the U.S drink alcohol, and for most of them, alcohol consumption isn’t a problem. But about a quarter of adults report heavy alcohol use. That alone is cause for concern, and it’s even more so when someone is also taking prescription medications. Find answers about, ‘Is Mixing Prescription Meds and Alcohol Dangerous?’ 

Combining alcohol with prescription pain meds can cause serious health problems and can even lead to death. In this article, we’ll take a look at why mixing alcohol with medication is so dangerous and how you or someone you love can get help before it’s too late.

The Effects of Alcohol

Alcohol is a depressant, meaning it slows down the central nervous systems. That may seem counter-intuitive because people often drink alcohol at parties and other social gatherings to “loosen up”.

Our liver can metabolize about one drink an hour. But even one drink can slow respiration and the body’s response times. That’s why drinking and driving are so dangerous. Consuming alcohol can also affect speech, thought, memory and movement, especially when someone drinks large amounts.

Alcohol can also affect our mental state and cause changes in our emotions, decreased inhibitions, impaired judgment, difficulty remembering things and confusion. Drinking more than our liver can process can lead to both short and long-term health problems. Binge drinking, for example, can cause alcohol poisoning which can be deadly. An average of six people dies of alcohol poisoning every day in the US. It is a certainly factor to consider when asking, ‘Is Mixing Prescription Meds and Alcohol Dangerous?’  

Symptoms of alcohol poisoning include:

• Confusion
• Nausea and vomiting
• Slowed or irregular breathing
• Cyanosis, or blue-tinted skin
• Pale skin
• Low body temperature, or hypothermia
• Unconsciousness
• Seizures

Binge drinking is a serious problem for millions of people. In fact, nearly 27 percent of adults reported that they engaged in binge drinking in the past month.  About 88,000 people die from alcohol-related causes every year. It’s the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States

If you or someone you love is drinking to excess, it’s important to recognize the signs of a potential problem.

Alcohol and Medications

Men and women with alcohol use disorders or alcoholism are 18 times more likely to abuse prescription drugs than people who don’t drink at all. Mixing alcohol with the medication of any kind can be dangerous, even deadly.

The combination can cause nausea and vomiting, headaches, drowsiness, fainting or loss of coordination. It also can put you at risk for internal bleeding and heart problems. More severe reactions can include alcohol poisoning, hallucinations, even death.

Alcohol can make a medication less effective or even useless. Conversely, it may make the medication toxic to your body. The classes of drugs most commonly abused and mixed with alcohol are:

Depressants – These include barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and sleep medications. These drugs are prescribed to help with insomnia and anxiety. They also lower blood pressure and can cause respiratory distress and death when mixed with alcohol.

Opioids –  These include codeine, hydrocodone, methadone, and oxycodone. Most people take these drugs to relieve pain. These drugs can slow or even stop breathing and slow the heart. When combined with alcohol, these drugs can lead to death. These are a particularly dangerous class of prescriptions to mix with alcohol.  

Stimulants – These include amphetamines, which are commonly prescribed to treat obesity and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). When mixed with alcohol, they can cause high blood pressure and heart attacks, seizures and strokes. This combination is especially dangerous because stimulants can actually prevent a person’s own body from saving itself. When you drink excessively, you often pass out. That’s the body’s way of stopping you from drinking even more. But if you take stimulants when you drink, you may not pass out and thus put yourself at risk for alcohol poisoning and death.

Here’s a list of commonly-used medications that interact with alcohol in ways that can affect your health.

Alcohol and Prescription Pain Meds

Pain medications fall into the category of drugs called opioids. Opioids include morphine, methadone, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and codeine, as well as illegal drugs like heroin. 91 people die every day because of an opioid overdose, often caused by combining the drugs with alcohol.

Mixing prescription painkillers with alcohol increases their effects and the risk of overdose. One study found that combining even normal prescription doses of oxycodone with the equivalent of one to three drinks can lead to dangerously depressed breathing.

In fact, oxygen deprivation is the cause of overdose death among people struggling with opioid addiction. Basically, when you combine pain killers with alcohol, you might simply stop breathing.

Other side effects caused by mixing alcohol with opioids include:

• Drowsiness
• Dizziness
• Slowed or difficult breathing
• Impaired motor control, leading to accidents
• Unusual behavior
• Memory problems or blackouts
• Liver damage

Alcohol can also change the performance of pain medication. In some cases, alcohol can negate its effectiveness. This can be dangerous, because the patient may then take more pills and drink more alcohol to try and achieve the “high” he’s seeking. He may not experience the immediate effects of an overdose until it’s too late.

