Teenager Rehab

 

Teenagers and Addiction

Study after study reveals long-term drug and alcohol users began their addiction before reaching the age of 18. This means seeking professional help is vital. The sooner you seek help the better. Most teens start taking drugs or alcohol for recreational purposes.

Their drug or alcohol use can get out of control to the point where your teen is unable to say ‘no”. Many teens start with so-called ‘gateway’ drugs such as alcohol or cannabis and then transition to harder drugs such as heroin and cocaine.

An extensive list of factors can result in teen addiction. Most notably, teenagers’ brains are not as developed by those of adults. Studies show that the human brain is even developing until the age of 25.

This means that teenagers are more susceptible to taking risks, not thinking of the consequences, and not registering the legal, moral, and very real prospect of their drug use and subsequently, their addiction.

Every parent’s nightmare

Every parents’ nightmare is to discover their child has developed an addiction to drugs or alcohol. Many parents perceive their child’s addiction as a personal failure on their own part.

Teen years can be an emotional time for parents and their children alike. Unfortunately, some teens will develop an addiction no matter how good your parenting skills may have been.

Addiction is a progressive disease. Developing an addiction from an early age has serious consequences for your child’s mental and physical health. Your child is exposing his or her organs to deadly toxins. Furthermore, an addiction probably means your child is mixing with dangerous people such as drug dealers.

What causes teenage substance addiction?

What we aim to highlight at Rehab 4 Addiction is that every addiction and substance misuse is subjective. Our treatment programmes, especially for teenagers, will strive to understand their compulsions, reasons and triggers when it comes to their addiction.

It is widely accepted among our experts that each patient referred to us has their individual needs and requirements, which we will aim to address.

Common Causes of Teen Addiction

Below, we list some common reasons or events that can lead to a teenager’s substance abuse or addiction. We treat each individual subjectively and will work with your teen to understand and discuss the underlying causes of their addiction in order to enhance their path to recovery.

Their issues can derive from:

• Family problems. Common familial or domestic problems include divorce, arguments at home, stress or discomfort due to another sibling, and even child abuse. In situations where family problems are the main reason leading to substance abuse, it is vital that the family demonstrate support and love towards their child throughout the entire teen addiction treatment programme
• Peer pressure. As aforementioned, teenagers are less cognitively developed than adults and often fail to comprehend the damaging results of their actions. Peer pressure is highly common and influential among teenage substance use, as individuals will often refuse to decline an offer of drugs or alcohol so as to “appear cool” or to “fit in” to certain social circles. This is a common factor which leads to the requirement of teenage addiction treatment
• Academic failure. Sometimes the pressure from parents, colleagues, or even friends oversteps the boundaries of ‘appearing cool’ and extends to professional or academic obligations. Loss of self-worth and confidence can lead to substance misuse, in turn leading the teen down the slippery slope of dependency and ultimately addiction
• Parental influence. It is increasingly common for young adults to be admitted to the teenage addiction treatment program as a result of witnessing their parents’ use and abuse substances, often for many years. Children and teenagers are prone to mimicking the behaviour of those they grow up around. At Rehab4Addiction, we aim to provide support for not only individuals or teenagers but the entire family through our teenage addiction treatment programmes

What other factors trigger teen addiction?

The triggers of teen addiction are many and differ between individuals. However, we outline some of the more common triggers of teen addiction below.

Typical ‘triggers’ of teen addiction include:

• Boredom
• Experimentation
• Bad influences/friendship group
• Tastes in music
• Peer pressure
• Exam pressure

Early warning signs

Teenagers and young adults are often thought of as difficult to approach, get through to and sometimes live with. But if you fear for the welfare of your teenager, here are some signs and symptoms to look out for.

Spotting these factors early could, in the long run, save your teenager’s life and help them on the road to recovery with one of our teenage addiction treatment programs.

Before teen addiction treatment: holding an intervention

Approaching your teen about their habits or substance abuse shouldn’t be thought of as a scary step: it is the beginning of their recovery path. Remind yourself that as their carer, you are providing your teen with love and support, and helping them reach a healthy end goal which is sobriety.

Interventions are often emotional events. Warming and comforting body language, a soft approach, and avoiding the use of derogatory or judgemental language is a must. An intervention can take many forms, including a written letter, a video, or even the gathering of a small group of loved ones who urge the teenager in question to seek help out of love, not out of anger or judgement.

It’s important to have done your research before holding an intervention. Notify the rehabilitation centre you have in mind that you are speaking to your teenager about their addiction. This is so the centre can prepare for the expectant arrival of your teen, and they may even help you with some intervention tips.

Interventions can be emotional and often teenagers will fail to understand how this necessary step will ultimately lead to a healthier and more fulfilled adulthood.

It may therefore be helpful to turn the intervention into a teenage-lead discussion, in which the young adult can express their wishes and desires, rather than “being told” by a parent.

