Newport Academy

With a new year comes new hope for the future. For teens recently out of rehab and those who have been in recovery for a while, the new year can mean a chance to rededicate themselves to the principles of sobriety. Here’s how you can help.

For Your Long-Time Recovering Teen

Rehab is often motivating for teens. They come home feeling healthy and positive with a new focus for their lives and often do well in the first couple of weeks after treatment. However, as the days pass and the old stressors begin to take their toll, many teens lose focus on their recovery goals and the urgency with which they originally avoided abusing drugs and alcohol. To get your teen back on track, consider:

• Enrolling your teen in an outpatient treatment program to help them renew their understanding of recovery principles
• Instituting a regular family night, family dinners or monthly family weekends so you can check in continually with your teen
• Touching base with Newport Academy to discuss different therapeutic options and recovery support available to your teen

For Your Newly Recovering Teen

Take advantage of the excitement and new direction that your teen acquired during treatment and make sure that your new year is full of dedicated treatment opportunities. For example, you might expose your teen to:

• Family therapy sessions that keep the lines of communication open at home
• 12-step meetings that are designed specifically for teens
• Group therapy sessions for teens that focus on specific aspects and struggles they face in recovery
• Personal therapy sessions that allow them to work through some of the obstacles faced each day that may eventually add up to a relapse.

For Your Addicted Teen

If your teenager is abusing drugs and/or alcohol and you have not yet enrolled him or her in treatment, now is the time. Don’t give up another year to fighting with your teen or watching their self-destructive behavior. By speaking up and intervening early, you increase the chance of a successful recovery for your child and increase your family’s opportunities to heal as well. Get started by:

• Exploring Newport Academy’s website to learn more about the programs available to your teen
• Scheduling a tour at Newport Academy or emailing for more information.
• Calling us at the phone number listed above to get your questions answered and discuss the needs of your child

Help your teen move forward in recovery from addiction in 2012. Call now.

For someone watching a loved one struggling with addiction, the feeling of powerlessness may seem overwhelming. The drugs and alcohol may appear to have supreme influence over all their decisions from the moment they wake up to the time they go to sleep, and it can feel like your opinion will never be heard before it’s too late. These feelings of helplessness may be made worse by many myths that are constantly circulating about addiction and what will and will not work for someone to reach a place of long-term sobriety.

The Latest Research Shows Families of Addicts Can Have Influence in a Variety of Ways

After 40 years in the field, Dr. Carlton K. Erickson of the University of Texas Addiction Science program has compiled a list of the most misunderstood aspects of addiction and treatment. Here are some facts that may bring relief to families wanting to facilitate treatment for a loved one:

• Your Loved One Does Not Need to Want Treatment for It to Work.
  People who are pushed into rehab by a family member, their job or the court system do have success in treatment. The latest research demonstrates that individuals forced into rehab by the courts have similar outcomes to people who show up voluntarily.

• Individuals Do NOT Have to Reach Rock Bottom to Get Help.
  Although hitting bottom may be what it takes for some people, there is zero evidence this is true for the majority. In reality, the earlier someone seeks treatment, the easier the addiction is to overcome because the behavior has had less time to take root and less damage has occurred to their body, relationships and career. This gives the individual more motivation to turn their life around.

• It Is Not Hopeless If Someone Relapses.
  Addiction, by its nature, is a chronic disease. Relapse, for many, is going to be part of the recovery process as the individual learns to utilize new coping strategies for the stresses of life, especially in the first few months following treatment. In fact, the rates of relapse for addiction are on par with other chronic illnesses such as asthma, diabetes and hypertension. This is where families can provide support rather than make the individual feel that they have failed.

Take the First Step to Help Your Family Member Today

We can assist you in finding the addiction treatment program that best fits the unique needs of your loved one. All of our programs are highly successful and utilize evidence-based therapies during the treatment process. Don’t allow yourself to feel helpless any longer. Contact us today.