Addiction Resources for Students in Texas

Texas Teen Substance Abuse Resources

SMART Recovery

The meetings are led by a team of volunteers and counselors. Former alcohol and drug dependents are always willing to lend a hand to provide support for recovering patients. The organization also sets up a meeting or you can ask to organize your own meeting for people in need in your area.The purpose is self-empowerment and mutual support where people with the same experience can share their thoughts and feelings. With the advances in technology, your physical presence in these groups is not even needed as you can do one-on-one counseling online or join the 24/7 chat room. It should be noted, however, that SMART Recovery is not a 12-step program. You can go to their website and find local meetings in your area.

Narcotics Anonymous

Narcotics Anonymous is a variation of the Alcoholics Anonymous. Both follow the same program, which is the 12-step approach. Worldwide, the group said that almost 67,000 meetings are held every week in 139 countries.

The website offers extensive addiction resources and tools that will help somebody who is willing to organize a meeting. The primary principle of the NA is for the drug dependent to reach out to another who is struggling with sobriety. The meetings carry the same message that the non-profit is trying to convey and that is they are not hopeless and there are worse cases than them but still the individuals managed to survive. You can set up your own meeting in your area or call the hotline on the website so you can be referred to local groups.

Alcoholics Anonymous

The group is rich in addiction resources for students so they can find information regarding their alcohol problem. They set up a meeting for alcohol dependents to meet and share their experiences, as well as provide spiritual, physical, and mental support. The fundamental tenets of the teachings and lessons in these meetings are based on the article published in 1939, which is now known as the 12-step process. There are many variations to the 12-step process but the vision remains the same. You can go to this page so you can find an AA meeting near you.

Young People in Recovery

The group envisions to helping young people who are caught in the grip of addiction but want to turn in a new leaf. The group itself is composed of former young dependents who want to share their experience about how they managed to control their addiction. Their website is also filled with resources and information that the youth in distress can access. The group doesn’t provide rehab treatment but rather focuses on the support system like linking them to jobs, housing, and education.

Addiction Resource Center

The website is an interactive platform that helps not just individuals with substance use disorder problem but also their families, who are considered as co-dependents because they, too, suffer the trauma with living with a drug or alcohol dependent. This non-profit group also has a helpline that you can call directly for free if you have some questions. There’s also a mechanism where you can volunteer your help to others who are also struggling with sobriety.

Texas Health and Human Services

This government website of the State of Texas offers a rich source of material for alcohol and drug abuse. You can read up on the latest updates regarding substance use disorder programs, or get updates via your email. You can also contact the website administrator directly if you have some questions regarding rehab programs and financial assistance that you can avail. For instance, the state has a program for Texas residents who want to do something about their drug or alcohol dependency problem even if they don’t have the capacity to pay for private services.

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Rational Recovery

This group focuses on individual accountability and self-empowerment. The website itself is filled with information which, according to the group, is enough for the individual to fight the cravings and relapse. The method used may not be for everybody, however, because it is individualistic and devoid of the support system associated with the group recovery method. The main principle is mind over matter.

SOS Dallas

Secular Organizations for Sobriety is a group that advocates for abstinence. The group has been in existence for 30 years now, and still holds meetings of people recovering from drug and alcohol dependence. The burden of sobriety is placed more upon the individual, which means he or she must find his own unique path toward recovery. There’s no single path to treatment. What may work for one person may not be applicable to another even if they are abusing the same substance.

There are many resources out there to assist in the fight against addiction. Be sure to check out the resources available to you to assist on your road to recovery.

The Drug Facts among Texas youth 2016 revealed an increase in the use of crack cocaine among 7th and 12th graders in Texas from 2.2 percent in 2014 to 3.0 percent in 2016.

Alcohol remains the substance of choice among the students as the figures showed a slight uptick of students who drank alcohol at any point in their lives from the 50.5% in 2014 to 52.7% in 2016. While marijuana is still popular among students in this subset, there was a decrease from the 23.2% of users in 2014 to 20.8% in 2016.

The survey also found that prescription drugs are routinely being abused by the students. Among these medicines were:

Adderall
Ritalin
Valium
Xanax
Oxycodone
Hydrocodone
Dexedrine
Codeine cough syrup
Focalin

Another rising menace is methamphetamine, which the National Drug Intelligence Center termed as a “significant drug threat” in the state. Adolescents are also starting to abuse meth, which represented 2.3 percent of more than 5,000 young people admitted to drug rehab. In fact, the average age of meth users among young people is 16 years old. The problem is that meth, most of which come from Mexican laboratories, is readily available in Texas.

How to Know If Your Child is Abusing Drugs

Teenagers are at an age where their hormones are raging so it’s understandable for some parents to overlook some of the warning signs regarding the drug use of their children. It’s also easy for parents to excuse their children’s changing behavior to just being teenagers.

Below are just some of the signs you should look out for:

Racking up debts
Always out late at night
Being secretive about their activities
Extreme mood swings
Always locked up inside their rooms
Avoids eye contact
Disinterest in family gatherings and celebrations
A sudden change in behavior
Hyperactivity
Sleeps for days
Going absent for long periods of time
Changes in school marks
Disciplinary actions from school
Going hostile all of a sudden
Not interested in maintaining hygiene
Strange smell from skin or clothes
Sores around the mouth
Marks on arms and legs

There are many other signs, of course. The important thing is to trust your instinct and be involved in the life of your kids always. If in doubt, don’t be afraid to go into their rooms to look for contraband. Their lives are more important than you violating their privacy.

Medical disclaimer:

Sunshine Behavioral Health strives to help people who are facing substance use disorder, addiction, mental health disorders, or a combination of these conditions. It does this by providing compassionate care and evidence-based content that addresses health, treatment, and recovery.

Licensed medical professionals review material we publish on our site. The material is not a substitute for qualified medical diagnoses, treatment, or advice. It should not be used to replace the suggestions of your personal physician or other health care professionals.