There's no question that the U.S. is currently facing an opioid epidemic and a high death rate correlated to that epidemic. Up to 591,000 Americans were suffering from heroin addiction in 2015 alone. Of those Americans were 155,000 young adults and 6,000 teenagers.
Teen drug use is a major concern because of the long-term complications. Unlike adult heroin abuse, which is often the result of addiction to pain medication, teenagers often turn to drugs for stress relief, which can make them more dependent on substances in the future as a means of treating anxiety.
Why do teens begin using drugs?
Four out of five heroin users began using heroin due to addiction to opioid pain medication. However, teenagers don't often have access to this kind of medication. The most common reasons behind teenage drug use include:
Treating your teen's opioid addiction
Whether your child is suffering from addiction to opioids or addiction to heroin, methadone treatment centers are readily available to help your teen get their life back on track. Methadone treatments work by blocking the pain receptors in the brain to relieve symptoms of withdrawal while simultaneously blocking the pleasurable side-effects of addictive substances.
This makes methadone treatment centers one of the best available options for heroin detox. Methadone treatment centers, which are FDA-approved, are also more successful in treating addiction than abstinence-only programs.
However, before you suggest visiting a methadone rehab center to your child, it's essential that you talk with your teen. Listen to them, ask questions, and don't automatically assume what's going on. Communication is essential, both prior to heroin addiction treatment and after.