Teenage addiction, whether the addiction is to alcohol, recreational drugs, the internet or video games, is an increasingly serious problem in America and currently affects millions of teens every year.
Whether they are using what is perceived as relatively harmless drugs such as alcohol and marijuana, or harder drugs like heroin, cocaine, or crystal meth; they most likely don’t understand the real danger they are in. While many teens may perceive alcohol and marijuana as relatively harmless drugs, they often don’t understand the true damage these substances can do. Not only do the vast majority of alcohol addictions begin in an individual’s adolescent years, but frequent teenage marijuana use is often linked to the use of harder drugs such as heroin and cocaine. Not only is teenage drug abuse significantly on the rise all over the country, but the rate of teenage drug addiction has also skyrocketed. If you’re the parent of a struggling teen, identifying the problem is the first step, while finding help for parents of teens struggling with addiction is next logical step. Below we’ve offered a few tips to get you and your teen started on the road to recovery.
The Addicted Teen
It is important to understand that not all teen substance abuse results in an addicted teen. Addiction is characterized by the uncontrollable urge to use drugs or alcohol, as well as a physical and mental dependence. While teen drug abuse, for example, can often lead to teenage drug addiction, not all teens who abuse drugs or alcohol are necessarily addicted to them, at that particular moment at least. However, studies show that teenagers are more likely to develop a dangerous addiction to drugs and alcohol during their teenage years partly because their brain has not yet fully developed. If their brains start to become dependent on drugs or alcohol while it is still forming, studies suggest they are more prone to carry this addiction around with them for much of their adult lives.
Help for Parents Looking for Professional Treatment
If you’re a teenager or young adult struggling with a drug or alcohol addiction, it is vital that you seek treatment immediately. Drug and alcohol addictions are very serious and complicated diseases and are very difficult to overcome. The vast of majority of the time, people with drug or alcohol addictions need expert medical rehab treatment, including detox, counseling, therapy and alcohol education.
If you’re a teen and looking for a drug or alcohol rehabilitation, you have several different options available to you. You can have your parent’s help you check in to an inpatient drug rehab facility that offers medically assisted drug detox with 24 hour medical supervision, one-on-one counseling, cognitive and behavioral therapy, group therapy, as well as countless of other treatment options. Many inpatient programs may be covered by your parent’s insurance policies, and there are even entire rehab programs exclusively for teens and young adults.
Because inpatient drug rehab can be expensive, ranging anywhere from $7,500 to $75,000, there is also the option of visiting an outpatient rehab center. Outpatient rehab is often significantly less expensive, and offers you more flexibility to choose your time of treatment. Also, outpatient rehab doesn’t require you to leave your friends and family for an extended period of time, and won’t require you to miss school. However, the quality of care might not be as thorough at some outpatient facilities, compared to inpatient drug rehab, and they might not offer the same type of medically assisted drug detox programs.
