Teen Drug Rehab
Teens are under continuous pressures to keep up grades, keep up appearances, make friends, find a boyfriend or girlfriend, and live up to parental expectations, to name just a few. By virtue of their age and lack of emotional maturity, they are often not equipped to deal with all the demands. Many turn to teenage drug abuse to lower stress, to improve performance, or just to be accepted.
Because they’ve been using for only a short time, they often don’t recognize the problem as a problem, and getting them to admit they have one is often the biggest hurdle to recovery. If they don’t seek help, the problem will only grow. Teenage drug intervention and adolescent drug programs specialize in communicating with teens through youth counselors and other young adults they can relate to. They also offer educational programs to make up for lost school time, even offering G.E.D. and daily tutoring to keep the teen current with their studies while in recovery.
Once issues have been identified and detox achieved, intensive residential treatment will take 30 days or more. During this phase, the teen undergoes private, group and family therapy sessions at a substance abuse center. When he or she is ready to return home, continued outpatient care is essential for relapse prevention.
The Warning Signs:
- Decreased attention to appearance, personal hygiene
- Track marks on arms or long sleeves in warm weather
- Reckless driving, unexplained dents, accidents
- Avoidance of eye contact
- Secretive phone calls
- Emotional instability and mood changes
- Loss of interest in hobbies, sports
- Truancy, falling grades
