North Carolina teen treatment centers understand that teens are still developing, which makes them more prone to making risky decisions or experimenting with drugs. Because the brain’s decision-making centers are not fully developed until your 20s, teens are more prone to making poor choices and may need help from addiction treatment drug rehabs.
Nearly 1 out of every 4 12th graders have used or abused illegal drugs within the past year, while another 21% have reported that they have used marijuana within the past 30 days. More teenagers die from prescription drug overdoses than heroin and cocaine overdoses combined. Prescription medications are widely available among teens and adolescents, who commonly raid their parents’ medicine cabinets or share medications with friends.
What is Addiction?
When you develop an addiction to drugs or alcohol, your brain chemistry changes. Teenagers undergo significant changes during maturation, including cognitive developments. Addiction treatment rehabs agree that substance abuse disorders are mental health diseases that progressively worsen until you receive proper treatment.
Addiction changes your brain chemistry and creates neurotransmitter imbalances. It also impacts your brain’s pleasure and reward center and during addiction, your brain begins rewarding drug use by releasing a rush of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. These neurotransmitters are responsible for creating the pleasurable feelings associated with intoxication. Once the effects end, you suddenly have a lack of neurotransmitters. Your brain eventually becomes dependent on drugs and alcohol to release neurotransmitters.
You can experience intense and overwhelming cravings when you don’t use, especially when you are exposed to triggers. Triggers can be people, places or things that remind you of your substance of choice.
Signs and symptoms of a substance abuse problem include:
- Isolating from friends and family members
- Personality and mood changes
- Changes in your physical appearance, such as weight loss or dark circles under your eyes
- Dishonesty
- Poor grades or truancy
An adolescent addiction treatment center understands the unique problems and challenges teens face during addiction and recovery and provide the resources, education, and guidance necessary for recovery.
North Carolina Teen Treatment Centers
Residential treatment centers for teens North Carolina offers provides a safe, supportive and therapeutic environment focused on recovery. North Carolina teen treatment centers offer both inpatient and outpatient programs that utilize evidence-based and holistic treatments.
Some examples of treatments offered at North Carolina teen treatment centers include:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Dialectic behavioral therapy
- Individual therapy
- Group counseling
- Family therapy
Treatment centers allow you to include your family and loved ones in your treatment plan, which can help the entire family. Family counseling improves communication between loved ones and helps provide a forum for you to rebuild trust and establish healthy boundaries.
Finding Help from North Carolina Teen Treatment Centers
If your teen is struggling with a substance abuse problem, these centers provide you with the support, experience, and understanding to find recovery. It’s time to find the best residential treatment center for teens in North Carolina.
