Abstract
The opiate addiction problem among adolescents in the United States is a prime predictor of substance use in adulthood. The target population for this dissertation is children between the ages of 10-18, exposed to opiate based drugs through prescriptions or illegal dealers selling controlled substances such as heroin. It discusses implications for adolescents using heroin including anxiety disorder, depression, and ADHD among others. Effects of opiates and possible treatment options are described. Evidence-based practice offers the best chance at addressing substance use among adolescents.
Introduction
Opioid crisis among adolescents is an increasingly problematic issue. Heroin and other opiate controlled substances such as morphine are produced from the poppy plant. Globally, use of opiod and opiate has been growing, and consequently, addiction and abuse has increased in recent years. Statistics indicate that between 26 and 36 million individuals abuse opiates globally (Curtin & Rowe, 2020). Notably, nearly half a million people have died in the US between 2000 and 2014, due to drug overdose (Curtin & Rowe, 2020). Opiates account for 61% of all the deaths (Curtin & Rowe, 2020). Heroin acts as a gateway drug into disorders such as mood disorders, sleep disorder and anxiety disorders. The prevailing increase of opiate misuse presents a social problem to the community as well as the infrastructure and finances of numerous hospitals (Angarita, Emadi, Hodges, & Morgan, 2016). Adolescents abusing opiates have been identified to be more vulnerable to stress and have a higher likelihood of engaging in destructive behavior. This study delves deeper on the history of opiate use among adolescents, opiate disorders and their damage both on a micro and macro level, and available treatment options for opiate disorders. Evidently, easy access to drugs among young people in the United States has led to increased use of opiates, leading to addiction and use disorders.
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History of Opiate Use among Adolescents
The United States has had a widely recognized problem with opiate abuse since the 19 th Century. In this period, morphine was practically prescribed for all sorts of pain. Due to lack of substantial research on its effects on the body and tendency to cause addiction, pharmacists sold it without regulations (Levy, 2019). Careless handling of morphine allowed adolescents to acquire drugs from pharmacies easily. Cicero and some colleagues presided over the first research made into identifying reasons for prevailing opiate use among adolescents (Yule, Lyons, & Wilens, 2018). While examining a number of adults entering treatment between 1960 and 2010 they found out that there was a clear rise in opiate first time use in the 1990s (Yule et al., 2018). Most individuals indicated that their first encounter with heroin was through prescription opioids rather than unprocessed opiates such as heroin accessed from dealers. Researchers also noted a pattern of use beginning at the ages of 10 to 12. (Yule et al., 2018) Opiate use among adolescents has accelerated tremendously between the 1970s and 2000 (Angarita, Emadi, Hodges, & Morgan, 2016).
Opiate Use Disorders
Adolescents often indulge in opiate abuse due social risk factors such as affiliation with deviant peer groups, celebrity influences, familial factors such as neglect and physical abuse, gang affiliation and lack of adult monitoring. Continued use leads to disorders such as addiction, anxiety disorder, depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and mood disorder and sleep disorders (Parvaresh, Mazhari, & Mohamadi, 2016). Opiate addiction is the most common risk factor of heroin abuse. Drug addiction, also referred to as substance use disorder (SUD) leads to an inability to suppress reliance on a controlled substance leading to dependence (Sharma, Bruner, & Barnett, 2016). Reliance for adolescents often begins as a fun activity among friends in social settings. Thereafter, drug use becomes more frequent. Other adolescents come into contact with opiate prescriptions belonging to their parents or relatives (Sharma et al., 2016). Some drugs tend to have more addiction risk such as painkiller opiates. With continued use, the body develops a tolerance mechanism, requiring larger doses of the opiate to get high (Angarita, Emadi, Hodges, & Morgan, 2016). As drug use increases, it becomes more difficult to survive without regular intake. Individuals who attempt to stop addiction suffer from intense craving and often become extremely ill due to addiction withdrawal symptoms.
