vicodin addiction? at 13 years old? pleas help!

[kat1in2the3hat]

im 13 years old, ive had to be put on vicodin and codiene since may of 2008 due to an infection that turned out to be staph, they had to cut the area open, and prescribed 500 mg vicodin to me. my mother who has rhumetoid arthritus ?(sp?) constantly has vicodin due to joint pain and what not. i think i maybe be abuseing them.i steal them and would usually take half of one, every weekend, then it turned to 1&1/2, then it was once or twice a week. then it escaladed to every day, (now) 2 every day, with 2 aspirin, or sometimes 2 generic brands of acetamenophin that are 500 mg's. ive been taking 4 pills (2 vicodin and 2 500 other ones) every day. since february 1st. im not sure if ts an addiction, but then again, ive never had a dependancy on anything else. like, i will look forward to the buzz you get, and the feeling of being totally out of it. it calms me, and i really do have a lot of stress in my life, that may be why i take them so much. i dont know. my parents really think im some kind of child who has to live up to thier expectations and be a model f perfection, when n reality, im not, at all. theres stress on my grades, stress at school in general. stress at home. i think i should have a thereapist, but i dont know. i was wondering if i could possibly have an addiction. i get bad headaches when im at school, after i eat some of my dinner i always feel kinda crappy after, im really tired pretty often, im sometimes shakey, and when i have an itch, like  on my leg, and i itch it, i barely really feel it, or notice its happening, sometimes ill focus on a word on the T.V and it will become hard to look at after a while. does any og those things have anything to do with it? what are the withdrawal symptoms if i were to be addicted? what are signs that i will be addicted if im already not? i would really appreciate it if someone wrote back and answered my questions..

[Sithtiger]

I don't have a clue how bad a Staph infection hurts but I can tell you that Vicodin can do that to your stomach!  This is especially true if you're taking more than your body can tolerate at the moment.

Since you have Staph, I can't say well you should get off the Vics now because if you did, you'd have to deal with the infection pain and w/d pain.  On the other hand, you've got to look at what the Vicodin is doing to you.  The Staph can kill you, but then from what I see, the Vicodin is making pretty short work of your insides fast!  

I would go see your counselor and the doctor immediately!  From where I'm sitting, you're in a situation where you should be calling or going to the ER right now!  I don't think you realize that the Vicodin is lowering your immune system too, which can't be good considering your situation.  It's gonna make you body that less resistant to the infection.  Whatever you do Kat, you need to do it now before something really does happen where you're life is screwed up or even taken away forever.  I'm not trying to scare you, but you need to understand the situation your in right now.  You need to make a choice while you still can.  If you wait too long, some choices will be made for you.  Seriously talk to someone tomorrow....please!

[mtgoat911]

i was 15 when i went to my first aa meeting, i remember the old timers telling me that they spilled ,more alcohol than i drank, which was true, i was addicted to pills, at that time i had never been drunk, ,, it was so hard to get help when i was a teen
i am not sure where you live but 2 fridays a month i speak at an adolecent unit, the patients are 13 to 18, i can contact the facility and see if they can recomend treatment options in your area
i hope you feel better soon, you are not alone in all this, many of us started early!
please feel free to post as many times as you need to here at medhelp!!!

[this_big]

  First off let me say i'm glad to see you still posting.I think thats a great idea to take a friend(if they are there to support you).Does this friend in mind take anything..drugs???Not that it makes that much of a difference if they truely are there for you on this.Alot of the things you say your feeling could be side affects from the infec. meds,But sound alot more like w/ds from vic(not knowing about "zyvox").Im sure your very well aware of this but you are talking to adults..moms,dads.Most if not all of us would be SO proud of our child for coming forward w/something like this,but all have been 13 and know how scary it is.I hate preaching to my son.Its just in a parents nature.My parents were a royal pain in my ***.I thank them everyday for that .NOW...Its because we care and want the best for them.Knowing how much of a (for lack of better word)B!TCH... life can be...