But if your child or teenager is reluctant to receive help and to comply with attending a teenager addiction treatment centre or programme, it’s worth remembering their relentlessness and stubbornness is nothing in the long run compared to a lifetime of addiction, struggle, and other terrorising factors associated with substance misuse.

How teen addiction treatment works

Rehab 4 Addiction organises both outpatient and residential rehabilitation treatment for teens. However, we strongly recommend residential treatment. This is because residential treatment requires your child to live within the rehab centre during the course of the programme.

Thus ‘bad influences’ and other triggers of teen addiction are kept at arm’s length during rehabilitation. It will be much harder for your teen to be influenced or to relapse into ‘bad behaviours’ during in-patient treatment.

We are confident at Rehab4Addiction that our teenage addiction treatments will provide the highest level of care for your teen with therapies such as:

1. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
2. Motivational Techniques and Methods
3. 12 Step Programs
4. Group Therapy
5. Medication

Pre-Admission Assessment

Before your child enters a residential rehabilitation unit, a thorough pre-admission assessment takes place. Here we determine the precise facts surrounding your child’s drug or alcohol addiction. We determine the addiction’s duration and the precise quantity of drugs or alcohol consumed each day.

This information determines the length of your child’s rehab programme. Chronic and long terms addicts suffering from an underlying mental health problem typically require between four and six weeks inside a residential centre, together with an extensive programme of aftercare lasting an additional twelve months on an outpatient basis.

Teen detoxification

Teen rehab begins with a process known as detoxification. Here all drug or alcohol toxins are removed from your child’s system. Painful withdrawal symptoms are reduced through the controlled use of psychiatric drugs. These drugs are prescribed by an in-house psychiatrist.

Therapy and counselling sessions

Once detox concludes a structured program of therapy commences. Therapy aims to identify the ‘triggers’ of teen addiction. These triggers are often unique to teens and different from triggers experienced by adult drug or alcohol addicts. Teen addiction treatment must be tailored to the unique needs of teen addicts.

Therapies include cognitive behavioural therapy, psychotherapy and a range of holistic therapies such as Reiki, meditation and yoga. These therapies help treat the underlying causes of addiction such as depression and anxiety. Teens are taught to cope with life’s stresses in ways not involving drug or alcohol use. Therapy consists of group and individual therapy sessions.

Group therapy consists of teens discussing their issues and experiences openly. Here teens are encouraged to learn from one another. Individual therapy sessions are one-to-one sessions with a qualified therapist. Here the patient is encouraged to discuss his or her more intimate issues with the therapist.

The therapist helps the patient resolve these issues in a controlled and supportive manner.

Family therapy

Family member involvement is encouraged during therapy. This is known as ‘family therapy’. Here family members are invited into the rehabilitation centre to voice their concerns around their loved one’s addiction. These sessions are therapist-controlled and family members must adhere to guidelines issued before family therapy sessions commence.

There exists no cap on the number of family members you may bring along, although we ask for the name of each family member be submitted to us before sessions commence.

Aftercare and relapse prevention

Once rehabilitation draws to a conclusion, a thorough aftercare and relapse prevention plan is put in place. Each rehabilitation centre offers a twelve-month aftercare service. Patients are permitted to return to the rehab centre each Saturday in order to engage in aftercare sessions.

Patients are also encouraged to join a local Teen Addiction Anonymous group taking place in their local area.

Suggested Resources

• What Is Substance Abuse Treatment? A Booklet for Families
  Created for family members of people with alcohol abuse or drug abuse problems. Answers questions about substance abuse, its symptoms, different types of treatment, and recovery. Addresses concerns of children of parents with substance use/abuse problems
• Alcohol and Drug Addiction Happens in the Best of Families
  Describes how alcohol and drug addiction affect the whole family. Explains how substance abuse treatment works, how family interventions can be the first step to recovery, and how to help children in families affected by alcohol abuse and drug abuse
• It’s Not Your Fault (NACoA) (PDF | 12 KB)
  Assures teens with parents who abuse alcohol or drugs that, “It’s not your fault!” and that they are not alone. Encourages teens to seek emotional support from other adults, school counsellors, and youth support groups such as Alateen, and provides a resource list
• It Feels So Bad: It Doesn’t Have To
  Provides information about alcohol and drug addiction to children whose parents or friends’ parents might have substance abuse problems. Advises kids to take care of themselves by communicating about the problem and joining support groups such as Alateen
• After an Attempt: A Guide for Taking Care of Your Family Member After Treatment in the Emergency Department
  Aids family members in coping with the aftermath of a relative’s suicide attempt. Describes the emergency department treatment process, lists questions to ask about follow-up treatment, and describes how to reduce risk and ensure safety at home
• Family Therapy Can Help: For People in Recovery From Mental Illness or Addiction
  Explores the role of family therapy in recovery from mental illness or substance abuse. Explains how family therapy sessions are run and who conducts them describes a typical session and provides information on its effectiveness in recovery