It’s also important to consider the mental and emotional effects of combining alcohol with prescription pain meds. The mix can change a person’s thoughts and actions, making risky behavior a threat to their safety. The person is more likely to black out, vomit and/or engage in risky behaviors like drunk driving and unplanned, unprotected sex.

A person who mixes alcohol with prescriptions drugs may develop long-term health problems as a result. These include:

• Heart attacks
• Strokes
• Liver damage
• Liver failure
• Internal bleeding
• Brain damage
• Depression, anxiety or other mental health problems

Signs of Alcohol and Drug Abuse

Abusing two or more substances is referred to as polysubstance or cross-addiction. This type of addiction can develop in several ways. Perhaps the most common occurs when a patient with a history of alcohol abuse is given prescription pain medication for a legitimate purpose. For example, the patient may need pain meds following surgery.

However, because opioids stimulate the same area of the brain as alcohol does, the patient can easily develop an addiction to them. Additionally, abusing pain medication can trigger an alcoholic relapse.

It’s important to recognize the signs that someone is abusing alcohol and drugs because the combination can be deadly. Those symptoms can include:

Changes in behavior and mood. The person may become easily irritated, angry or depressed with no obvious cause.

Financial problems. The person may quickly exhaust his financial resources, as he needs to buy more and more of the medications and the alcohol. He may also suffer the financial consequences of his addiction, like attorneys fees and court costs.

Difficulty at work or the loss of a job. The person may have trouble functioning at work if he’s actively using. Or, he may experience withdrawal symptoms severe enough to affect his job performance.

Health problems. Heavy drinking combined with prescription pain medication can cause liver problems, including inflammation and scarring. The patient may develop an inflammation of the stomach lining, along with stomach and esophageal ulcers.

Neurological complications. Abusing drugs and opioids can affect the nervous system, causing numbness and pain in the hands and feet, disordered thinking and dementia.

Treatment Options

If you or someone you love is abusing alcohol and prescription pain meds, it’s vitally important to seek treatment. We now know that the combination can be life-threatening. If you suspect someone is mixing drugs and alcohol, having an honest conversation is the first step.

There are a number of treatment options, including residential treatment. The patient is able to detox from both the alcohol and opioids under medical supervision. He might then live at the facility for a month or longer.

Outpatient treatment is also an option. Here, the patient lives at home but spends his days at a treatment facility.

Both options will combine substance abuse treatment and counseling with therapy, life, and coping skills development. The patient will learn how to manage stress, anxiety and past trauma in healthy ways that don’t involve alcohol or opioids.

This is perhaps the most challenging aspect of the treatment of cross addictions. The patient may be able to stop drinking but still, need help managing pain. Medical experts will help develop a course of treatment that may involve supervised pain management until the medication is no longer needed.

Wrapping It Up

We’ve focused our discussion here on the dangers of mixing alcohol with prescription pain meds. It’s also important to be aware that other medications can interact with alcohol in dangerous ways.

Some over the counter cough medicines, for example, can contain alcohol. Some allergy medications contain an ingredient that can make you drowsy. Taking the medication with alcohol will increase the effectiveness of both. That can create serious health problems. If you or someone you love needs support dealing with addiction, we’re here to help. Please contact us with any questions you have or to schedule an appointment.

Any addiction can wreak havoc on our lives and the lives of our loved ones. Addictions have the ability to change our personalities and greatly affect our reality. In this article we look at ‘Our People on Meth,’ with an attempt to understand the powerful allure of this substance for so many.  

We may see a loved one suffering from addiction and not even recognize them anymore. We wonder what changed and how we can return them to health and well-being. For people on meth, these changes can be even more dramatic.

People on meth truly aren’t themselves. Like any addiction, meth has a way of hijacking the brain which alters a meth user’s reality. They can no longer distinguish who they truly are when on the drug.

This extreme high matched with an extreme low is what makes meth so addictive. People on meth began to believe that the only way they will feel joy and ease again is if they use. This belief system accompanied by withdrawal symptoms is what keeps a meth addict going back to their drug of choice over and over.

So, what does a meth user actually experience while high? And, what do they experience after the high wears off?

Read on to find out how people on meth think, behave and feel.