This ONE decision COULD  change your WHOLE life...My point is,, whomever you talk to(adult)i.e school,therapist,ect WILL help you.And YES you have the very beginings of a VERY dangerous and ugly addiction.It took most of us as"adults"alot longer to come forward w/this problem than you.That says ALOT for you.I think someone said above"wise well beyond your years".Stick w/your plan honey.Though not right in front of you we ARE adults.....Were not THAT scary....Well...if you saw alot of us you'd probably think different...thats besides the point...lol...Keep posting and above all STICK W/THE PLAN!!Sweetie your a VERY smart girl.DONT let this **** change that..

[kat1in2the3hat]

well, tomorrow im deciding wether or not to go see one of my councelors at school with a friend with me for moral support. i know this is bad, but last night i  was taking 2 750's and 2 tylenols w/ codiene. but i had an awful headache before i took them, and even when i did, this morning i woke up to what i thought was a hunger pain, but it was actually me feeling like i wanted to throw up. but i didnt. so, i went to get something small to eat and felt like i was going to throw up again. i was already in the bathroom waiting for it to happen. but im also on a drug called zyvox (sp?) for infection, because now i have contracted staph infection in my knee. so i think maybe that might have somthing to do with it?? i dont know.and i keep having that feeling in your stomach when your nervous, sort of like butterflies, but im not, at all nervous. I'm at home, calm as can be. i just have really mixed up feelings about life in general. i just had an awful mood swing yesterday morning (the day after i didnt take anything at all. my only day "clean" in a week) and said some pretty mean things i wish i would had never said. and felt angry, felt like crying, felt depressed, and then by the end of the day (after i had taken already 1 vic) i was mellow and felt the slightest bit happier than i did before.

[LIZZIE LOU]

i am the mother of three sons who are addicts...so i'm gonna speak to you as a "mother".

this is what drugs have done to my sons.

son #1:  gifted athlete who quit school in the 10th grade...spent 2 1/2 years in prison.  he has no education and struggles daily to make ends meet.  his marriage is on again, off again...his addiction to alcohol and xanax makes him moody and NOT pleasant to be around.  he has no plans for his future except scoring more xanax.

son #2:  gonna skip him to the end

son #3:  a gifted student (very high iq) and athlete...had football scholarship to private high school...a soccer and track standout...failed the 10th grade and had to attend summer school...lost most of his friends...jailed twice...two rehabs...and finally spent 13 months in long term rehab for a crack addiction.  he has been clean for 3 years :)

back to son #2:  this son of mine was a sweetheart of a child...God's gift to mankind.  he had so much life and love in him that it would just envelope others.  he could just smile at you and your heart would melt.
christian dropped out of school in the 11th grade.  he has been in jail too many times to count and his record is a mile long.  he has been addicted to crystal meth for 10 years and counting and it has destroyed everything and everyone around him.  i dont like him and i dont trust him...as he will steal from me no sooner than my back is turned.  he is a master manipulator.
this beautiful child of mine is now a monster that i dont even know anymore.  because of his addiction and the bad choices he makes...he now has HIV and has to live with that AND the stigma of it for the rest of his life.  

does any of that look like something that you desire for YOUR life?  please dont read this and say, "well that wont be me ! ! !"...because it could very well be you one day.  everyone one of my sons "started small"...smoking the occasional joint...having a beer or two...popping a pill here and there...but look how addiction grabbed ahold of them and didnt let go.  

if you think i'm just trying to scare you...you're right.  i am hoping that you will read my post and be scared to death that this might happen to you.  do something now...today...to make sure that you dont end up like any of my sons did.  

big hugs sent to you...
kim

[Sithtiger]

Even though it may be unpleasant, you should tell your parents what is going on.  They might be mad for a bit but I'm sure they'll be more concerned about you than angry.  Then that's one less thing you have to worry about and easier for you get off them.  The addiction in you is saying no, don't tell them because then if I want them, it will be even harder for me to get them.  

If you really want to get off of them, you have to cut all connections that have to do with getting them.  It's like a final step in your mind that your serious....and yes it's scary but like I said before the reality isn't as bad as what your mind plays it out to be.  Remember, your brain thinks it needs to Vicodin now but you don't.  I mean look at me....I'm almost 9 weeks out and I'm fine.....I mean I don't even pay attention to those aliens that are always with me....doesn't bother me at all.  :-)