Drug addiction is a social disease that is detrimental to our growth. People may start using drugs to cope with a situation, handle stress, peer pressure, or just out of curiosity. Peer pressure and curiosity are commonly why teenagers start using drugs. And of all the drugs that are out there, teenagers gravitate towards heroin.
Why Teens Heroin Gravitate Towards Heroin
Heroin is commonly known as ‘Smack’, ‘H’, ‘Junk’ and a few other names. It is sold in various forms that includes white or brown powder or even as a black sticky substance. Heroin may be injected, smoked or snorted. Intravenous injections have been the cause of numerous deaths. In spite of its life taking ability, it is a choice among heroin addicts as it provides an immediate ‘high.’ Irrespective of intake methods, heroin is known to be very addictive.
Compared to other drugs, this street drug is cheap. Heroin addicts often tend to face an overdose that is life threatening. Street heroin is often blended with other chemicals, drugs and even poison. This makes the drug very dangerous and puts heroin addicts at a higher risk. When heroin addicts do not get the drug, they are highly irritable and experience body pain. Regular consumption forces users to increase heroin doses to experience a desired effect. Heroin addiction can be detected since users experience immense depression, and may simply behave vague.
Availability of cheap heroin has increased heroin addiction numbers. Heroin makes users highly dependent and casual users tend to use them more often leading to addiction. It is a high tolerance drug and users need to keep increasing intake to enjoy the drug. The devastating drug can completely destroy a users physical and mental welfare. In a majority of cases, addiction is cured by forcefully admitting patients into rehabilitation centers.
Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms
Heroin addiction withdrawal attempts often have severe side effects. This includes panic attacks, tremors, chills, and nausea. Others may experience vomiting, restlessness, cold flashes, pain and diarrhea. Attempts to quit heroin addiction should be undertaken under a physicians care. Implementing treatments that include methadone maintenance, behavioral therapy, detoxification and various pharmacological treatments, can cure heroin addiction.
What You Can Do as a Parent
As a parent of a teenager who is caught up in the world of drugs, it is important to be tactful about the issue. However, make sure you know where they go at all times. Persuade them to come to a few Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in the beginning. It will be good for them to hear about the ill effects of drugs on an individual’s life. Allow them to participate in family activities. This is a great booster and may help bring about a sense of reality in your teen. The secret is that they are more likely to participate when you let them be a part of the planning process.
Act Now and Act Fast
Family values are important in any family unit, and you need to let your teen know that drugs are not a part of family values. While you set about dealing with these issues, getting in touch with a rehab center is advisable for long term treatment. Remember, the quicker you act, the better the chances of your teen recovering from his or her addiction.
My older brother is almost 21 now and has been doing drugs since he was 14. His best friend died around that age and has never mentally recovered. The past 2 years he has been addicted to heroin. My mom has been supporting him his entire life, we are a pretty well off family and doesn’t have it in her heart to let him live on the street. He hasn’t graduated from highschool and seems to have no drive in life, but I know he has potential I just want him to realize that. He has been to a few rehabs, only close ones to where we live. Maybe if we can convince him to go to a rehab not so close he can start depending on himself.