People on Meth: How Meth Changes the User

People who seek out meth do so for a variety of reasons. Some are doing so to escape from negative emotions whereas others are seduced by its ability to help them lose weight. But, once the initial high wears off meth users typically find themselves in a worse state than they were before.

This is what leads the meth user to a cycle of addiction. Like all humans, they want to avoid pain and find pleasure. But, meth provides them with such an extreme contrast that their addiction completely takes over their lives.

So, how does the meth high keep users addicted? And, what do they experience while on the drug? Explore the following stages of meth addiction and how to know if your loved one may be on meth.

Stages of Meth Use Explained

The following outlines the stages of meth use. These stages demonstrate what the meth user is experiencing while under the influence of meth.

1. Getting High

The high initial high is what keeps the meth user addicted. The initial high also called “the rush”  induces a feeling of euphoria. However, for some people, this feeling can at first be alarming.

But, once the brain associates the rush with positive feelings, the user will believe they can achieve this over and over again. During this phase, the heart rate quickens, metabolism goes faster, and blood pressure rises. This initial rush can last for up to 30 minutes.

Once the initial rush wears off, the user is now in the high state. During the high, meth users frequently feel grandiose. They feel more confident, invincible, and super-human. They believe they can accomplish any feat and will often be aggressive, violent, or argumentative during this phase.

They might also become highly focused on a single task for hours on end. This is also the phase where injuries occur due to a sense of grandiosity. For example, the user may try to test their speed by running out into oncoming traffic.

During the high, what’s most notable and common is a loss of self-awareness. This is especially true if the meth user is only surrounded by other meth users.

They begin to believe that their thoughts, behaviors, and feelings are normal.

2. Bingeing/ Maintaining the High

The next phase of meth addiction is the bingeing phase. The bingeing phase is needed to maintain the high and avoid coming down from the drug. However, the user discovers that each time they use the initial high becomes less and less effective.

This is because their bodies are becoming tolerant to the effects of the drug. During this phase, the body and mind will be hyperactive. The user will get more and more restless and they will show more signs of erratic behavior.

This is because the drug is having less and less of an effect which makes the user powerless and fearful.

3. Tweaking

Once the meth user can no longer feel high, they’ve reached the tweaking phase. The tweaking phase is most commonly portrayed in the media, and this is because of how intense it can be. During the tweaking phase, the user may begin to enter a meth-induced psychotic state.

During this psychotic state, the user will feel like they have lost all sense of their identity. At this time, meth users commonly believe that bugs are crawling under their skin which leads them to pick and create sores. This psychotic state is not only brought on by the drug, but also the fact that the user cannot sleep during this time.

Tweaking also makes people on meth have hallucinations. The hallucinations can be so overwhelming and lead the person on meth to act out. During this time, the user may become violent or harm themselves.

4. Hangover and Crash

After a binge, a meth hangover and crash is inevitable. First, the meth user’s body will seek to shut down leading them to sleep for hours on end. They could very well be sleeping from one to three days.

This happens because of the drugs overwhelming affects on the body. It essentially demonstrates the common saying, “what goes up must come down.” And, since meth has such an extreme effect on the body and mind, it makes sense that it would need to recover through sleep for long periods of time.

Once people on meth awake from the crash, they will experience a meth hangover. During this time, they will feel physically and mentally off balance. They will feel dehydrated, extremely hungry, and exhausted.

This phase is what beckons the meth user to use meth again. To rid themselves of these feelings, they believe that using again will be the answer or cure to their dilemma.

5. Withdrawal

After one to three months, the meth user will realize that they are in meth withdrawal. That is if they haven’t used again during the previous phase. During withdrawal, the meth user will feel depressed and have difficulty experiencing pleasure.

The user will likely start craving meth again at this time. They might also become suicidal.

Physical and Mental Signs of Meth Use

One of the most pronounced physical signs of meth use is weight loss. Other physical signs of meth use include tooth decay and tooth loss, dilated pupils, and skin sores on the face or other parts of the body.

Long-term physical signs of meth include cardiovascular problems, rapid aging, and damage to organs.

The mental signs of meth use are vast. And similar to the physical symptoms of meth use, they are also very noticeable. Especially, if your loved one is acting drastically different than their usual personality.

Some mental signs of meth use include paranoia, being on edge or aggressive, and in a state of psychosis. After long-term use, your loved one may also exhibit signs of depression, suicidal thoughts and ideations, and disorientation.

