When teens abuse drugs and alcohol, it affects the whole family. Parents may hesitate to take action simply because they are unsure of the best steps for an adolescent. It is essential to know that teen rehabilitation programs are different from those for adults.
At Pennsylvania Adult & Teen Challenge (PAATC), we understand teenagers and how best to provide them with professional care on their road to recovery. We offer treatment for teens over the ages of 18. To learn more about our teen rehab services, call us at 844.442.8673 or fill out our online form.
Teen Alcohol And Drug Addiction
Teenagers can succumb to the temptations of alcohol and drug use for many reasons. Drug or alcohol use among teens may be due to:
- Find a place within a peer group/meet social pressure
- Ease social anxiety
- Numb painful emotions
- Self-medicate an undiagnosed or untreated mental health issue
- Mask the symptoms of PTSD
- Escape from a harsh or disturbing living situation or family dynamic
If you have noticed changes in your teen’s behavior or personality that make you suspect substance abuse, help is available.
Teen Rehab For Substance Abuse
For teenagers with a substance abuse disorder, a treatment center needs to tailor their care needs to their stage of life. In a teen rehab program, the healthcare professionals recognize that adolescents are still developing. Their cognitive abilities are different from those of adults. Drug and alcohol abuse have a range of unique consequences for teens. Ensuring that your teen’s rehab program is both age-appropriate and individualized is essential for the desired outcome: lasting sobriety.
Factors specific to teen rehab include:
- Maintaining academics: Rehab is vital to a teen substance abuser, but it can be very disruptive to everyday life. The goal of a rehab program designed for teens is to help mitigate those disruptions as much as possible. Even if a teen is in a residential program, the staff and program acknowledge and support a continuation of academics, whether part- or full-time.
- Family participation: Any rehab program seeks to involve the family in the treatment, but in a teen program, the family is involved right from the start and more consistently throughout. There are numerous ways a family might be asked to participate, including direct involvement in counseling. The goal for parental involvement is to improve and maintain relationships and encourage open communication.
- Involuntary treatment: Though it is always best to have buy-in from the patient, ultimately, the choice about whether a teenager will receive treatment is the parents’. If a teen unwillingly enters rehab, our clinicians need to handle treatment differently. The recovery professionals will design a protocol that motivates noncompliant teens to participate in their recovery.
It’s essential to find a treatment center that offers these benefits to ensure that your teen recovers quickly and safely.
Therapy And Counseling
Rehab for teens will include various therapeutic options that the treatment center tailors to their needs. Individual and group modalities are effective. It is essential to focus on healthy living choices, recognize triggers and negative thoughts, and implement wholesome strategies rather than self-destructive peer relationships.
For instance, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been proven effective in addiction treatment for over three decades. Teens undergoing CBT during rehab learn about the feelings and thoughts that contribute to their addiction in a non-judgmental setting. Recognizing and understanding those feelings and thoughts empowers teens to resist the lure of drugs or alcohol better.
Other treatment modalities that are often effective include:
- Dialectical behavior therapy
- Group therapy
- Individual therapy
- Family therapy
- Trauma therapy
To learn about the treatment options available to your teen, please contact Pennsylvania Adult and Teen Challenge today.
Learn More About Teen Rehab At PAATC
Teenagers who suffer from substance abuse disorders benefit from a rehab program that specializes in teen addiction treatment. If your teen is over the age of 18 and requires inpatient or outpatient treatment, the PAATC treatment options will set the family’s minds at ease about the future.
Reach out to PAATC using our online form or by calling 844.442.8673 today. Our compassionate, professional staff is ready to usher your teenager into a life free of substance use. We can work together—medical and therapeutic staff, family, and recovering teen—towards a positive, lasting outcome.
