By Nicole Kolly

PARENTS: Drug Tests are Important!

If you are reading this, you may feel that drug testing is as desperate measure in the prevention of drug abuse. However, regular, agreed-upon drug testing of adolescents can save lives. Plus, the practice is becoming more commonplace. In fact, drug testing a teen is the only way to really know:

• What substances your teen is really ingesting.
• What kinds of risk your kid has for physical harm.
• The level of risk your teen has for addiction.

NOTE HERE: Denial does nothing to solve a problem. Drug abuse is rampant among teenagers. From parties to classrooms, the drug culture is taking over every aspect of a teenager’s life! The only way to make sure of what your teenager is actually doing when they are out of your home is to get him/her tested for it.

Thinking about drug testing your teen son or daughter? Still wary of the process? Here are some key reasons why you need to drug-test your teenager now. Learn more here, and send us your questions via the comments section at the bottom of the page.

REASON #1: Peer Pressure is Unbelievable

From snorting cocaine at parties to smoking marijuana on school premises, drug-consumption is deep-rooted into adolescence. Even if your teen doesn’t want to do drugs, the temptation can be strong. Sometimes, even the strongest succumb. What’s more: A recent study in the UK found that kids who attend private school are more likely to experience addiction in their young adult years than their cohorts.

So, if you thought your well-brought-up, school educated, good-neighborhood-reared child can never do drugs…think again!

When drug use is everywhere and everyone but your child seems to indulge, saying “yes” goes from being intentional to almost involuntary. But, if a teens knows that they can be randomly tested for drugs at home, they may be much more careful and alert. In fact, there are chances that a kid who wants to stay straight will cut themselves off from circles that are heavily into drug consumption.

REASON #2: Drugs are Easily Available

You may want to refute it, but drugs are available and are very easy to buy. Both illicit and prescription drugs are available everywhere. Your medicine cabinets may be full of:

• Benzodiazepines like Valium or Xanax
• Opioids like hydrocodone, oxycodone, or tramadol
• Sleeping pills like Ambien

So, your own home may be a source of drug consumption. If not, kids are most likely to source prescription drugs from friends. Or, dealers may first give away drugs to children without any money, and then get them hooked. Whatever the source, once addicted, students are ready to pay and buy regularly.

It’s also disturbing that no place can be considered completely safe or drug-free for children. Even when it comes to educational institutions, drug dealing may be happening in clandestine ways. The best way to ensure that your teen does not abuse drugs is to randomly test them at home (with their consent).

REASON #3: Drugs are an Effective, Easy Escape

The rising popularity of drugs is also due to the immense pressure that teenagers experience. From academics and romantic relationships to body-shaming fears, teenagers are living in a difficult world today. Drugs often offer a temporary, but easy, solution for teenagers to forget their worldly pressures and escape into a dimension where none of these responsibilities, restrictions, or problems exist.

REASON #4: It is Viewed as a Cool Thing to Do

From the swinging 60s to the flamboyant 80s, taking drugs has been culturally viewed as a cool thing. Think about messages in film, television, or media. It’s not surprising how teenagers and youngsters from all generations get swayed towards drugs.

Teenagers often combine alcohol and drugs, which is a dangerous combination and can cause immense harm to their still-developing bodies. Most teenagers have a common lens with which they view the world around them and in that world:

• smoking
• snorting
• injecting

…and basically doing drugs is any form is considered “cool.” And, we all know how easy and tempting it is to jump on that bandwagon.

REASON #5: Statistics Prove That You Should Drug Test

Even if you have complete faith in your teen and think it is impossible for him/her to do drugs, maybe these cold hard statistics can convince you otherwise.

According to the most recent (and the latest) survey conducted by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), in 2013, an estimated 24.6 million Americans aged 12 or older—9.4 percent of the population—had used an illicit drug in the past month. This number is up from 8.3 percent in 2002.

The same study also found that there were 19.8 million marijuana users in 2013 – about 7.5 percent of people aged 12 or older—up from 14.5 million (5.8 percent) in 2007. Also, as per dosomething.org.

• 1/3 of teenagers who live in states with medical marijuana laws get their pot from other people’s prescriptions.
• The United States represents 5% of the world’s population and 75% of prescription drugs taken. 60% of teens who abuse prescription drugs get them free from friends and relatives.
• By the 8th grade, 28% of adolescents have consumed alcohol, 15% have smoked cigarettes, and 16.5% have used marijuana.
• About 50% of high school seniors do not think it’s harmful to try crack or cocaine once or twice and 40% believe it’s not harmful to use heroin once or twice.

A national survey done in 2009 across 8000 schools in the country revealed that 94% of all high school students had tried marijuana or other illicit drugs at least once before graduating. The 6% who said they did not could be lying because they did not want to admit that they had done drugs.

Scary instances of 9-year old kids testing positive for cocaine and marijuana consumption and teenagers getting arrested for having a meth lab in their garage make one think and feel that random drug testing at home is probably the only way to monitor and keep teenagers at home away from drugs.

