Prescription Drug Abuse among Teenagers ( 12-17 Years)
Prescription Drugs are medications that are prescribed to patients by a doctor to help in many ways, such as relieve pain, treat symptoms of a disease, or to help fight an infection. They are very safe when used properly and under supervision of a physician, yet if used without approval of a doctor they can be very harmful and in some cases could lead to death. During your adolescence years, teens have curiosity which builds up and leads them to experimentation. They pop a pill, get high and then want more. Not only do they ease your state of mind, Increasing numbers of teens have easy access to painkillers through classmates, friends, family members, and even online.
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These drugs can “produce drowsiness; cause constipation; depress breathing...” (National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign 1) If you use them for a long time, it can lead to physical dependence and addiction. Your body becomes used to your normal dosage, therefore you must consume higher dosages to feel the full effect which can
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sometimes lead teens to an overdose. If the doses are reduced or stopped withdrawal symptoms occur such as vomiting, involuntary leg movement, and muscle and bone pain. You should never A few examples include Morphine, Codeine, Hydrocodone, and Oxycodone.(XXXX risk of abusing prescription drugs) CNS depressants calm the nerves of people who have anxiety disorders and/or insomnia problems. They are known to slow the brains activity down increasing drowsiness. (National Drug Intelliagance Center 3) Valium and Xanax are examples within this group used by teenagers. Withdrawal symptoms include seizures, irregular heartbeat, body temperature increases, cardiovascular failure, create feelings of hatred, and can be harmful when combined with anti-depressants or cough/cold medicines. (risks of abusing pres. Drugs) Last, we have Stimulants. They enhance the brain activity which increases your attention span and energy. Ritalin, Concerta, and Adderall are common examples used by teenagers. (National Drug
Addiction to these can happen if taken over a long period of time. Also, irritation of the stomach, liver damage and sleep disturbances as some
The first, and most dangerous in my opinion, is the dependency for this drug most of its users develop. It becomes a point to where their brains can’t function properly unless they regularly take the drug. Some short term effects can include, but are but limited to, Brainstem herniation, seizures, depression, Extremely violent behavior, self harm, insomnia, sexual dysfunction, chest pain and heart attacks, RIM of the eyes, nosebleed, and so much more! For the most severe long term effects, might I suggest kidney and liver failure, or perhaps brain swelling and brain death? This drug, if taken at all, will eventually lead to either jail time, or
Tolerance and physical dependency are produced in this drug by downregulation of the receptors for norepinephrine and dopamine that occurs over time. Therefore, ceasing use may produce withdrawal symptoms of fatigue, depression, and increased irritability. As with the rest of the infographic, more details would be great. However, I found the aesthetic refreshingly unique. In my opinion, it looks as if this person put thought into making their project stand out and present the information more
The most common side effects include bleeding gums, diarrhea, constant chills, loss of appetite, nausea, unusual weight gain or loss, and tingling hands. More serious side effects include delusions ("beliefs that are not true" dictionary.com), back or side pain, abnormal dreams, change of personality, lip smacking, irritability, and vomiting. The drug can also cause anxiety, rapidly changing moods, and hyperventilation. Less common side effects include small red- purple dots on the skin, yellow eyes, swollen joints, hair thinning, and excessive urination. Other less common side effects are puffy cheeks, loss of strength, loss of bladder control, and dizziness.
side effects of analeptics are increased heart rate, agitation and the kind of paranoia and disorientation
Being forgetful, slurred speech, feeling sad or empty, relaxed and calm, loss of interest or pleasure, sleepiness or unusual drowsiness, lack of appetite, clumsiness or unsteadiness, feeling tired, trouble concentrating and less common side effects would be things like cough, dark urine, diarrhea, blurred vision, body aches or pain, shaking or shivering , nausea, seizers and the list goes on.
(www.drugabuse.gov). The FDA has issued warnings about using stimulant medication with the risk of heart, psychiatric problems, loss of appetite, weight loss, sleep problems, irritability, and drug abuse.