Changes to Daily Life and Behavior

The physical and mental signs of meth addiction can be alarming, but the behavioral changes may be most notable. People on meth are likely to neglect their children, finances, and employment responsibilities. They may isolate or act out in erratic ways.

Their behavior is likely to be grandiose and impulsive as well. Understandably, this can lead you to worry about your loved one and their future.

But, because of the overpowering effects of the drug, it will likely be difficult to convince your loved one that their behavior is damaging. This is especially true when your loved one is experiencing the first three stages of meth use.

How to React to Your Loved One’s Meth Use

It is important to never confront and communicate with your loved one about their addiction while they are under the influence. Not only will this likely be unsuccessful because of the side effects of the drug, but it could also put you in harm’s way. Instead, talk with your loved one once they are sober and more willing to get help.

Approach them in a loving and concerned manner. Empathize with them and listen non-judgementally.

This will be very difficult for many to do, however. Since meth addiction can wreak havoc on families and the lives of others, you may feel angry and resentful towards your loved one. In this case, have an objective person with you when you decide to speak with them such as a counselor or a family friend.

People on Meth: Getting Help and Recovery

People on meth need help and a recovery program. If they refuse recovery, then make sure to lovingly set boundaries and stick to them. Even though your loved one chose to use meth initially, it doesn’t mean that they would choose to live the life they are currently living.

This is the power of addiction. But, thankfully, addictions are treatable and sobriety can be achieved with support, therapy, and guidance.

Need a recovery center to help you or your loved one recover from addiction? Contact us today to learn more about our programs and begin the journey to recovery.

While concerns about the class of drugs known as opioids have risen in the last decade, 58 out of every 100 Americans still receive a prescription for these painkillers every year in some form or another.  Read on for more information on the opioid addiction, especially useful given the current opioid epidemic.

While useful, their prevalent use and addictive nature lead to millions of cases of abuse. If you’ve come to this article, chances are you have questions regarding yourself or a loved one.

Can you identify opioid addiction signs?

What Are Opioids?

Opioids are a class of natural and synthetic painkillers that work by binding themselves to opioid receptors in the brain. These receptors are part of the body’s reward system and trigger the release of a feel-good endorphin hormone, dopamine.

Normal levels of dopamine release when we experience a pleasurable event such as sex or a particularly delightful piece of cake.

Opiates cause our brain to release an artificial overabundance of dopamine, much more than we need to feel good. This cascade of hormones overrides our pain response, making opioids effective for managing pain. They are particularly helpful where other pain medications fail.

Derived from the poppy plant, there are many legal forms of opioids. These include morphine, oxycodone, codeine, fentanyl, hydromorphone, tramadol, and methadone, among others. The most widely known illegal version of this class is heroin.

Why Are Opioids Dangerous?

In 2017, the US Department of Health and Human Services declared the opioid epidemic a public health emergency, and with good reason.

An estimated 130 people die every day from opiate-related overdoses. Almost 30,000 of those are from legal forms and another 15,000 from heroin derivatives every year.

Opiate addiction is a gradual process and happens for multiple reasons, both physical and emotional.

• The body becomes dependent on the increased levels of artificial dopamine. It quits manufacturing as much of its own, leading to a dependency on the drug for their continued release.
• Drug tolerance grows over time and means users have to consume more of the drug to maintain the needed levels of endorphin release.
• Because of increased tolerance, many people become addicted trying to manage chronic pain issues. Users need higher dosages to effectively control their pain.
• The reward/pleasure effects on the brain cause psychological addiction. You begin to believe you need the drug to feel good mentally and physically.
• The body changes in response to this growing tolerance and addiction, and leads to an actual chemical dependency on the drug. Without it, withdrawal symptoms occur.

At this point, the drug that was once meant to manage pain now manages the person, and they have little to no control in the choice to continue its use.

What Are Opioid Addiction Signs?

Opiate addiction comes with very noticeable side effects, especially the longer the abuse goes on.

Opioids cause drowsiness, nausea, slurred speech, and coordination issues even with recommended use. These will become more pronounced with higher and continued dosage.

Opiate addicts will begin to choose the high over daily responsibilities. They make poor decisions and forget about or abandoning obligations. Job performance will likely suffer, and you may notice they seem to be experiencing financial issues. They will lose interest in activities they once loved, perhaps changing friends or hanging out with new people while avoiding friends and family.

Their physical habits may change. They may stop paying attention to self-care like changing clothes and showering and may start sleeping at odd hours. They may eat much less or more, depending on their mood.