REASON #6: Testing Can Open Up Communication

Administer tests occasionally to your teenagers, but make sure you do it with respect and dignity. These are the two factors that make a world of difference to teenagers. Do not throw surprise tests at them. Instead, here’s what you can do:

1. Sit them down and talk to them about how drugs affect the brain. Focus on the science of drug intoxication. Talk about short and long term effects that drugs have on the brain/body. This implies you know what you’re talking about, so dig into this site and learn more about: alcohol, opiates, stimulants, and hallucinogens.
2. Inform you child that – in about a month from now – you will be conducting a drug, alcohol, and tobacco test at home. Tell them that you will be doing this periodically.
3. Show them the test (if necessary) and explain how they work. If they tell you things like, “You don’t trust us,” explain to them why you deem it necessary and why it goes beyond trust. Perhaps connect passing the test with an earned right to driving or getting their cellphone/Internet paid for.
4. It is advisable to choose a quality drug-testing kit from a reliable vendor. Then, administer tests on occasions like post-dinner date, after a sleepover, or after a music concert.
5. Agree upon consequences for positive drug tests. For example, positive testing may require a visit to a family physician or addictions counselor for follow up discussion. Remember to be open and talk with your child about effects on health or emotional life. If you’re in addiction recovery yourself, think about talking with your child about general experiences you had in the past. Or, look into education-based training on drug problems.

Limiting access to calls and texts, grounding them and monitoring their activities can backfire. To motivate a child to avoid taking drugs under any situation, connection is key.

So, be sure to keep communication open.

Got any questions?

Being a parent comes with a lot of responsibility. Sometimes, it involves you playing good cop/bad cop so that your teens can have a safe, healthy, and successful life ahead of them, devoid of any ramifications from substance abuse.
If you have any further questions, please post them in the designated section below. We welcome your feedback and try to respond personally and promptly to all legitimate inquiries.

———————————--
About the Author: Nicole Kolly is a digital content manager at TestCountry. She is involved in drug addiction support groups for recovering addicts and their families. She is passionate about living a healthy lifestyle and helping others do so as well. When she isn’t working she enjoys hiking, reading and cooking for friends and family.

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from
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Is buprenorphine addictive?

Yes. Buprenorphine is addictive.

But wait. Isn’t buprenorphine supposed to be used to treat opiate addiction?

The fact is: buprenorphine is a psychoactive drug. While most people only develop physical dependence on the opiate replacement medication, others can experience full-blown addiction. So, what’s the difference between the two? Where can you draw the line between regular use and harmful use?

We review the difference between dependence and addiction here. Then, we outline clear signs of both. Finally, we describe where you can go for help. So, if you’re questioning whether or not buprenorphine is a good fit for you…keep reading! We hope to answer your questions here. If you still have questions, we invite you to leave them in the comments section at the end.

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Ready to get back control?
Call 1-877-721-2951.
We understand the science behind drug use.
We can help!
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How does buprenorphine work?

Buprenorphine it is a partial opioid agonist. It works by binding to nerve receptors in the central nervous system. As buprenorphine occupies these nerves, stronger drugs like heroin, oxcodone, hydrocodone, or morphine cannot produce strong euphoric effect.  As a result, regular therapeutic dosing is associated with lower levels of drug craving and lower rates of relapse.

Additionally, buprenorphine is known to produce a milder degree of physical dependence. It also manifests a less intense withdrawal syndrome in comparison to stronger opiates. However, buprenorphine dependence is still possible, especially when it’s abused.

So, what does drug dependence look like?

Drug dependence

Dependence occurs for all individuals who take buprenorphine regularly and for a prolonged period of time, even in those who take it exactly as prescribed. In fact, it is an expected and natural response of continued buprenorphine use. In other words: you become physically dependent on buprenorphine as a consequence of repeated use.

Dependence is marked by two evident physical changes:

1. Tolerance – With continued use, once effective doses of buprenorphine seem to lose their potency. As tolerance increases, users feel a need to take higher doses in order to achieve the desired effects, a practice that can lead to addiction if not monitored by a medical professional.

2. Withdrawal – As your body becomes dependent on buprenorphine, it will go through withdrawal whenever your regular dose is reduced or discontinued. The usual buprenorphine withdrawal symptoms include restlessness, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Does dependence = addiction?

No. Physical dependence is very different from addiction to buprenorphine.

Addiction is a chronic, relapsing brain disease. Its main characteristic is using buprenorphine for euphoric effect, or to get high. How do you identify it? Addiction is primarily recognized by a set of changes in a person’s behavior and mood. These changes are usually caused by the biochemical processes in the brain which occur with continued substance abuse.

Abuse increases risk of addiction

Most people who use buprenorphine as described are not at risk of developing addiction to it. They may become physically dependent on the medication. However, they will probably not experience compulsion to use it as a way to cope with life.

Instead, if you are taking buprenorphine to get high…you can become addicted to it. If you use buprenorphine in any way other than prescribed, you risk addiction. So if you try to inject, snort, or otherwise change the way buprenorphine gets to the brain, you can become psychologically hooked on its effects.

