Don’t Let Addictions Destroy Your Teen: How To Tell If Your Teen Is Dealing With An Opiate Addiction

If you have a teen, you need to be concerned about opiate addictions. It used to be that the biggest drug concern parents needed to have was marijuana use. However, marijuana is no longer the only drug being abused by teenagers. There's a new drug in town, and it's more devastating than marijuana ever one. The new addiction to be concerned with is an opiate addiction. Unfortunately, opiate addiction doesn't involve just one drug. It involves an entire class of drugs; those being opioids such as morphine, hydrocodone, and oxycodone.

What you might not realize is that these drugs are easily accessible to teens. They can get them from your medicine cabinet, the medicine cabinets of friends, or from people selling the drugs on school campuses across the US. One of the biggest problems facing teens is that young brains are more susceptible to damage caused by opiates.

Unfortunately, teens can be good at hiding their drug addiction. Sadly, many parents won't realize that their teens have a drug addiction problem until it's too late. If you suspect that your teen may have an addiction to opiates, you need to be aware of the signs. If you recognize any of the signs described below, it's time to seek help for your teen.

Sudden Difficulties with School Assignments

If your teen is battling an addiction to opiates, one of the first things you might notice is a change in their school performance. This is particularly true if your teen experiences a sudden decline in all their classes. If you suspect that your teen has an opiate addiction, it's time to start monitoring their grades.

Sudden Change in Social Circles

Once teens become involved in drugs, they may begin to change their social circles. That's because they're moving away from the friends who don't do drugs, and moving towards the ones who do. They may soon have a social circle that includes friends you've never met before, and who never come to the house. If you're noticing that your teenager's social circle has changed and that they no longer bring their friends around the house, it's time to look into getting help for them.

Sudden Onset of Physical Signs

Opiate addiction includes a wide variety of physical signs, especially as the addiction intensifies. If you know what to look for, you'll be able to identify the need for intervention before it's too late. These physical signs include drooping eyes, flushed neck and face, slurred speech, or visible signs of intense scratching – especially on the arms.  

Contact a local opiate addiction treatment center for more information and assistance. 


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