Just how prevalent is this oxy addiction thing among our young adults in top privates?

[Anonymous]

Brother and sister in law found out about 2 months ago their son was addicted to Oxycontin and had started using heroin when he could not afford them. Needless to say this has stunned and devastated our family. This kid is a good student, top athlete in one of the best privates. I am shocked and still reeling from this. They have immediately sent him to a highly recommended treatment facility but before he went they were going to a local dr who was helping them to find the right place. During the course of their visits over 3 or so weeks they "bumped into" three separate families they knew. Needless to say it was very awkward yet strange as it might sound my sister said strangely comforting as she knew she was not along. This has rocked our family more than words than speak, and I know you hear it on the news all the time, but you think never me.

My sister and H both professionals, very successful, kids all go to great schools, form the outside they have it all....yet inside are trying to deal with this nightmare. They have since found out a few others from his school are in treatment for same thing. It is so tragic, not sure he will even be back to school this semester. We are doing what we can to help but having kids only 7 and 8 this feels surreal yet I see it does not discriminate. I guess I am just here venting, no real reason just to say that this does really seem to be an epidemic and it is frightening seeing it first hand.

[Anonymous]

I am hearing of an uptick in this sort of thing. I think the best thing one can do is to actually be present in their kids lives. We live ina society where both parents are just too busy. I think it is better if one parent stays home when the kids are teens. This is the most crucial time. Working when the kids are little is fine if you have good help. They need you so much more as teens. If someone cannot be home then drive them to school and know all their friends and keep tabs on what they are doing. Be interested in their lives.

[Anonymous]

My brother is 39 years old. He went to a top private school PK-12th grade where he was a star athlete and a great student. He went to a good college and then got a great job.

At about 27 years old, he became addicted to pain pills and Adderall. He lost his job and hasn't had a real once since then. All he does is deliver pizza. The pain pills and the Adderall ran out and then he became addicted to heroin because it was cheaper.

He's in treatment for it now.

He also suffers from depression.

My mom died about 6 years ago and my dad is the one left to deal with all of his crap. I would say that he (and my mom when she was alive) have spent over 200K on him trying to get him well, etc. in the last decade plus.

We came from as "normal" a family as there was.

It's terrifying.

[Anonymous]

Read the book "Dreamland." It really lays out the perfect storm that created this problem in America -- the overprescribing of pain medications, the pill mills, and the cheap black tar heroin coming in from Mexico and specifically being targeted to white, middle-income communities (not the big cities).

Luckily I haven't had this problem in my family, but one of the things that really stuck with me is how an addict is not "well" once they get home from rehab. It really takes about a year for the brain to heal itself and learn how to function without the morphine molecule controlling it.

I think if this happened to one of my children I would stick to him like glue for a solid year after rehab. Anything else -- school, college, sports -- can wait. Or you really could be like most addicts, going through a cycle that only ends with prison or death.

[Anonymous]

It really is a terrible epidemic. I am sorry for your brother's family, OP. Someone I know from a good, close-knit family just lost 2 brothers within the last few months to heroin. I can't even imagine losing one family member to drugs, let alone 2 in a few month span. One thing I will try my best to do is not allow my kids to take any strong pain killers like oxy or Vicodin after an injury. That seems to be a precursor to a lot of heroin addictions. I also agree it's important to stay very aware of what's going on in your child's life. It's not enough to just think because they're going to a good school with kids from affluent families, everything is fine. No one is exempt.

[Anonymous]

I think people overlook the geographic area that the college is located. If there is rural poverty nearby the school there will be cheap drugs on the campus.

[Anonymous]

Here is where people are dying and this is where drugs are.

http://www.businessinsider.com/drug-overdose-rates-by-state-2017-4

[Anonymous]

Do not ever allow a loved one to take pain pills unless they are closely supervised for a short course of treatment for severe pain (or long term, for cancer or other severe illness.)

As a Vicodin addict myself, I recognize when others are using. I've caught three people from good, UMC backgrounds stealing pills from relatives. I've seen my elderly, well-educated uncle who never drank or smoked become hooked on the oxy his doctor prescribed for knee pain.

If you think you don't know anyone who has been addicted to pain pills, it's only because you don't know what to look for.

If you do have pills in your house, turn them in to your local pharmacy for disposal.

