It has to be the worst nightmare of every parent: that the child they’ve cared for since they were little would someday have their life devestated by the effects of drugs and/or alcohol.
If you are one of those parents, then you might have thought about the possibility of adolescent drug rehab to alleviate the effects of a son or daugther who is battling with a substance abuse problem. But you might have questions: such as can teen drug rehab work, how does it work, and what do I do?
Here are three frequently asked questions about adolescent drug rehab to help you navigate this confusing process and get that young person in your life the help they need.
Adolescent Drug Rehab Question No.1: Is Teen Rehab Like Adult Rehab?
Both adult rehab and child/teen rehab are focused on the same thing: to get the person off of drugs or alchohol and give them coping mechanisms for staying healthy and sober.
But treatment methods can be quite different. Oftentimes one of the biggest challenges in treating young people with substance abuse problems is getting them to accept that they might actually have a problem; teens and adolescents haven’t usually hit a “bottom” as devestating as that experenced by lifelong addicts.
Another difference is that adolescent drug rehab usually has education servces; many times the clients are still attending school. Most teen drug rehab centers have tutoring and GED services on-site to ensure the client doesnt’ fall behind in school.
Adolescent Drug Rehab Question No.2: What is Offered With Adolescent Drug Rehab?
Just as with the adult variety, teen drug rehab–most notably the residential kind–begins with healthy detox and then a designated period of rehab, this can be from 30-90 days.
Once in rehab your adolescent is then given access to group therapy sessions and individualized therapy. Family counseling sessions are also used to identify and deal with any other underlying issues in the family.
Adolescent Drug Rehab Question No.3: How Do I Know if My Child Needs It?
Noticing moodiness in emotional problems in a teenager can be diffciult. (With hormones raging, mood swings are just a part of every teen’s life.)
But here are a few things to keep a look out for to see if your adolescent has a drug problem:
Messy appearance, lack of pride in how they look; Sudden weight loss; Loss of ambition or interest in…well…anything; Track marks on arms/legs; Violent outbursts and sudden emotional changes….
These are just a few of the warning signs parents need to be on the lookout for.
If you do suspect that there might be a substance abuse problem be sure to contact a licensed professional to get the info–and peace of mind–you and your family needs.
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