New mom worry: teens sharing prescription drugs

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  Posted by Amy Thu Aug 13, 2009 10:54am PDT

  As my son enters 8th grade, and being a parent on painkillers and anti-anxiety meds, this scares the living daylight out of me! I will make it a point to keep these meds locked up! Thank you for this topic! Does anyone think I should discuss with him the dangers of these drugs or am I just going to bring it to his attention that these meds can be used

  "for fun'? UGHHH "teenagerdom" scares me period!

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  Posted by krissy. Thu Aug 13, 2009 12:18pm PDT

  Ok. first off, not all teens do this. I'm 16 and the only medications I've ever taken were those prescribed to me by my doctor. With the exception of like tylenol or something, I would never take anybody elses meds, or let them take any of mine. If they need it, then they need to go see their doctor and get them to prescribe it for them. What's the point in risking your own health for something like that when there are so many other simple solutions. most of these teens don't realize how they're reopordizing themselves and their health and chance at having a good future. It's not cool to do something that could kill you, it's just plain stupid.

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  Posted by Habanero♥™ Thu Aug 13, 2009 12:50pm PDT

  Posted by Habanero♥™ a short while ago

  Way off track here: I heard today that a friend of mine found his daughter hanging in her closet. Her younger brother found her and she was unconscious.

  She was playing THE CHOKING GAME. I know this has been going on for many years but the teens of today are playing it 5-10 times a day and are doing it with the help of rope.

  She is alive but her doctor said she could have easily had a stroke or would be dead if her brother hadn't gone looking for her.

  This is very scary.

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  Posted by bchristo Thu Aug 13, 2009 6:35pm PDT

  Oh yeah this is real. I went to a Christian school (dont think badly of Christians, I am just telling you how prevalent it really was and is regardless of where you are in life) and we started stealing and sharing expired vicodin from family in 10th grade, year 2000. and I proceeded to have a desire to take it recreationally ever since. It has taken me a few shameful embarrassments to realize that I needed to stay away from it for good. My husband tells me that If I need it for medical reasons, he is going to dole it out at his discretion, or it will be gone way before it should be. Kids are not stupid these days, they listen to music, and watch TV. they are curious to try things, so lock up your unused "in case of emergency pills" and watch out if you are taking antidepressants, sooner or later they are gonna find a reason to be depressed and dip into your happy stash. dont be ignorant mom and dad.

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  Posted by bchristo Thu Aug 13, 2009 6:41pm PDT

  I was on Accutane for acne as a 15 year old. i was force to be on the pill and my parents had to sign a form that if I somehow did become pregnant, I had to have an abortion, because it was such a horrible drug with aweful side-effects. babies born without ears, and severe depression for the kid taking it. looking back I think I was depressed as a teen, I was crazy. I wish I never took the drug.

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  Posted by maryann Fri Aug 14, 2009 7:53am PDT

  No doubt, there are two sides to every situation...'Krissy' above is one of the smarter teens. Then there are those accidental, tragic inncidents that make us all wish we had simply locked up anything they can easily get their hands on. Not long ago at a bachlor party the 'groom to be' mixed a couple of these drugs but was also on a medication for his allergies, throw in a couple of beers and once he fell asleep they could not wake the poor young man. This was devestating, to say the least. On the day he was to be married, the family were attending his funeral. This was ACCIDENTAL!!

  One of the young men at the party had some Oxycontin...he'd taken from his mom's stash when the groom complained he couldn't sleep...down went 2 pills, and now you already know the rest of the story.

  Keep this stuff away, let's not make it easy to lose anymore of our kids.

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  Posted by JoKTM Fri Aug 14, 2009 8:55am PDT

  Kids should be told that prescription drugs should not be shared, period. I know adults who share prescription dugs. More public service announcements are being made to inform people how dangerous it is.

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  Posted by ensain_angel Fri Aug 14, 2009 5:01pm PDT

  Since when is this a "new" worry?? Heck this is the crap that I was doing when I was in 7th grade and I'm 25 yrs. old now. I was a dumb kid and never got taught anything about prescribed drugs. I knew what drugs were illegal but they never taught about legal drugs. Even when I was in high school they didn't. I was very depressed as a kid, had parents that didn't believe in taking you to a doctor unless something was broken, and had a lot of friends on meds for ADHD. Never smoked pot, snorted coke or anything of that nature to this day. Prescription drugs....I quit when I graduated high school. I barely take Tylenol now.

