Help For Parents Of Teens Struggling With Prescription Drug Addiction

Prescription drug addiction has become an epidemic, with many teens taking medications to get high because they think its safer than using street drugs to do so. Prescription drug use among teens has become a mainstream issue among medical professionals, but many parents still remain unaware of the dangers their kids are facing by becoming addicted to prescription drugs. If your teen is struggling with a prescription drug addiction, here are some tips to help you provide the greatest level of support for him or her.

Parents Need To Discuss Prescriptions With The Doctor

You may have taken your teen to the emergency room for an injury and he or she was prescribed a painkiller. You may have never suspected your teen became addicted to the painkiller because it was given to him or her by a medical professional for treating an injury. However, if your teen is taking an entire bottle and asking for more, you may have an addiction on your hands. Many teens will complain of experiencing pain to get more prescription drugs for it. Always discuss with the doctor your teen sees about the risk of addiction, especially if you suspect it is happening already. Ask the doctor to only prescribe non-narcotic painkillers.

Talk To Your kids About Prescription Drug Addiction And Its Risks

In a survey, many parents reported they did not address prescription drug abuse with their teens because they were not worried about it. Most parents claimed they were more worried about their teens becoming addicted to illegal drugs like marijuana and cocaine. However, talking to your kids about the dangers of becoming addicted to prescriptions drugs like those prescribed for pain and anxiety is extremely important. Making sure your teen realizes that abusing prescription drugs is not the safest way to get high is vital to their good health and emotional well-being. Let your teen know you are always available for talking when he or she needs to, especially when it comes to the temptation of getting high. Remember to warn your teen about how easy it is to overdose and die when taking prescription medications.

Parents: Clean Out Your Medicine Cabinet

40% of teens asked about their prescription drug habits said they got the medication from their parent's medicine cabinet. If you worry about your teen taking prescription drugs, making sure you never leave any around is vital. Take a look in your medicine cabinet and take out all prescription and over-the-counter drugs, putting them somewhere safe and hidden from your teen.

Taking steps to prevent your teen from using and becoming addicted to prescription drugs is an important and real matter. Let your teen know that getting high with prescription drugs is not safer than doing so with illegal drugs. No drug, legal or illegal, is good for your body when taken long term or in high doses, even more so when you use it to only to get high. Contact a treatment center, like Focus Treatment Centers, for more help.

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