Drug Addiction – Dependency Stage

Drug Addiction – Dependency Stage

 

Daily and Solitary Use: Life centers on getting high. The child may advance to hallucinogens, cocaine, or opium smoking. Drugs are used at school and on the job because distress is felt when not high. Drug use becomes not a choice but a necessity. Tolerance increases and attempts to reduce dosage or stop usage fail.

 

Feelings: The child is guilt ridden and self esteem is very low. Drugs are no longer fun. The appearance that drugs are still fun for druggie friends, makes the child feel “different”. Rationalization of chemical use becomes an art.

 

Social Life: Family life deteriorates further. There may be physical abuse to family members and holes punched in the walls. Skipping school, sneaking out of bedroom windows (sometimes after coming home to meet curfew), running away, breaking the law, or losing jobs increases. Dropping out of school is likely. Drug use and paraphernalia are no longer concealed. This openness may be a way of asking for help.

 

Suicide Attempts: Suicidal thoughts occur and there may be suicide attempts. Any adolescent who has expressed suicidal thoughts or attempted suicide should be tested for drugs.

 

The “Druggie Look”: The child may have a flat facial expression, ragged, worn clothes, “bop” walk (walk with a bounce), slouched stance and generally depressed appearance. Girls often use heavy makeup: wear long bangs over the eyes, sexy clothes and jewelry. Both boys and girls strive to appear older.

 

Physical Changes: Overdoses, blackouts, and flashbacks begin. Chronic cough, facial puffiness, or nasal sores from cocaine use may be present. Frequent illnesses are common.

 

The Parents: At last one of the parents is often still in denial or believes the child is only using drugs occasionally. Marital relationships tend to deteriorate as the parents disagree on the solutions to their problems and blame themselves and each other for what is happening. Careers may go downhill because of pre occupation with family problems.

Euphoria is rarely experienced form the drugs. Use is compulsive, and continuous throughout the day. There may be “shooting up” (intravenous use) especially with narcotics such as heroin, Dilaudid, and Methadone.

 

Life Deteriorates: Delusions, paranoid and suicidal thoughts, overdose, and blackouts occur frequently. The child is usually well known by the police. Physical health deteriorates. The user is often referred to as a burnout or a zombie. If treatment is no initiated, death will result from suicide, overdoes, and accident, physical illness, or other untoward behaviour.

 

 

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