If your kids are acting unusual (unusually irritated or unusually effusive; falling asleep at odd times; losing interest in activities; having trouble with constipation; sneezing frequently...) test them for drug use.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Read the book "Dreamland." It really lays out the perfect storm that created this problem in America -- the overprescribing of pain medications, the pill mills, and the cheap black tar heroin coming in from Mexico and specifically being targeted to white, middle-income communities (not the big cities).

Luckily I haven't had this problem in my family, but one of the things that really stuck with me is how an addict is not "well" once they get home from rehab. It really takes about a year for the brain to heal itself and learn how to function without the morphine molecule controlling it.

I think if this happened to one of my children I would stick to him like glue for a solid year after rehab. Anything else -- school, college, sports -- can wait. Or you really could be like most addicts, going through a cycle that only ends with prison or death.

Of course personal responsibility is only a factor when 'others' are concerned . Pill mills, Mexico, over prescription blah blah blah

[Anonymous]

Mother of former heroin addict here. Completely normal, upper middle class family with lots of parental involvement. Child went private but preferred public for HS.

Along our awful journey were two of her friends from a highly competitive private. Different stories. One worked in a dental office and had all too easy access to painkillers. Another's mother died and father wasn't up to the task of raising a child alone.

Child's problem ironically was doctors not taking pain seriously. Refused to refer to PT for over a year. When finally doctor relented and PT therapist recommended a TENS machine, doctor denied prescription. That would be feeding into psychological problem according to him. (Turned out after scores of doctors child had autoimmune condition known to be painful; previous doctors even recommended against Advil when that actually would have helped.)

As no doctor was taking child seriously, child then took matters upon themselves. Didn't even drink and was on to heroin. We are dealing here with under-developed frontal cortexes. For God's sake, doctors need to really, really understand just how dangerous physical teen pain can be. Be sympathetic. Shut your mouth about "psychogenic" causes even if you think that is what it is. Prescribe PT. Give away TENS machines scripts for free. And, honestly, would it really hurt to try to figure out if there actually could be a medical cause for the pain instead of dismissing it as unworthy of investigation?

Yes--I totally lay this at the feet of doctors (many, many of them) who were callous and way over-wedded to the idea that teen pain without injury must be psychological. And they still refused to do a thing for it--like maybe just try to find out what was wrong and try to explain way off blood tests from even before drug use--once they knew about heroin because in the medical world once you do drugs that is your only problem and all medical complaints (and all psychological complaints like anxiety) get attributed to drug use.

We reached a point when there was no one in my child's corner but me. Fortunately, that proved enough and I now have a successful child who is healthy as possible considering the significant medical issues.

[Anonymous]

OP, drug addiction is prevalent everywhere regardless of SES. Your nephew and his classmates are just lucky enough to be able to get treatment.

Parents od'ing at little league games, EMTs called for 3 ODs at the same house within days:
http://www.npr.org/2017/06/29/534868012/what-happens-when-the-heroin-epidemic-hits-small-town-america

There are shameless people running fake rehabs:
https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2017/0510/After-losing-her-daughter-to-fake-drug-treatment-she-now-seeks-to-save-others

We need to stop criminalizing drug addiction and treat it for the health issue it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Read the book "Dreamland." It really lays out the perfect storm that created this problem in America -- the overprescribing of pain medications, the pill mills, and the cheap black tar heroin coming in from Mexico and specifically being targeted to white, middle-income communities (not the big cities).

Luckily I haven't had this problem in my family, but one of the things that really stuck with me is how an addict is not "well" once they get home from rehab. It really takes about a year for the brain to heal itself and learn how to function without the morphine molecule controlling it.

I think if this happened to one of my children I would stick to him like glue for a solid year after rehab. Anything else -- school, college, sports -- can wait. Or you really could be like most addicts, going through a cycle that only ends with prison or death.

Vivtrol is better than rehab and cheaper. You still probably want to have your child with you for a year to make sure the monthly shots are done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mother of former heroin addict here. Completely normal, upper middle class family with lots of parental involvement. Child went private but preferred public for HS.

Along our awful journey were two of her friends from a highly competitive private. Different stories. One worked in a dental office and had all too easy access to painkillers. Another's mother died and father wasn't up to the task of raising a child alone.

Child's problem ironically was doctors not taking pain seriously. Refused to refer to PT for over a year. When finally doctor relented and PT therapist recommended a TENS machine, doctor denied prescription. That would be feeding into psychological problem according to him. (Turned out after scores of doctors child had autoimmune condition known to be painful; previous doctors even recommended against Advil when that actually would have helped.)

