Here in North Texas, teen drug and alcohol use has been a problem for decades.
While substance use by teens is often handwaved as a mere rite of passage, years of studies have consistently shown that, in a majority of cases, adults with serious substance use disorders begin using drugs and alcohol in their teens.
The direct implication of this is that substance misuse in adolescents needs to be addressed as soon as possible.
Treating drug and alcohol misuse early on can help your teen achieve a better, more rounded life on their terms, rather than one that’s centered around getting the next fix.
It’s also typically easier and less expensive to treat substance use disorders early on rather than later in life.
If you believe your teen has problems with drugs or alcohol, it’s important to find help from qualified substance use professionals immediately.
Fortunately, there’s a growing number of rehabilitation centers in Dallas that now offer substance rehab programs and interventions specifically designed for adolescents.
Here are a few reasons why you should consider a specialized program for your teen:
1.) Adolescents cannot always relate to adult problems
Many counseling and therapy sessions in drug rehab programs are done in a group setting.
Participants will typically share their experiences and insights so that everyone in the group learns together.
Unfortunately, these groups tend to be less effective when participants have radically backgrounds or levels of life experience.
In addition to having grown up in a completely different time from adults, teens don’t have the same kinds of life experiences and contextual understanding as older people do.
In turn, older rehab participants may not understand why a teen’s problem is a big deal to them, and they may even be dismissive of their very real issues.
This can lay the groundwork for isolation and a failure of the recovery process.
2.) Teens have different problems than adults
While most of the people reading this have been teens themselves, it’s a bit shocking how we can sometimes forget how difficult and confusing that period of our lives was.
Older people may be seeing the problems of teens through the lens of a self-actualized adult, which can mean that they may not be well-suited to guide your teen.
At rehabs designed for teens, therapists and facility managers receive training on how to be sensitive to what teens are going through.
Remember, teens in these programs aren’t just grappling with substance misuse.
Like any teenager, they are also struggling with questions about identity and anxieties about the future.
Therapists at more generalized rehabilitation programs may not realize this and thus be in a worse position to provide adequate care.
3.) Child and adolescent rehab is now understood to be a separate specialization
Today, it’s understood that substance use disorder is a mental health issue and not a moral failing.
And as the practice of psychiatry and psychology continues to advance, it’s becoming clear that younger people, adults, and seniors have some fundamental differences that require specialized care.
As drug rehabilitation is primarily a psychiatric practice, the same principles apply.
This is borne out by the success rates of evidence-based adolescent-specific programs.
While progress has been relatively slow, more and more rehab programs targeted at teens have started to become available.
By choosing a program specifically meant for younger people, you’re ensuring that your teen has the best possible shot at receiving an adequate level of care.
4) Outcomes are poor if therapists cannot earn your teen’s trust
One of the biggest predictors of rehab success for teens is if they “buy-in” to the idea that they need help for their substance misuse issue.
For this to happen, they need to be able to trust the people in charge of their care.
Earning this trust is more difficult if clinicians are not trained in the issues surrounding adolescent drug use.
Clinicians in programs meant for teens are more likely to earn this trust simply because they have a better awareness of the problems faced by younger people.
Conclusion
Adolescent-specific rehab programs are the best choice for teenagers with substance misuse issues.
Not only are these programs far more likely to succeed than an equivalent adult program, but they are also less likely to leave teens feeling isolated and resentful.
Additionally, by addressing the problem early on, parents may also be preventing a far more serious substance use issue later in their child’s life.