Abuse potential

The abuse potential of buprenorphine is determined by:

• Your frequency and dose of use.
• The drug’s half life.
• How fast the drug reaches the brain.
• Your route and mode of administration.

A faster route of administration, will result in a shorter half life. Faster onset of action is associated with a higher abuse potential of buprenorphine.

Who’s at risk of buprenorphine addiction?

There are a multitude of genetic, social, and environmental factors that can make someone be more easily susceptible to the addictive properties of buprenorphine…while others seem to have no problem using the medication for years on end. Some of the factors that influence a person’s risk of addiction include:

1. A history of drug abuse or addiction.
2. Having parents with a history of drug abuse.
3. Your individual brain response to opioids and other drugs.
4. Severe physical or psychological trauma.
5. Mental health conditions that co-occur with addiction.

Physical signs of addiction

Classic signs of buprenorphine addiction are like those of any addiction. People who are addicted to opioid drugs cannot control their use, continue using the drug despite harm, and experience cravings. Furthermore, the physical signs and symptoms of a buprenorphine problem are similar to those of other opiates and opioids. They may include:

• abnormal responses to stress
• constricted pupils
• fever
• hair loss
• increased blood pressure
• insomnia
• muscle pain and cramps
• nausea
• slurred speech
• sweating
• vomiting

However, there is also a number of psychological and behavioral signs of addiction that are usually more easy to detect, such as:

• apathetic mood
• continued use of buprenorphine despite negative outcomes
• depression
• inability to control the compulsive use of buprenorphine
• inability to deal with emotions
• loss of interest in sex
• poor memory
• preoccupation with obtaining or consuming buprenorphine
• strong buprenorphine cravings

Recognize two or more of these signs and symptoms of buprenorphine addiction? No need to feel ashamed or guilty! Remind yourself that addiction is a medical condition, and as such it responds to pharmaceutical and therapeutic interventions. Then, reach out for help…

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Helpline available at 1-877-721-2951.
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Treating a buprenorphine problem

Physical dependence is not a dangerous medical condition. It can be resolved during a tapering process or supervised in a medical detox clinic. Addiction, on the other hand, is a disorder that can have detrimental effects on your life and requires treatment. What does treatment entail?

First, you’ll need an official diagnosis from a medical expert. Brief assessments are a good place to start. These standardized questions or interviews can be administered by:

• A Clinical Social Worker
• A Doctor who specializes in addiction
• A Family Doctor
• A Psychotherapist
• A Psychiatrist

Once you have a diagnosis, a reputable treatment center will work with you to create an individual treatment plan. While many modalities can be customized to your specific case, the process remains the same for everyone. The three main stages of buprenorphine addiction treatment are:

STAGE 1: Medical detoxification and withdrawal. The physical symptoms of buprenorphine addiction occur as the drug leaves the system and require medical care and assistance. Detox clinics offer professional medical supervision during buprenorphine withdrawal. Moreover, these clinics can also provide over-the-counter medications to address symptoms and may even prescribe medications if necessary.

STAGE 2: Physical stabilization. As the acute phase of detox ends, your physical state will starts to normalize. At this time, you can still expect to be monitored and supported by clinical doctors and nurses. In addition, they can administer medications for opioid withdrawal symptoms that can lessen, manage, and minimize any possible risks and discomfort.

STAGE 3: Psychological interventions. Addiction is not resolved once your body gets rid of buprenorphine. You’ll need to get to the root of why you use the drug as an escape. During treatment, you’ll mainly explore this via individual and group counseling. In fact, ongoing therapy sessions be extended for 9-12 months even after you leave the rehab facility.

Get Help For Buprenorphine Addiction

Help for buprenorphine addiction is most successful when a program is individualized and constructed in accordance to your personal needs and goals. Generally, successful buprenorphine addiction treatment programs employ a combination of medical and psychological support.

How can you get help?

1. Your first point of contact can be your physician that can refer you to local treatment resources.
2. You can contact SAMHSA’s national helpline to get referrals to programs in your living area.
3. You can search online or contact a rehab facility directly (word of mouth can help you make a decision).
4. You can CALL 1-877-721-2951 to get professional advise and guidance on finding appropriate addiction treatment options for your unique needs.

Once you enter a treatment program, therapy and counseling can help you address underlying issues that lead you to develop a buprenorphine use problem in the first place. During psychotherapy, you learn how to handle stress without turning to drugs, and how to change and adjust to a new drug-free lifestyle.

Continued help is also important and will allow you to work on your recovery from buprenorphine addiction. Sources of continued support and treatment include:

• Support groups
• Family therapy
• Individual behavioral therapy/Psychotherapy

Got something to ask?

Do you still have questions about buprenorphine’s physical addiction potential? Please leave them here. We are happy to help answer your questions personally and promptly. If we do not know the answer to your particular question, we will refer you to someone who does.

Reference Sources: NCBI: Clinical Guidelines for the Use of Buprenorphine in the Treatment of Opioid Addiction.

NCBI: Buprenorphine’s physical dependence potential: antagonist-precipitated withdrawal in humans

NAABT: Is buprenorphine treatment just trading one addiction for another?

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from
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