Teen Crack Addiction
Teen crack addiction is devastating not only for the addict but for their families and those who love them. Today, approximately 2% of eighth graders have used crack and the numbers go up as the grades get higher. At the moment, there are about 1.5 million crack addicts in the United States alone, and many are adolescents suffering with teen crack addiction. The risk of using such a dangerous drug is due to the tolerance users develop after a while. When you use cocaine often, you will become tolerant of that dosage and require higher dosages to get a high. This can one day lead to teen crack addiction and the possibility of a drug overdose. Crack cocaine is highly addictive and should not be taken lightly; just a few times using the drug can have your teen hooked for life. It is important to seek help from a teen crack addiction treatment center in order to nip the habit in a bud.
Unfortunately, crack is one of the more dangerous drugs available, due to the short lasting high and its addictiveness. Even when the user doesn't increase the dosage, there is a tendency to develop sensitivities or allergies to this drug which can cause twitching, paranoia, and hallucinations. It also means that it is possible to overdose on crack even if you are taking the same amount as usual.
If the user is injecting crack, there is always the risk of infection at the injection site or contracting HIV or AIDS, among other blood-borne diseases. Most drug addicts don't think much about this possibility when they are suffering from withdrawal and just want one more hit. This lack of logical thinking also leads to stealing and other crimes to get enough money to buy crack, which, in turn, leads to jail time.
Teen crack cocaine addiction often causes breathing problems (especially when smoked) and can lead to convulsions or heart failure, even among first time users. As a powerful narcotic, it can have a devastating effect on the body and addicts usually find it difficult to function properly when they aren't high. The center of the world to an addict quickly becomes finding the next high and they will generally do just about anything to get it.
When and why do teens abuse crack cocaine? Teens use this drug at parties and during recreation before, during or after school hours. Users of crack cocaine say that they use it because it enhances their physical and mental performances; the drug can also have an opposite effect. There are a number of reasons that your teen may have turned to using crack cocaine: they might have been looking to escape from the stresses and trials of adolescence, they might have caved in to peer pressure, they might have thought that using crack was a way of showing that they are becoming an adult, or they might have been curious. Whatever the initial reason for the experimentation with crack, if they are now addicted they need assistance -- professional, experienced assistance -- to break their teen crack addiction, recover, and learn how to lead a life free of the drug.
If you are wondering if your child has a teen crack addiction, there are different warning signs that you can look out for. There are some subtle side effects that you may see in your teen that could conclude that they are using some form of street drug. Here are a few of the signs:
- Carrying things, such as small bottles with lids, rolled money bills, small glass pipes, razor blades, mirrors, small spoon-like items and small packets
- Decreased appetite
- Depression
- Drop in body weight
- Fast speech
- Increased blood temperature, blood pressure and heart rate
- Insomnia
- Losing interest in activities they once liked
- Needle marks on their arms or legs
- Burn marks on their fingers or lips
- Paranoia, restlessness and panic
- Risk of contracting an STD
- Runny or bloody nose
- Stealing or asking for money often
- Withdrawal from family and friends
It can be quite a battle when you have a teen crack addiction in your household. Once you recognize the problem with your child and work towards getting them treatment, the better his or her chances of recovery are. There are various teen crack addiction treatment locations throughout every state, so you shouldn't have a problem finding one. Be sure the teen crack addiction treatment you obtain offers good counseling services as well.