It’s easy to look at all the different drug and alcohol rehab options available to you and your teen and think that the differences lie in cost, amenities or location only. The primary factor of consideration for parents looking for a rehabilitation program for their teenager is whether or not the program focuses solely on teens or includes teenagers in with adults in treatment. The differences in care are significant and so too are the differences in your child’s experience.
Teen-Specific Problems Require Teen-Specific Treatment
Your teen is struggling with very specific issues during this period of their lives. There are hormonal issues, self-esteem, parental dynamics, struggles with siblings, the pressure of school performance, first jobs, and changes in friends and groups at school. Rejection associated with dating or trying out for different afterschool activities is significant as are first loves and changes to friendships. The effect of fluctuating hormones can increase the intensity of all of these issues and if your teen is diagnosed with a behavioral, social or psychological disorder, then these issues are even more difficult for your teen to handle.
A teen rehab provides a safe place for your child to work through the issues related to growing up as a teenager today as well as their specific versions of it according to their own family issues, diagnoses, interpersonal dynamics, etc. The focus is on their teen experience and how it is affected by drug and alcohol abuse, providing your teen with actionable resources to employ in these situations when they return home – resources that don’t include drugs and alcohol.
Buffer From Adult-Sized Problems
At adult rehabs, the focus is on very adult problems. Those who have lived through years, even decades, of chronic drug and alcohol abuse have been through some very serious traumas. They often share those in peer settings and group therapy – beneficial for them and other adults who have been through similar problems, but not necessarily the best thing to share with a recovering teen already dealing with their own trauma. Better instead to allow them to discuss what they have been through and keep the focus on their issues.
Focus on the Future
Teenagers by definition have their whole lives in front of them. Those who are struggling with drug and alcohol addiction need not surrender their entire future to the disorder. With early treatment and comprehensive teen-specific care, you increase the chances that your child will successfully recover from drug and alcohol addiction. Contact us today at Newport Academy to learn more about the programs we offer for teens.
