Newport Academy

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.

Many parents struggle with the choice between outpatient and inpatient teen addiction treatment. Which one will be the most effective? Which one will be the best financial choice? Inpatient treatment is more expensive than outpatient care, but outpatient care is less comprehensive. Parents worry about investing in outpatient treatment for fear that it won’t be enough to help their child stop abusing drugs in the long term. However, for some teens, outpatient treatment with the right augmentation of care at home can be the best possible choice.

Teens who have good support at home, exhibit no physical withdrawal symptoms when they stop taking their drug of choice, and are not diagnosed with co-occurring disorders (e.g., anxiety, depression, etc.) will do well with this combination. Here are some options to augment outpatient care:

• Personal therapy sessions. Though personal therapy may be a part of the outpatient addiction treatment program, your teen may do well to have multiple sources of therapy, especially if he or she has already been seeing this therapist or will only be in outpatient care for a short period.
• 12-step meetings. There are 12-step meetings dedicated to teens, helping them to work through issues related to drug abuse and addiction. These peer groups can be helpful in getting the support of others and learning how to provide the same care and support in a safe and positive environment.
• Family therapy. Working through issues at home is a huge part of determining the success of your teen’s treatment. Therapy that includes each member of the family at different times or that focuses on the primary parent-teen relationship will help everyone learn more about addiction as well as positive communication in order to heal from past issues and learn how to avoid new issues in the future.
• Afterschool activities. Getting involved at school in activities that interest them will help your teen to build up self-esteem, feelings of accomplishment, and new friendships – as well as fill their schedule with positive activities as opposed to drug abuse.
• Volunteer opportunities. Recognizing true suffering in others in the community can help to put self-pity in perspective for teens. Often, when given the opportunity to compare, teens learn to appreciate what they have with home when they see what others don’t have.

If you are interested in finding out more about outpatient addiction treatment for teens, contact us today at Newport Academy.

Chad Hepler is the author of a new book called Intervention: Anything But My Own Skin, an autobiography that chronicles his journey through teen drug and alcohol addiction and his personal road to recovery.

Hepler says that he was in jail when he realized that it was time to stop abusing drugs and alcohol and make some real and positive changes in his life: “I’d been arrested for my second DUI. And I thought, ‘I’m done with this.’”

Like many teens who ended up developing a chronic drug and alcohol dependence, Hepler says that he first began experimenting with drugs in his early teens. It took him almost 10 years to get to the point where he was ready to get clean and sober at the age of 22. In his book, he talks about what happened during the intervening years, including the treatment he underwent at a wilderness rehab at the age of 17.

Hepler’s goal for writing and publishing his memoirs? To reach teens and parents of teens who are looking for some guidance and hope in their own struggles with teen drug and alcohol addiction. To do that, he provides as much detail as possible about his motivations to use drugs during his teen years and the reasons that he feels he kept relapsing before finally getting clean.

Says Hepler: “A lot of parents wonder why their children start taking drugs, and if they are responsible in some way. I don’t think anyone’s responsible for that. I was going to do what I was going to do. In my case, the root cause was low self-esteem. I didn’t feel like I fit in anywhere. So I gravitated to weed and alcohol and the people who were smoking and drinking.”

It’s a common story among American high school students, and one that many parents fear. Hepler is doing his part to help families who are living with the struggle of teen drug abuse and dependence by speaking at high schools, recovery centers and youth organizations. He talks about the risks that come with abusing drugs and alcohol and the hope that treatment can bring.

Says Hepler: “The best high one can ever receive is not from a drug or a drink, but from a feeling of knowing you helped someone.”

To parents, Hepler says that prioritizing their own mental health through resources designed to help them effectively deal with a teenager’s dependence upon drugs and alcohol is key – even if it means reaching out in a way that is uncomfortable or public: “Parents are always ashamed of what their child is doing and they don’t want to tell anyone, but keeping the problem hidden and isolating themselves is the worst thing they can do. Al-Anon meetings are a great resource. Being with others who are going through the same experience can help relieve the panic and stress.”

If you are the parent of a child who is chronically abusing drugs and alcohol, don’t wait to seek help for you and your teen. Contact us at Newport Academy today to learn more about how we can help your teen and your family begin the process of recovery.