There is some information that will be very helpful if you have a child with a substance abuse problem. Being a father or a mother is never easy with teenagers, and it is even more difficult when your teen is using drugs after school and on the weekends. Yet now more than ever is the time to step in and do something about it before drug and alcohol use ingrains itself into your child.
While it can begin as simply and innocently as being prescribed powerful painkillers in the wake of an on-field injury, teen drug abuse typically begins with peer pressure from fellow kids who are already drinking, smoking marijuana and using drugs. These tend to be 20-something individuals – still kids from the perspective of a 40-something father – and they make it look fun and exciting, and ultimately mature, to use drugs and alcohol. Whether they directly encourage others to use or not, their de facto status as role models in such social settings does the encouraging on its own.
Dealing with Your Teen’s Drug Abuse
Teen drug abuse is treated the same as adult drug abuse, except that if your child wants to get clean and sober, it will be somewhat easier because they have not spent as much time involved in addiction as someone who has been a user for decades. What is important is that they admit to you that they have been using illegal substances and are willing to seek treatment. Whatever their age, they will not get clean unless they admit they have a problem and want to get clean.
After your child has admitted that they are using drugs, it’s time for parents to step in. A drug detox is the first step; while it can often be very difficult for the parents, taking the time to know what to look for in a drug detox center for teens is crucial. A worthy drug detox program, whether for teens or adults, means having the user enter a facility for an average of three to eight days, so they are removed from their environment and can be observed while they detox or quit using any drugs or alcohol. Furthermore, the chosen detox should have a home-like atmosphere, so your child will be comfortable while not using.
By following a detox plan, your child is safely and medically taken off the substances, and once they have completed that then they can enter into a longer substance abuse recovery program aimed at teens and young adults. When participating in such a program, teens with a past of addiction will learn how to handle life and their emotions in a successful way. For the child, they are taken out of the pressure of school and their peers and they learn that it is okay not to use. Furthermore, the program lets them know they can get through their problems and succeed in life without having to depend on harsh and oftentimes deadly substances.
Being a father means taking the responsibility of following through on this course of action and being there to support your son or daughter while they are learning to cope with their peers and figure out life for themselves. For the parents, it’s not easy letting go of the parental reins and allowing them to make decisions on their own, but it is the best way. When they come home from detox and a quality treatment program, they will need encouragement and support as they make new friends, go back to school and get back into their routine again.