Anxiety disorders and separation anxiety is closely related to substance abuse (Angarita, Emadi, Hodges, & Morgan, 2016). Adolescents engaging in heroin abuse often do so as a way to cope with anxious feelings caused by parental expectations, school pressures, and teenage changes. Research shows that prevalence rates for anxiety in children between the ages of 12 and 17 ranged from 8.3% to 27% (Curtin & Rowe, 2020). Heroin use for Hispanic, White, and African-American has been associated with substance use among peers, often based on influence that the drug can fix mental disorders. Studies conducted by the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health show that Depression and anxiety disorders are highly associated (Curtin & Rowe, 2020). Major depression actually precedes the use of heroin, oxytocin, and morphine among other opiates. Adolescents indulge in drugs to suppress depressive feelings. Social isolation caused by anxiety and depression disorders leads to increased attempts of self-administration (Angarita, Emadi, Hodges, & Morgan, 2016). Adolescents are more likely to overdose during a compromised attempt at self-regulating emotions.
ADHD is the most frequent psychiatric disorder among children and adolescence affecting about 3-5% of school-aged children (Angarita et al., 2016). Affected persons are unable to pay attention and are often restless due to an inability to control impulsive behaviors. Adolescents suffering from ADHD result to opiates to suppress impulsive behaviors and increase attention spans. According to Parvaresh et al., (2016), a third of adolescents currently receiving treatment for opiate abuse in America have ADHD. Opiates are responsible for sleep and mood disorders among adolescents. Short-term opioid abuse cases sedation and daytime drowsiness due to nocturnal oxygen desaturations and abnormal breathing patterns (Angarita et al., 2016). Adolescents often experience low moods once the high effects of the drug begin to subside.
Effects of Opiates on Adolescents
Opiate disorders causes adverse effects on users including overdose, suicide, risks in contracting HIV and HCV and permanent mental damage. Problems begin after an adolescent has been on short-term use of opiates. They may include lack of interest in school activities, physical health issues such as weight loss and neglected appearance (Yule, Lyons, & Wilens, 2018). The child may also go at lengths to bar parents from accessing their rooms. Overdose often occurs after taking a larger amount to satisfy the demand from the body. In often cases, young people tend to overdose by taking a combination of drugs. Research indicates that, opiate overdose is among the leading cause of accidents in the United States (Yule, Lyons, & Wilens, 2018). Upon overdosing, young people experience nausea, vomiting, confusion, feelings of unconsciousness, difficulties in breathing, and difficulties waking up. Whenever they manage to overcome overdose, most young people seek treatment and go for rehab. Heroin is commonly administered through needles. Addicts have reduced access to self-administering equipment hence they share with their peers, increasing the risks of acquiring HIV and hepatitis viruses from infected friends (Yule, Lyons, & Wilens, 2018). Depression caused by long-term use of opiates develops suicidal thoughts, in which most affected adolescents carry through with. Gaither et al., (2018), reports that 8986 children committed suicide between 1999 and 2018.
Treatment for Opiate Related Disorders
President Nixon ordered the creation of the first methadone program tasked with treatment of opiate addiction (Curtin & Rowe, 2020). Federal regulations restrict adolescents from accessing treatment from methadone programs, therefore leaving little to no treatment options for them despite being a high-risk population for opiate abuse (Levy, 2019). Uncontrollable use indicates the need for Medication for Addiction Treatment (MAT). The current treatment for OUD is focused on psychotherapy sessions that identify risk factors driving children towards drug use (Curtin & Rowe, 2020). Therapists guide adolescents experiencing depression towards focusing on aspects of their life that provide a sense of safety. Buprenorphine is used for detoxification mechanisms in patients that are 16 years and older (Levy, 2019). It provides more safety, less intense withdrawal effects and lower abuse potential. Parents seeking treatment for their child should receive a variety of age appropriate medication options (Levy, 2019). Most interventions are aimed at helping the child in building their confidence, attention, self-respect and appreciate their lives.
Conclusion
Prevailing opioid use in adolescents indicates the need for new strategies in preventing and treating opiate use to curb the current epidemic of opioid addiction. Research shows that most addicts enrolled into treatment programs for addiction problems were initiated into drug abuse during childhood or adolescence between the ages of 10-18. Therefore, the government must lay more focus towards preventing opiate abuse at the immediate roots of the issue. Heroin, oxytocin, and morphine have adverse effects on the social, mental, and physical state of a pubescent child. Opiates are gateway drugs towards suicide, crime, and violence. Integrating SUD treatment into primary care for low-income communities extends interventions to all populations propelling the country towards a cleaner, drug free society.
References
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