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  Posted by Cindy Mon Aug 17, 2009 3:20am PDT

  We are losing 10 people a day in our state of Florida. In our comunity we are losing kids at a fast rate. Everyone knows someone in Jail Rehab or dead. The average age they start is 8. Kids think is is safe because it is a precription. They do not realise how fast you get addicted then they they are on the street. They really don't know what hit them. It is up to us to inform them about the danger. I had a meeting with drug CZAR about taking drug commerical off the TV kids think a pill will help anything and it is legal.

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  Posted by SKuNKy Tue Aug 18, 2009 10:52am PDT

  What we need to do is show in videos, testimonials, and maybe an active stay for a night or two in a rehab fro children to show them the horrible effects people go through when trying to get off whatever drug they are on Prescription or street drugs. Alot of street drugs are in the same categories as the legal ones and have the same addictions and high's and withdrawls as a prescribed drug. It will also show that alot of prescription drugs (especially the ones that get you "high" are just as addicive, and you have to go through horrible detoxing to ge off of them. Show them (the un-informed adults and children) that legal drugs (especially of the Opiate, Stimulant, Barbituate and Bendoziazepene variety), {ALL HIGHLY ADDICTIVE NARCOTICS). Are these same types of drugs and have the sane effects as the street drugs, so they might as well prescribe Heroin B/C heroin is converted to morphine in the brain, Those are Opiates, the hardest and worst withdrawl symptoms to overcome. Then Ritalin and Adderall which we are giving to children at the ages of 5! These are stimulants just like street speed/uppers and methamphetamines. Bezodiazapiens are a highly addictive, over-prescribed and kill thousands each year b/c once they realize if they take a few extra they get a really nice care-free high, but the next day they wake up feeling horrible and all they can think about is getting that feeling of utter peace again. The street equivalent is downers. Barbituates are almost the same as Benzos, and just as dangerous. I have been a user/abuser off all these drugs and i know what i am talking about. prevention is the key. once an addiction is formed it is a lifelong battle to not give in to your urges. It is hell on earth for you getting clean but as more time passes afer the acute physical withdrawls end you will start to fell better than you thought possible the first thing i noticed was that music was extremely pleasurable to me and i hadn't even realized that had ben taken away. Next comes Just being Normal, You think about the drug and crave it less and less as your clean time progresses you are happy just hanging out with friends without drugs. There is hope and i promise a drug-free life is happier, cheaper, and healthier. Now that I am clean from everything

  I can honestly say that I feel a million times better than when I was getting high and using drugs recreationally because I was a severe drug addict (As bad as they come, but if I can do it I promise you that you can do it and you will be eternally gratefull.) You will no longer be a slave to your drug. To opiates/opiods Heroin and Methadone, at the same time i was also addicted and abusing Xanax (A Benzo) Luckily i was a downer person and never got into speed or i would probably be dead right now. Even if this message helps one person from letting one of these substances take ove their life or if it gives the hope and courage to an addict that they so desperately need because they feel hopless, helpless, and ashamed/guilty. They have lost everything in pursuit of the drug. I re-emphasize that the drug takes COMPLETE control of you life. (And it will, you will starve yourself, lie, cheat, steal and do things you would never have imagined youself doing, just to get the drug you need. And also after a while you can no-longer get high but have to waste huge amounts of money just to be able to function or even get out of bed in the morning and when you don't have what you need all you can think of is getting the drug or suicide. Thses drugs COMPLETELY take over your life. Nothing else matters until you've got your drugs. You have no desires, no hunger, no sex drive, or even taking care of you personal hygiene until after you have your "fix".Friends/socialization you avoid b/c you don't want to have to listen to them condemn you and the shame you feel is horrible and all you want to do is do your drug and get in your comfort zone, (usually alone but sometimes with a partner/lover), You feel absolutely powerless to stop the adiction and almost no-one can without out-side help. So the best thing to do is educate and expose children to the real horrors of using drugs prescription or otherwise they are all drugs. I hope this message will help at least some people or enable someone who has a loved one with drug problems to help them undestand addiction a little better and hopefully help their loved one to get clean.

  Sincerely and my Pyayers are with all of you that need help,

  Jordan

  P.S. - Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions b/c i am somewhat of an expert on there subjects and i will give you the straight honest truth based on facts not rumors , hearsay, and scaretactics.

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