Between the ages of 13 and 17, many teens decide to test boundaries. During teenage years, dramatic brain development makes your child more vulnerable to peer pressure, drug experimentation, and even the development of substance use disorders. Mental health and complex emotional issues may also be more pronounced during this time. All of this is why many facilities offer teen drug abuse treatment programs.

Whether these changes in your teen are sudden or gradual, it can be scary to watch the child you know fade away and grow up into someone affected by addictive substances. However, our teen drug abuse treatment program in North Carolina can help. Contact Foothills at Red Oak Recovery today by calling 866.300.5275 or reaching out to our team online.

What Should Clients Expect from Teen Drug Abuse Treatment Programs?

Some parents and guardians hope that their teens’ drug abuse behaviors will go away on their own. But teens rarely grow out of it without professional intervention.

While teens won’t exactly be excited to get admitted into an addiction treatment facility, deep down, they may be tired of the chaos that drug abuse brings into their lives. It’s up to parents and guardians to guide their teens to formal treatment options, which may start with detox and then focus on therapy. Most teen drug abuse treatment programs offer the following therapeutic services:

• Individual therapy
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Dialectical behavior therapy
• Family counseling
• Group therapy

When parents and guardians choose an addiction treatment center for their teens, they have a lot to consider. The first and most important thing is to find a program offered by a facility that deals specifically with young teens. Parents and guardians also need to prioritize programs that provide family therapy. For teens, family therapy plays a significant role in overcoming drug abuse. Addiction creates a rift between them and their parents or guardians. This rift makes it hard for them to trust their parents or guardians, and it also works the other way around.

A good teen drug abuse treatment program also needs to emphasize continued education. Just because teens need to enter rehab doesn’t mean that they can’t continue their education. Continued education services help teens feel not so left behind once they return to school.

What Are Some Drug Abuse Triggers for Teens?

Studies suggest that up to 90% of people that undergo addiction treatment programs relapse at least once in the first four years of sobriety. This is why you must know the drug abuse triggers for your teen.

Drug addiction triggers can be as mundane as hearing a particular song or as obvious as seeing someone that was part of your teen’s old drug-using crowd. Although relapsing is considered common, it’s not easy to recover from setbacks like this. Here are a few common triggers to watch out for when it comes to your teen:

• Being around drugs or using any mood-altering substance
• Feeling bored or complacent
• Being in social situations or places where drugs are available
• Socially isolating themselves
• Experiencing stress or mental or physical discomfort
• Feeling self-pity
• Reminiscing about drug use

What Else Can Parents Do To Help Their Teens Maintain Their Sobriety?

Teens should be aware of their drug addiction triggers. Drug abuse triggers for teens may even include people and situations that they come across in their homes. Parents and guardians must talk to their teens about ridding their home environment of possible triggers. Here are some other things parents and guardians can do to help their teens maintain their sobriety after formal treatment is over:

• Research and learn all about addiction: Understanding the complexities of addiction can be very useful in helping your teen navigate their recovery path. You can, for example, use positive coping strategies at home with your teen.
• Keep your teen accountable: Make your teen stick to their recovery plan — and if their schedule makes it difficult to do so, step in and make changes. However, you should be flexible. Sometimes, life makes a mess of even the most carefully laid plans.
• Get involved in local events: Your teen needs to get on with their life to recover fully. You can help with this by getting your teen and yourself involved in local events. Get them outside and in positive environments. Attend local gatherings and encourage them to attend local meet-ups of groups for interests they enjoy.
• Be a safe haven for your teen: After rehab, your teen is going to need a lot of support. Embrace the fact that your teen will see you as a source of support and encourage your teen to confide in you. One of the best things you can do is to reassure your teen that you will be there when they need you.
• Eliminate addictive substances from your home environment: This one’s a no-brainer. Get rid of alcohol bottles. Lock up prescription medications if you have any.

Find Healing at Foothills at Red Oak Recovery

If you’re looking for a teen boys drug abuse treatment program in North Carolina, contact Foothills at Red Oak Recovery. Call 866.300.5275 or reach out to our team online to learn more about our treatment programs.