Best resource for spotting drug abuse?

[Anonymous]

What is HFA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is HFA?

High Functioning Autism

[Anonymous]

OCD definitely can cause rages. You skipped lightly over that. Is it being treated? Has it worsened suddenly recently? If the latter, has he had strep in the last month or two? Could be PANDAS.

[Anonymous]

OP, we had a good experience with a therapist for our son with adhd, inattentive, and anxiety at Alvord, Baker in Rockville.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ADHD kids who are medicated are much LESS likely to get involved with drugs. I'd suspect depression or anxiety first....

Where in the world did you source this stat? I think it's the complete opposite

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Let's try this again: my teenage son has had a major personality shift, going from passive to raging, and I am trying to account for it. Could be normal hormones, his ADHD medication (Strattera), or a new twist in our journey through HFA. Or something else. I don't know much about drug abuse, and hoped others who have been in this situation would be a good resource. So I am asking them: Of all the online resources out there dealing with drug abuse and how to recognize it, which one has helped you most?

I think your first step should be to talk to his pediatrician and/or the prescribing doctor. As a stopgap you may even want to go in and talk to your dispensing pharmacist. But a major personality shift is a big red flag. Don't try to diagnose this yourself, go to the experts, who are, namely, your son's pharmacist and doctors. From there, you may need additional resources but get the people who know your son involved first.

[Anonymous]

It's not weed.

[Anonymous]

This sounds more like a mental health issue than a drug abuse issue. I work in law enforcement and not a whole lot of the terrible stuff causes rages--I'd be more concerned with lethargy, sleeping a lot, appearing intoxicated, and disinterest in things he used to like. I'd start with his doctor, like others suggested.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This sounds more like a mental health issue than a drug abuse issue. I work in law enforcement and not a whole lot of the terrible stuff causes rages--I'd be more concerned with lethargy, sleeping a lot, appearing intoxicated, and disinterest in things he used to like. I'd start with his doctor, like others suggested.

OP here. He's always been pretty lethargic, but he does seem to be sleeping more at odd hours (for example, coming home from school and crashing on the couch for 2 hours. I think that may be from being on electronics after bedtime, but worth checking in to.

Alvord Baker PP: which therapist?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This sounds more like a mental health issue than a drug abuse issue. I work in law enforcement and not a whole lot of the terrible stuff causes rages--I'd be more concerned with lethargy, sleeping a lot, appearing intoxicated, and disinterest in things he used to like. I'd start with his doctor, like others suggested.

OP here. He's always been pretty lethargic, but he does seem to be sleeping more at odd hours (for example, coming home from school and crashing on the couch for 2 hours. I think that may be from being on electronics after bedtime, but worth checking in to.

Alvord Baker PP: which therapist?

OP again, in before punctuation police show up: Paren should be closed after "hours." Obviously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ADHD kids who are medicated are much LESS likely to get involved with drugs. I'd suspect depression or anxiety first....

Where in the world did you source this stat? I think it's the complete opposite

Actually, kids with ADHD who are treated with meds are neither more or less likely to abuse drugs.

http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/are-children-who-take-ritalin-246186


Kids with ADHD overall are more likely to abuse drugs (has nothing to do with the meds).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ADHD kids who are medicated are much LESS likely to get involved with drugs. I'd suspect depression or anxiety first....

Where in the world did you source this stat? I think it's the complete opposite

Actually, kids with ADHD who are treated with meds are neither more or less likely to abuse drugs.

http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/are-children-who-take-ritalin-246186


Kids with ADHD overall are more likely to abuse drugs (has nothing to do with the meds).

PP here. Just wanted to add that most of the articles about abuse of ADHD drugs are really about people that do not have ADHD but use the meds (or bad diagnoses).