Mood swings are common, with depression, anxiety, and general apathy or decreased motivation. You’ll see erratic behavior, with highs of euphoria followed by agitation and irritability.

They may go from being energetic, talking rapidly and saying things that may not make sense, to crashing, becoming anxious, or angry.

One man recalls a restaurant dinner with his sister, addicted to hydrocodone at the time. She spent the first half of the meal talking and laughing loudly before falling asleep face first into her dinner plate.

What Are The Signs of an Opioid Overdose?

Besides the obvious life upheaval the above-mentioned symptoms would have, the terrifying prospect for an addicted loved one is an opioid overdose.

As the addict uses more and more of the drug to gain the same results, the opportunity for overdose grows. If access to the drug becomes harder, with new restrictions on their use implemented, addicts are likely to turn to illegal forms like heroin and increase their risk of accidental overdose.

An opiate overdose will cause:

• Slow and irregular breathing
• A shallow and irregular (or no) pulse
• Unconsciousness
• Constricted pupils with the eyes rolling back into the head
• Unresponsiveness and inability to wake

If your loved one is an opioid addict and you find them in this state, immediately call 911. Minutes count in this situation. When people survive it’s generally because someone was there to respond and administer help.

Treatment for Opioid Addiction

Whether it’s an overdose, some other kind of traumatic wakeup call or the stark realization that there is a problem, treatment for opiate addiction needs to be multifaceted to reduce the chance of relapse.

1. Medical detox, in which professionals administer certain drugs to help negate withdrawal symptoms.
2. Extended evaluation and monitoring as detox ends. This ensures continued support of physical symptoms that may arise.
3. Family therapy to encourage loved ones to participate in the process. This heals outstanding issues resulting from previous symptomatic behaviors, leaving no emotional triggers to prompt relapse.
4. Individual therapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy, to understand negative tendencies, triggers, coping mechanisms and thought patterns that might contribute to addiction or relapse.
5. Additional supportive endeavors, such as new hobbies, spiritual guidance, and nutrition and wellness. These create a support system to fall back on in moments of distress.

Drugs like methadone and buprenorphine can help with physical withdrawal symptoms. The largest factor for relapse, however, is social support, or the lack thereof.

How Can You Help an Opioid Addict?

If someone you know and love is an opiate addict, or the rehabilitation process has already begun, there are some steps you can take to help the journey.

The first step is to avoid addiction in yourself or others completely.

• Make sure that any opioid prescriptions are in a secure place, away from places children or visitors to your home might find them. Opiates should not be in places they can be easily discovered like medicine cabinets or nightstands.
• Don’t share your prescriptions with others. It’s estimated that half of first-time users received the medication from a family member. If someone you know is suffering from an issue, encourage them to see a physician who can prescribe an appropriate dose.
• If you have extra opioids from a prescription, do not store them or throw them away in the trash. Make sure they are properly disposed of.

If an addiction has already begun, and you’re looking to offer support, you must understand the enormity of the situation. Depending on the extent and duration of drug abuse, the person may have to rebuild their entire life.

Encouraging and participating in the development of new, healthy behaviors is paramount. Knowing that relapse statistics are high and offering support despite setbacks is also critical.

Although you might be dealing with emotional issues resulting from a loved one’s drug abuse, it is important during recovery that your only role is that of support. Avoid criticism and viewpoints that make them feel like a bad person for their addiction. Understand that no one wants to be an addict, and anyone is susceptible.

However, it’s also important not to enable further related behavior. Drug use alters an addict’s brain, so make sure you are someone they can count on to see the situation fairly and clearly.

Opioids – Helping Versus Hurting

Opioids shouldn’t be vilified – when used safely under the supervision of a healthcare professional, they are incredibly useful and efficient for pain management.

If you or a loved one has an opiate prescription, however, knowing opioid addiction signs can mean the difference between a long and drawn out struggle and a quickly noticed and dealt with problem.

Take measures to avoid an opioid addiction from starting by properly storing and disposing of prescriptions. Ensure that you follow and do not exceed the dosing recommendations given to you by your healthcare provider.

If you notice signs of an addiction, bring it up immediately in a safe and loving manner. Be firm but gentle as you help your loved one come to terms with their problem.

Educate yourself so you can be a source of help and support. Understand that everyone is vulnerable to the effects and subsequent abuse of opioids. Your reaction to the problem helps determines the outcome.

If you or someone you know has an opioid addiction, find out how our programs can help you.