How Rampant ICE Is Among Teenagers And Ways To Help Them Get Through It
What is ICE?
ICE is a highly addictive and strong drug that affects the body’s central nervous system and is also commonly referred to as crystal meth or crystal methamphetamine. It comes in shiny whitish-blue rocks or clear crystal chunks. Also called “glass” or “blade”, it has grown to become a very popular party substance in many parts of the world. Users usually smoke crystal meth via small glass pipes, however, sometimes they can snort it, swallow it or even inject it directly into their veins. Those that have used it before saying they feel a slight and a fast rush of euphoria just right after they’ve taken a hit.
This drug is a very dangerous man-made substance that can cause severe psychological complications as well as damage your body in general. It has also been around for quite a while. During WWII, soldiers were given this drug to help keep them awake and alert. Many have also taken it to help battle depression and to lose weight. Today, there’s only one legal meth commodity and it’s a tablet that’s used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity. Its use is rare, though, and it can only be gotten via a doctor’s prescription.
Teen ICE addiction
So, What is ICE addiction? It’s when someone has used the drug so much that they feel like they simply function, let alone live, a day without it. Adolescents are particularly at risk when it comes to crystal meth abuse. The human brain continues to develop until the body that’s carrying it reaches its mid-20s or so, and a drug as powerful as this one can have an extremely huge impact on a brain that’s still in the development stage. Teenagers may also not know about the risks that come with taking such a drug and so they might be more prone to using it more often. In fact, a lot of teenage users acknowledge the social costs and health risks of using it heavily, however, they still have a rather mellow and positive reaction towards its use as compared to crack cocaine or heroin.
How does ICE abuse look like in teens
Teen crystal meth abuse is seen frequently in teenage females that happen to be anorexic. They like using it because they want to lose weight as fast as possible and sadly this drug can help with that. This can often prove to be an especially dangerous and harmful combination, one which causes them to lose weight extremely fast leaving them looking skeleton-thin. Crystal meth abuse is usually characterized by lack of hygiene, weight loss, irritability, physical scars the likes of scabs and lesions caused by frequent and constant scratching, and in very severe situations “meth mouth” (gum disease, acid erosion and tooth fractures).
Teenagers that are abusing ICE are also prone to doing things that are very dangerous and they love taking risks as well. This is one way you can identify a teen that’s abusing methamphetamines. The euphoric effects that meth highs provide the user with goes beyond all reasoning and can cause teenage children to push themselves and their bodies to the extreme limit. Some adolescents use it in small doses to help them study as an Adderall alternative.
How to treat ICE addiction
Treatment for crystal meth abuse can take several forms and those forms in large part depend on the specific needs of the individual in question. Detoxification is usually the first phase of treatment and it can proceed smoothly if carefully monitored by experienced medical practitioners. Withdrawal, on the other hand, can prove profoundly uncomfortable for most, and it can sometimes even give rise to depressive episodes. Oh, and by the way, the risk of relapsing is high during the acute detox stage so you need to be extra careful during this period.
Acute symptoms will often time be treated using medications so as to help alleviate some of the discomfort of withdrawal and side effects. Additionally, intensive, holistic treatments can also be used to help treat those battling this addiction. Some of them include:
1. Talk Therapy
Beyond just ending the abuse of the drug, therapy will also help the teenager address any other factor or issue that may be causing them stress in their lives. Academic pressure, disordered eating and depression are just but a couple of the common reasons why adolescents get involved with drugs of this kind. Because this substance is so strong and highly addictive, treatment should start as soon as possible so that the harm caused can be minimized.
2. Group Therapy
Support groups and group therapy matter for both the initial treatment as well as to help the teenage child get clean and to stay that way. The challenge in any recovery journey is staying clean and working alongside former ICE addicts to help keep each motivated along that journey happens to be a huge part of it all. Group sessions can give teenage kids the chance to air out their unique perspectives and problems to people that have gone through similar experiences
3. Family Therapy
Working with families as a whole to educate them on how they can provide a better healing environment for their ailing child is very important. Recovery often starts via outpatient or residential programs, however, it all has to continue on even once they’re in the comforts of their home. Families can ensure through family therapy that they create the appropriate home environments for their teenager to continue flourishing, during early recovery as well as throughout their entire school years. Like they say, charity both begins as well as ends at home and so do ICE addiction treatment.
That powerful rush and high many people get after using crystal meth causes a lot of them to get hooked right away. It’s something you need to be very careful with or else you’ll find yourself abusing it within no time, especially if you’re in your teenage years. The wave of dopamine that floods your brain after a hit can make you feel like you’re in heaven, but it’s all a lie. Don’t let your teenage child fall prey to ICE drug addiction. Hopefully, this article has provided you with that much-needed insight.
