What if your Child or Loved One is Already Abusing Cough Medications?

Determine if he (or she) is suffering damage from the use of cough medications or other drugs by checking these points.

Has he or she:

• Accused you of not trusting him when you ask about drug abuse?
• Turned the guilt on you when you asked questions?
• Been secretive and intensely isolated?
• Become pale and unhealthy looking?
• Been found with evidence of cough medicine abuse?
• Given up on activities that used to interest him (or her)?
• Had his grades go down dramatically?
• Been hard to wake, fainted, or had a seizure?
• Showed the signs of cough medication abuse or addiction that are listed above?

This is only a very brief test. If you see signs that your loved one needs help and they adamantly resist, then he needs rehabilitation to be able to create a productive, enjoyable life once again.

A person who is addicted to may suffer from withdrawal symptoms if the abuse was heavy enough and went on long enough. These symptoms can include restlessness, muscle and bone aches, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting and cold flashes.

When a Person Needs Help

At some time or another, nearly every family will have to deal with the addiction of one of their members. It could be an uncle that seems half-drunk at every family celebration, someone who lost everything to prescription opiate addiction or a loved one who has been using heroin. It is important to know how to find this person a lasting solution.

The kinds of changes that must occur to recover from addiction include:

• A person must find relief from the incessant, intense cravings that make sobriety difficult or lead to repeated relapses.
• He (or she) must overcome the depression that accompanies addiction.
• He must gain more self-control and recover his clear perception of his world.
• He must also find relief from the guilt that results from addiction.
• He must regain a sense of morals and personal responsibility.
• He must learn the life skills that make it possible to maintain a sober path toward success after he returns to his usual life. In other words, he must feel better and more competent after rehab than before it.

When you look at this list, you are probably looking at the changes and life skills you hope to see in your loved one, no matter what substance he is addicted to. The Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation program is designed to address these changes and many more that are necessary for a person to stay sober for the rest of his or her life.

You can locate a Narconon drug rehabilitation center here:

http://www.narconon.org/narconon-centers/

Addiction does not have to be a permanent curse. It can be overcome. But it is best when it can be prevented entirely.

For help with drug education or rehabilitation, contact Narconon.

Resources

• http://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/commonly-abused-drugs/commonly-abused-drugs-chart
• https://www.jpso.com/DocumentCenter/Home/View/56).pdf.pdf)
• http://www.abovetheinfluence.com/facts/drugsdxm
• http://www.medicinenet.com/acetaminophen/article.htm
• http://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs11/11563/
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21378523
• https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/drug-trafficking/
• http://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs44/44849/44849p.pdf