Discovering that your teen is addicted to drugs, alcohol or other activities, such as sex, is upsetting and discouraging for most parents. Whether you had any clue that this troubled teen behavior was occurring generally doesn’t make it any easier to face the fact that your teen needs to get clean from addictions. You need to help them break free of their addiction in order to live a healthy and successful life. Using the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step program as a guide, the first step toward recovery is admitting an addiction. Of course, if your teen refuses to admit they have a problem, you’ll have to force the issue and perhaps teen rehab. That means eliminating the addiction from your teen’s life, generally through a detoxification program at a medical facility. Turn to your teen’s doctor for recommendations for an effective in-patient or residential treatment center facility.
After Your Teen’s Recovery From Drug Addiction
Once your teen’s body is free of damaging substances, you can turn your attention to his or her physical, mental and emotional health. But until their body is drug or alcohol-free, changes to other destructive behavioral habits will be difficult. Other changes in behavior to consider are within the group of friends your teen associates with. If his or her friends encourage or condone continued drug or alcohol abuse, you may need to consider moving your child to another school or atmosphere. Breaking habits and relationships sometimes go together. When your teen is ready to focus on their health, look into one-on-one or group counseling, for your child and the rest of the family. Providing other activities, such as sports, is another way to channel your teen’s energy away from unhealthy habits.
