Dialectical behavior therapy, also known as DBT, is among the most comprehensive talk therapy options for treating substance use disorders and mental health conditions. It can be the last resort when other treatment options fail to produce the desired results. If your teen is struggling with a mental health problem, this program can offer much-needed help. Foothills at Red Oak Recovery provides valuable information on teen addiction treatment programs. To learn more about our teen dialectical behavior therapy, contact us today at 866.300.5275.

DBT and Substance Abuse

A co-occurring disorder is common in teens grappling with alcohol or drug use disorders. Therefore, therapists often prefer using mental health treatment methods that address all conditions the teen might be dealing with simultaneously. Behavioral therapy can help manage issues such as:

• Self-harm and suicidal thoughts
• Poor eating habits
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Addiction and substance abuse
• Anxiety and panic attacks
• Depression

How does talk therapy help in addiction treatment? Substance or alcohol use disorders can produce different effects on adolescents. Depending on your loved one’s condition, therapists can use behavioral therapy to treat stress and triggers in other settings. It ensures that the person going through treatment gets immediate professional assistance when in need. Moreover, your teen learns how to adapt to their current situation.

DBT Promotes Capacity Building

If your teen lacks what it takes to manage the stress associated with addiction, talk therapy can help. It instills or enhances distress management skills. As such, participants learn stress tolerance skills, how to regulate their emotions and practice mindfulness. It also boosts interpersonal efficiency.

The teen can also generalize the skills learned. Recovery from drug or alcohol use involves the ability to manage triggers. For example, learning how to deal with stress from friends can make or break the teen’s recovery process. After teens undergo therapy, they will know how to apply what they have learned to other life settings. They can use these skills to avoid triggers at school, home, and when interacting with friends.

Motivational Enhancement

Dialectical behavior therapy can motivate teens battling an addiction to identify and focus on their strengths. For example, a teen grappling with substance use disorder learns from DBT how to establish goals and to seek motivation to achieve them.

As the teens work towards achieving milestones in the recovery process, the program will teach them about the dangers of substance use and risk factors. It would motivate them to stick to treatment, mostly if they were unaware of addiction’s effects on their physical and mental well-being.

Close Professional Monitoring

Other than substance use disorders, adolescents often contend with severe psychological issues. They lack the mental maturity and capacities to deal with such matters. Therefore, they often resort to risky behaviors, such as drunk driving, unprotected sex, and violence.

Adolescents who have mental disorders need close supervision and support. It can help avoid cases of self-harm and suicidal thoughts. Talk therapy has frequent team meetings to ensure that therapists are always in touch with their clients’ progress.

A Structured Environment

Teen addiction treatment can involve many different therapies. DBT focuses on reinforcing skills learned in other programs. Each program teaches skills essential in dealing with the specific effects of substance use.

Therapists for teens often structure treatment plans so that the skills the adolescent learns can strengthen any other positive outcomes acquired in other programs.

As such, a rehab setting offers the benefits of many programs, including:

• Holistic healing program
• Family therapy program
• Trauma treatment program
• Process addiction treatment
• Psychological testing

Contact Foothills at Red Oak Recovery to Learn More

The dialectical behavior treatment program ensures that teens receive comprehensive treatment. It helps your loved one acquire adaptive skills and behavior that can come in handy when confronting any addiction triggering setting. Contact the Foothills at Red Oak Recovery at 866.300.5275 to learn more about DBT and teen mental issues.