As no doctor was taking child seriously, child then took matters upon themselves. Didn't even drink and was on to heroin. We are dealing here with under-developed frontal cortexes. For God's sake, doctors need to really, really understand just how dangerous physical teen pain can be. Be sympathetic. Shut your mouth about "psychogenic" causes even if you think that is what it is. Prescribe PT. Give away TENS machines scripts for free. And, honestly, would it really hurt to try to figure out if there actually could be a medical cause for the pain instead of dismissing it as unworthy of investigation?

Yes--I totally lay this at the feet of doctors (many, many of them) who were callous and way over-wedded to the idea that teen pain without injury must be psychological. And they still refused to do a thing for it--like maybe just try to find out what was wrong and try to explain way off blood tests from even before drug use--once they knew about heroin because in the medical world once you do drugs that is your only problem and all medical complaints (and all psychological complaints like anxiety) get attributed to drug use.

We reached a point when there was no one in my child's corner but me. Fortunately, that proved enough and I now have a successful child who is healthy as possible considering the significant medical issues.

PP while I fortunately did not end up on painkillers, I can reallllllly identify with this. I had serious, chronic, unexplained pain as a teenager (...well, and still), and I cannot tell you how many different doctors I went to seeking answers - without fail and with varying degrees of rudeness, they all basically told me it was all in my head and I was being dramatic. They didn't take me seriously, at all. It sucked, and still mkes me really mad to think about

[Anonymous]

Ugh. So much sympathy now that the victims are white.

Drug addicts are drug addicts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mother of former heroin addict here. Completely normal, upper middle class family with lots of parental involvement. Child went private but preferred public for HS.

Along our awful journey were two of her friends from a highly competitive private. Different stories. One worked in a dental office and had all too easy access to painkillers. Another's mother died and father wasn't up to the task of raising a child alone.

Child's problem ironically was doctors not taking pain seriously. Refused to refer to PT for over a year. When finally doctor relented and PT therapist recommended a TENS machine, doctor denied prescription. That would be feeding into psychological problem according to him. (Turned out after scores of doctors child had autoimmune condition known to be painful; previous doctors even recommended against Advil when that actually would have helped.)

As no doctor was taking child seriously, child then took matters upon themselves. Didn't even drink and was on to heroin. We are dealing here with under-developed frontal cortexes. For God's sake, doctors need to really, really understand just how dangerous physical teen pain can be. Be sympathetic. Shut your mouth about "psychogenic" causes even if you think that is what it is. Prescribe PT. Give away TENS machines scripts for free. And, honestly, would it really hurt to try to figure out if there actually could be a medical cause for the pain instead of dismissing it as unworthy of investigation?

Yes--I totally lay this at the feet of doctors (many, many of them) who were callous and way over-wedded to the idea that teen pain without injury must be psychological. And they still refused to do a thing for it--like maybe just try to find out what was wrong and try to explain way off blood tests from even before drug use--once they knew about heroin because in the medical world once you do drugs that is your only problem and all medical complaints (and all psychological complaints like anxiety) get attributed to drug use.

We reached a point when there was no one in my child's corner but me. Fortunately, that proved enough and I now have a successful child who is healthy as possible considering the significant medical issues.

PP while I fortunately did not end up on painkillers, I can reallllllly identify with this. I had serious, chronic, unexplained pain as a teenager (...well, and still), and I cannot tell you how many different doctors I went to seeking answers - without fail and with varying degrees of rudeness, they all basically told me it was all in my head and I was being dramatic. They didn't take me seriously, at all. It sucked, and still mkes me really mad to think about

Yes--but you are adult whose brain has developed enough to figure out that there are long-term consequences to certain actions that may not make things worse than your current state.

Imagine if you are a teen. Is anyone surprised that a teen feeling pretty hopeless from unexplained pain for which there seems to be no hope and whom doctors have shut out turns to do it yourself drug therapy off the street? So easy to forget they know way better than we how to connect with an illegal source.

Being undiagnosed is a special sort of hell I wouldn't wish on my own enemy. Please keep persisting. I went through scores of doctors with my child until I found one who diagnosed on the spot. Not coincidentally, he was the first doctor to spend something more than two minutes on a physical exam.