Teen addiction is a dangerous problem facing parents and society at large. Teenagers are exposed to all the same drugs that adults use, but for a variety of reasons they are at a far greater risk to try, abuse and become addicted to them. Teens are far more likely to believe many drugs are safe, more likely to succumb to peer pressure or stress, and less likely to note their own addiction behaviors developing. This can lead to a variety of negative consequences, including increased risk of serious drug use later in life, school failure, and poor judgment which may put them at risk for accidents, violence, unplanned and unsafe sex, and suicide.
How to Recognize the Signs of Teen Drug Use
Observe the appearance of your teen. Drug abusers often stop caring about their appearance and personal hygiene.
Monitor school grades of your teen. Drug abusers lose the ability to focus and their grades begin to drop.
Discover who your teen is friends with. Drug abusers often change friends because their old friends don't approve of their drug use.
Scrutinize any sneaky, deceptive behavior of your teen, like lying about where she is going and who she is with.
Examine the spending habits of your teen. Drug abusers can never get enough and need more and more money to support their habit.
Featured Video: One Family's Struggle
Often those closest to and alcoholic/addict find it the hardest to see and admit that their child could possibly have an addiction problem. In their eagerness to deny the depth of the problem, they may for a time believe the addict when they promise to change. As the promises continue to be broken those living with the addict finally must acknowledge the truth.
If someone you love has an addiction problem, using these tips can provide you with facts about how to proceed. You will have taken the first step in helping your family deal with these difficult behaviors. The sooner you get help, the more rapidly your teenager will be able to start making positive changes.
What Treatment Options Exist?
The decision to get treatment for a child or adolescent is serious. Parents are encouraged to seek consultation from a mental health professional when making decisions about substance abuse treatment for children or adolescents. Counseling (individual and/or group) and other behavioral therapies are critical components of effective rehab.In therapy, teens look at issues of motivation, build skills to resist drug use, replace drug-using activities with constructive and rewarding behaviors, and improve problem-solving skills. Behavioral therapy also facilitates interpersonal relationships and the teen's ability to function in the home and community. Recovery from addiction can be a long-term process and frequently requires multiple episodes of treatment.As with other chronic illnesses, relapses to drug use can occur during or after successful rehab episodes. Addicted individuals may require prolonged treatment and multiple episodes of rehab to achieve long-term abstinence and fully restored functioning. Participation in self-help support programs during and following rehabt often is helpful in maintaining abstinence. Parents should ask what aftercare rehabilitation services are available for continued or future treatment.
Drug Rehab Centers Locator - Drug and Alcohol Addiction, Dual Diagnosis Programs and Treatment Resources
The Drug Rehab Centers Locator is a public addiction treatment resource guide dedicated to helping addicts and alcoholics recover from drug addiction, alcoholism, dual diagnosis, eating disorders and co-occurring disorders. We offer a comprehensive directory of drug treatment centers, alcohol rehab programs, drug rehab and drug rehabilitation centers, dual diagnosis treatment programs, and recovery centers for eating disorders and other substance abuse related disorders.
