Teen Hydrocodone Rehab

Table of Contents
Not Safer Than Other Drugs
Addiction through Legal Use
Specialized Care Required
Activities and Classes
Benefits of a Teen Facility
Help at Newport Academy

Hydrocodone is the main ingredient in several name-brand prescription medications including Vicodin, Lortab and OxyContin. Recent studies conducted by Monitoring the Future have found that as many as eight percent of high school seniors have admitted to using these prescriptions for non-prescribed or medical purposes in their lifetimes. While this is a decrease from the previous study, conducted in 2009, it is still a significant problem. For study participants in the eighth grade, the number actually increased, indicating a possible upward trend among younger teens.

Hydrocodone is an opiate that is used for two distinct purposes. The first is to control mild to moderate pain. For this purpose, it is prescribed in pill form. Because it is taken orally, the effects are less obvious but no less dangerous than those of other opiates, such as heroin. Many teens, however, have developed the habit of crushing the pills and inhaling (‘snorting’) the powder in an effort to increase the speed with which the drugs are delivered to the opiate receptors in the brain. In many cases, the teens will crush the hydrocodone and other drugs, including anti-anxiety medications like Xanax, and inhale them together, also to increase the effects and euphoria.

When prescribed as a cough suppressant, hydrocodone is generally in liquid form. Teens will ‘take shots’ of the liquid, increasing significantly the chances of overdose.

Prescription Opiates Are Not Safer Than Other Illicit Drugs

Many teens believe that taking drug that doctors prescribe so frequently must be somehow safer than an illicit drug, such as heroin or morphine. This is dangerous thinking because drugs like OxyContin, Lortab and Vicodin contain the same opiates as the ‘illegal’ drugs. It is also a crime to take a narcotic medication that isn’t prescribed to the one who consumes it. Taking one’s own prescriptions in a manner other than indicated on the bottle is also against the law. These laws exist to protect individuals from misusing the narcotics because of their inherent dangers of abuse, addiction and overdose-related deaths.

Teen Addiction Can Occur Through Prescribed, Legal Use of Hydrocodone

One of the dangers of taking hydrocodone for chronic pain management is the possibility of becoming physically dependent upon the drug. While rare, some dependencies have occurred from the normal, legal use of prescription opiates. High school athletes who suffer regular injuries, for instance, may be susceptible to this kind of dependency without even realizing that it is happening.

There is a very subtle difference between drug dependency and addiction. The drug-dependent teen will still meet their social, scholastic and family responsibilities. Their grades may not suffer, and the routines they have been following may not change. However, physical dependency and drug addiction both require the same intensive rehabilitation in order to break the habit of taking hydrocodone for long periods (See: Hydrocodone Addiction).

Specialized Treatment Is Required

Teens think differently than adults. This isn’t simply a notion made up by parents who don’t understand their teen’s way of doing things or their thought process. It is a biological fact based upon research that shows the developmental stages of the human brain. Issues like impulse control, decision-making and planning are not yet fully formed in the mind of a teenager.

When a teen enters a rehab facility for the treatment of addiction to hydrocodone, they lack the same cognitive reasoning that adult residents of the same facility have. A few of the important problems that teens face include:

• Bullying
• Pressure to do well in school
• Peer pressure
• Concern over appearance and popularity
• Learning to identify with the opposite (or same) sex
• Dealing with sexuality issues such as sexual identity or orientation

Therefore, it is much better for their overall prognosis to enroll in a treatment facility that caters to the needs of teens and their families.

Activities and Classes for Teens in Rehab

A fully comprehensive teen hydrocodone rehab center will have a well-balanced ratio of treatment versus other activities for teens to enjoy. When a teen leaves behind their family, friends and school to enter rehab, they need to have the normalcy of being a teenager included with other therapies. For instance, swimming, basketball or equine activities can make the transition from home life to residential treatment much easier to bear and less stressful. Not only will this make them feel more comfortable, but relearning social skills is important when the teen makes the transition back to their normal home life.

In addition to education concerning their addiction, teens must be able to keep up with or resume their studies toward high school graduation. At many residential facilities, there are teachers on staff to help bring the teen addict back in line with the academic goals they may have had prior to their hydrocodone addiction. The teaching staff at a teen facility can prepare the students to take high school equivalency exams, SAT and ACT exams for college entrance, or help them decide on a career path that may not include college.

According to a report from ABC’s Good Morning America, when a student is exposed to high school classes during the recovery process, roughly 50 percent of the teens remain clean and sober for years. With drug and alcohol treatment that doesn’t include teen-specific classes, the rate is only 10 percent.

Benefits of a Teen-Centered Facility

In addition to excellence in education, both for academics and drug education, and the extra activities set up for teens, there are several basic benefits to teen hydrocodone treatment, such as:

• Identifying with their peers
• Learning to interact with other teen addicts in recovery
• Building friendships that can support them in sobriety
• Gender-specific therapy

Because most of the teens who attend a teen rehab facility will be under the age of 18 years, teen facilities are segregated by gender. This can be an important asset to the recovery process as it removes the urge for boys to posture for the girls, and pressure for the girls to put too much emphasis on their appearance.

While the students reside at their treatment facility and recover from their hydrocodone addiction, they will build lasting friendships that will help to guide them as they continue their recovery at home. Knowing that they have a friend who has experienced the same ups and downs of treatment that they have can be a catalyst for encouraging healthy behavior.

Get the Needed Help for Your Teen

When a youth enters a specialized rehab for teen hydrocodone addiction, the treatment process is just as difficult as it is at an adult facility. The teen addict will still suffer the same effects of withdrawal. They will still participate in the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) sessions and alternative therapies as well as other programs that may be specific to the program. They will have good days, and they will have bad days.

The difference is that they will be able to go through these triumphs and pitfalls with a group of teens who understand how they feel and with trained staff members who can create an environment conducive to their needs.

Addiction to opiates, like hydrocodone, is a serious matter. The treatment program chosen should address all of the teen’s needs academically, socially, medically and psychologically. A good teen rehab facility will satisfy these needs and help place your child on the path to a long, happy, drug-free and healthy life.

Here at Newport Academy, we’re happy to answer any questions you have about the rehab process for your teen. Call us today.