Teenagers and Xanax

[seriouslyworried]

Anyone else had to deal with teenagers taking Xanax - and I don’t mean prescribed by GP, I’m talking buying it on the streets!! I really need some help and advice!

Yes I am going through this too. Son is 15. It's MDMA and weed as well. I am really scared. I get the impression it's all over school. School offered to refer to a local agency which supports young people with drug issues. Haven't heard anything back. Same with school nurse. We are also involved with CAMHs. Nobody seems to be able to help. I get the impression services are overwhelmed. My son is very secretive and withdrawn and rarely speaks to me about what's really going on for him. I try keep channels of communication open by talking about everyday things. I am a single parent. This is one of the most stressful things I have ever dealt with. I get the impression his friends' parents are oblivious to what's going on. I don't know his friends and have no contact with their parents. I have been absolutely open and honest with school, the school nursing service and CAMHS. I don't know what else to do.

Thanks for the reply..I was beginning to think it was just my dd! She has been under camhs for anxiety and depression on and off for three years. She seemed to be in a much better place, but all of a sudden, since Christmas and around the time she got a part time job, she has changed. I thought she was stoned from smoking weed, but it turns out shes stoned from xanax! Camhs are aware of this and have told me there is nothing they or I can do!! INSANITY! What are they waiting for? I understand how difficult it is when you dont know all of their friends and certainly dont know their parents...so different to the primary school days! Has your son been honset with you at all about the drugs? I find the blatent lies really difficult to geal with. I feel like a detective sometimes, and I dont want to snoop in her room or on her ipad, but it is the only way I find anything out. Where on earth is the help?

I’m 20 OP and did dabble in lots of things when I was younger, xanex is everywhere at the moment! It’s incredibly addictive. IMO weed is worse than MDMA for the other poster.
No advice but it’s not just your daughter, it really is being sold everywhere at a huge mark up too, so just watch how much she’s spending if you can. The actual Xanex will make her mopey and spacey but unless she’s drinking on it, won’t do her any long term harm.

I’m obviously not a doctor though, so don’t take that at face value.
But just sharing my experince!

Thanks for that, but I have to disagree with you. Coming off benzodiazepines is hell by all accounts! I have spent the last week doing a lot of research and it terrifies me. I am older than you and did my fair share of drug experimenting as a teen, but nothing that lead to dependancy. This is a whole new ball game. You are right, it is everywhere, and I think the nhs will have a huge problem on its hands. Private rehab is in excess of £2000 a week!

No, he is not open and honest with me. I found out about the weed by accident. He has made it clear he does not want me to know about his private issues, so I found out about the Xanax and MDMA from CAMHs. I am actually OK with him having his privacy from me, as long as he engages with services. They have offered no advice or support for me at all. CAMHs has basically told me that I am responsible for keeping him safe. I told them that there are serious limits on how far I can control a 15 year old who doesn't want to open up to his mum about his life. I don't know about you, but I get wildly conflicting advice from the very limited friends/ colleagues whom I have confided in. Have you got anyone in your family/ friend circle whose opinion you trust? Have you been able to speak to school?

You’re right, it is a different ballgame. I think it’s very hard to keep on top of it but the only way to do that is with communication, which is also difficult.
What a strange world we live in, more does need to be done about it. I just wanted to come on and say that it is everywhere and when something is seen as a norm it’s hard to see what you’re doing wrong. I feel for you and your daughter, what a difficult situation.

Thanks.
CanIGetARefund I have good friends but feel uncomfortable talking to them too much if Im honest. Its almost embarrassing. I also live with her dad but he is very much in denial and doesnt want to rock the boat...dd has been known to majorly kick off over the years..so he is unseless! She is currently at college, but she is on a thin line as they are strict on attendance as it is a specialist college and places are precious! I haven't spoken to them about it yet, just about her anxiety which they have been very understanding about. I think that should be my next step, but I know dd will not be happy. I thought the days when she struggled to get out of bed and leave the house were the darkest, but right now I would give anything to go back to that!
You are right, how can you make somebody who is basically an adult do anything that they dont want to? It is totally out of our hands. I am keen to find out what happens if they do decide that they need help. What happens then?

In my experience, adult services are in better shape than those for children and teens. Though it's really patchy up and down the country. And year by year cuts to the NHS is really biting hard. Have you considered considered getting medication prescribed for your daughter's anxiety?

She was on sertraline and had two years worth of CBT therapy with a camhs worker. She really was in a much better place. She, off her own back, decided she didnt want to be on any medication so she stopped taking them. By the time I realised, she hadnt been taking them for months. She then stared to smoke weed as a way of coping with the anxiety in a more "natural" way!!!! This has led to the xanax, which I know is a complete contradiction to the naive "natural" way! Maybe turning 18 will lend its self to better services for drug misuse. I just dont want to be in a position where a detox or rehab is needed. I dont know how niave I am being myself, or if I am completely overreacting! She is back under camhs after a serious incident involving xanax use and they can not make her go back onto Sertraline if she doesnt want to. In fact nobody can make those decisions for her...we are so helpless.

Yes I agree, if someone does not want to address their drug use, there isn't a way of forcing them to. I would be interested to hear words of wisdom from any young people and parents who have come out the other side of this.

Me too!

At my 40th party I thought she was exceptionally stoned but turns out she took Xanax, weed and downed multiple cocktails. How she’s still alive I don’t know.

My dd that is

Where are your DC getting their money from? That should be the first thing to go - you’ll pay for what they need, but no cash/money in the bank for he foreseeable future.
It’s tough

I have had to stop access to money for my DC (to reduce access to drugs), but occasionally he does earn some. And some people give him cash on Xmas and birthdays. Apparently Xanax and other pills are not expensive.

My dd has a part time job that pays her fortnightly. As we are London she gets a good hourly rate! I only ever top up oyster to get to college now...she know this. But they are very cheap...10 for £10!!!!

Apparently this is a huge problem so you are not alone in this situation OP. The Xanax they are buying online and on the street is not always Xanax but a concoction of other things.
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/health-43287905

This is why I’m so worried! I am really surprised that more people haven’t commented with the same problem. It is so rife among teenagers, and I’m talking from all walks of life!