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Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Overcoming Opioids: Special Schools Help Teens Stay Clean

When Logan Snyder got hooked on pills after a prescription to treat pain from a kidney stone, she joined the millions already swept up in the nation's grim wave of addiction to opioid painkillers.

She was just 14.

Youth is a drawback when it comes to kicking drugs. Only half of U.S. treatment centers accept teenagers and even fewer offer teen-focused groups or programs. After treatment, adolescents find little structured support. They're outnumbered by adults at self-help meetings. Sober youth drop-in centers are rare. Returning to school means resisting offers to get high with old friends.

But Snyder is lucky: Her slide ended when her father got her into a residential drug treatment program. Now 17 and clean, she credits her continued success to Hope Academy in Indianapolis, a tuition-free recovery school where she's enrolled as a junior.

"I am with people all day who are similar to me," she says. "We're here to hold each other accountable."

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9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Impossible for a non addictive personality to become addicted to pain pills after 30 days. The body does not crave the medicine in that shot time. It takes a long time to change the central nervous system into thinking it needs it. Total bs your addicted bc of kidney stone treatment. Once again WE go to far and can't stop ourselves and EVERYONE wants to be a victim. soon enough broken legs will be treated with counseling and s hug.

Anonymous said...

You have no idea about addiction. I nearly got hooked on oxy after a surgery you holier than thou jerk

Anonymous said...

Nearly? So you weren't addicted? And if you didn't need the medicine why even take it? How long were you on it? And what was it?

Anonymous said...

Stop all your whining!! Save them put them in bag I'll be more than happy to take them off your hands. Several degenerative discs and spinal stenosis make life almost unbearable without some type of meds. But because of cry babies like you and ignorant irresponsible assholes I have to fight to get proper meds to help keep me mobile and avoid spinal fusion

Anonymous said...

I got a spine fusion. Advoid it but not sure if you will be able to. This is not the time to need pain meds. Society has painted with a broad brush. I feel for you.

Anonymous said...

1000 am not sure what part of the back you have disease in but lumbar has come along way with procedures. However if you have nerve pain it probably won't help. It will stop the spasms but could increase the nerve root pain. I've been taking pain meds as prescribed for 12 years and never had a problem. I never wanted to shoot heroin or smoke crack. Its ridiculous for people to think everyone is like that. Good luck.

Anonymous said...

Can you read or just bang on your keyboard?

Anonymous said...

I stubbed my toe and got addicted to crack. Think we need to build a rehab center.

Anonymous said...

You clearly are very uneducated on opiates.