There are three commonly abused drugs, and they are opiods, Central nervous system (CNS) depressants, and stimulants. Opioids such as Vicodin, Oxytocin, or Codeine, are taken for pain relieving. The side effects for opioids like oxycotin can be constipation. CNS depressants such as Xanex are usually taken for anxiety and sleeping disorders. Stimulants such as Adderall, are usually taken by people who have Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. They are taken usually to increase the level of nervous activity in the body. The side effects for taking Adderall is that it can raise one's blood pressure which makes the heart work harder (Hamilton, 2009). People don't usually see these medication over the counter because these usually have a strong effect, which is why they need to be prescribed. Prescription drugs always has risks to taking them, which is why doctors need to consider all the risks and benefits before prescribing the drug. Pharmacists take into account all the drug interaction, history of medications taken, and even the weight of whom they are about to prescribe the medication to. Doctors usually knows
Permanent use of opiates can change the way the nerve cells inside our brains work. They wrap up getting used to the occurrence of the opiates, and they commence to need it in order to work as normally as possible. In case you decrease your intake or suddenly stop your dependent nerve cells from getting their usual medication dosage, they become overactive. These causes various withdrawal symptoms such as fever, sweating, aching, extreme craving for the drug, shaking and chills, and other far worse. It is usually strong during the first 6 to fifteen hours, intensifies in the next 2 to 4 days and nights, and little by little declines in two or three days. But the good news is that your nerve cells will normally work again, and you could get your opiate-addiction free life
Non prescribed prescription drug use by adolescents is a major concern. There are many dangers associated with this abuse that teens are not aware of and many teens do not realize the effects these drugs will have on their body and mind as they continue to mature. Most teens use these drugs for recreational purposes such as a study aid to help them stay awake. These teens do not realize that these drugs are just as dangerous as illegal street drugs.
The second most commonly abused prescribed drug is sedatives/depressants. These types of pills are used for anxiety and sleeping. If these types of prescriptions are abused it can make the person really high and not remember what they are doing. Signs can be excessive sleepiness, slurred speech, and acting really mean (Davis).people usually look for this kind of drug because they are depressed and the want to try to hide something in their life. This drug slows down the heartbeat so if someone takes to many it can cause their heart to stop. The two most commonly abuse depressants are valium and
Years ago, the common image of an adolescent drug abuser was a teen trying to escape from reality on illegal substances like cocaine, heroin, or marijuana. Today, there is a great discrepancy between that perception and the reality of who is likely to abuse drugs. A teenage drug abuser might not have to look any further than his or her parent’s medicine chest to ‘score.’ Prescription drug abuse by teens is on the rise. Also, teens are looking to prescription drugs to fulfill different needs other than to feel good or escape the pressures of adulthood. Teens may be just as likely to resort to drugs with ‘speedy’ side effects, like Ritalin to help them study longer, as they are to use prescription
Among the most common symptoms, one can enlist the following: a warm flush feeling in the skin, an ill mood and depression, vomiting, itching, nausea, and heavy pain in joints. The cardiac functions and the neural system functions slow down, though it often depends on the individual’s genetic type, amount of the drug taken, and the purity of the substance (Hollow
f. .stimulants can cause enhanced brain activity increase and llertness in energy elevated blood pressure increase heart rate increase respiration and sleep deprivation…. Ultimately these three drugs possess the same long term affect when abused; high potential for physical dependence and addiction.
There are several implications to possible solutions because previous research involving the use of pharmacotherapy with adolescents did not show a satisfactory ratio between potential benefits and risks caused by the treatment (Kaminer and Marsch 164). However, Kaminer and Marsch suggest investigating new substances that could be used to complement the behavioral therapy of adolescents who suffer from drug abuse because it could increase the success rates of treatments (180). Although ethical principles must regulate research and treatments of adolescents who suffer from drug abuse, Kaminer and Marsch suggest using the same therapeutic approach for pharmacotherapy among adults because adolescents could potentially benefit from the same approach while keeping risks at the minimum (180).