Getting Substance Abuse Treatment For Your Adolescent
Discovering that your teenager has a substance abuse problem throws you into emotional overdrive. You have a million questions. "How did this happen?" "Why didn't I notice?" "Could I have stopped it?" "Is this my fault?"
But the biggest question you probably have his "How can I help my child?"
The truth is that finding help for your teen with a substance abuse problem isn't always easy. State and federal funding often doesn't trickle down to programs for adolescents and many health insurance policies offer little coverage for treatment. But you know your child needs help. Once you have narrowed down which treatment options are available to you, there are five key questions you must ask to determine if it will work for your child.
Is your program designed especially for teenagers?
There are programs that say they are for teens, but that are really just incorporating teens into adult programs. This is not ideal for adolescents because they need a program that deals specifically with age-based issues, such as peers, school and family issues. Adolescents are developmentally different from adults and require different therapies that address more not just the addiction, but also the intricacies of teen life.
What kind of exams do you do? What questions do you ask?
Most programs will ask the same basic questions upon entry into their programs.
- How long has the adolescent been using?
- Is there an actual addiction?
- Is there any delinquent behavior?
- How is his/her school performance?
- Does he/she have any other behaviors you are concerned about?
Upon entry into the program, however, there should be other, more in-depth questions that will help form a more complete picture of your teen.
- Are there any family issues with drugs or alcohol?
- Does your child have friends? A best friend? Are friends involved with drugs and alcohol?
- Are there discipline issues in the home?
- Is there any family history of depression or mental illness of any kind?
- Has there been a traumatic event in your child's life?
The treatment center should also perform a physical exam to determine if there are any health problems stemming from the substance abuse.
How is the family involved in the teen's treatment?
The dominant force in the life of a teenager is most often parents and family. Therefore it is crucial that family be involved in the treatment of a substance abuse problem. Ideally, the program for your teen should include:
- Group meetings that include parents and family
- Counseling sessions for parents and family
- Parenting classes to strengthen parenting techniques
- Face to face meetings and discussions with program leaders regarding the teen's treatment
What happens after treatment is complete?
The successful completion of treatment does not mean your teen is finished struggling with substance abuse. On the contrary, the period after treatment is sometimes a very difficult period for your child. Your program should have resources and a plan drawn up for after treatment is complete. These can include such things as:
- relapse prevention techniques for you and your teen
- periodic check-ups
- referrals to resources within the teen's community
What is your success rate?
A program may not be able to provide exact numbers or percentages of overall success stories. It's difficult to collect solid number with ever changing data. However, they should be able to provide you with:
- Program retention statistics- How many kids stay and complete the program? How many drop out? How long is the average stay for a teen in the program?
- Do they perform random substance test during treatment? What is their rate of clean results?
- Is there generally improvement in other areas during treatment, such as school work and family relationships?
While none of these questions guarantee success after treatment, they indicate a strong foundation for post-treatment success.
Finding out your child has a substance abuse problem is heart-crushing, but help is out there. Ask the right questions, find the best programs available and your child can be on the road to recovery. For more information, contact professionals such as Dr. Lewis A. Weber & Associates.
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