CALL 800-781-8281 TO GET HELP NOW

When your teenager turns to drugs

Every parent's nightmare is that their child becomes addicted to drugs, but no child grows up believing that it will happen to them, or planning to be an addict. Children, by nature, are curious about the world around them and we encourage that curiosity, as we should. Parents try to arm their children against the bad in the world but in the end, teenagers will make decisions of their own, and sometimes these will be bad decisions.

There are many reasons that teenagers become addicted to drugs and many different types of addiction. Very rarely is it a parent's fault that it happens and it does not just happen in bad, poor or criminal families. Sometimes the addiction is almost accidental, as in addiction to pain medication, originally proscribed for a valid reason, and then becoming something the teenager cannot manage without. Occasionally the medical profession is too quick to offer the unhappy child, depression medication that then becomes a tranquilizer addiction. Whatever the reason, once a parent is aware, they will naturally do everything they can to help a child get over the addiction.

The problem is, very few parents are actually trained to do this, and their attempts to help may actually make the problem worse. The parent is too close to the child to be objective; drug withdrawal can be painful and messy and very few parents can handle seeing their child in pain. It can be humiliating for the child and create even further resentment towards the parent, that they directly witness this awful process and are inflicting this on their teenager.

The best choice is a professional drug rehab center that has the expertise to deal with drug addiction. The teenager is not just addicted to the drugs but also to the ritual surrounding getting the drugs and the people who are part of that scene. They need to be completely removed from this environment if they are to have a chance of breaking the cycle of addiction. The parent's tough job will be reintegrating them back after they leave the rehab center, a challenging enough task in itself.

The teenager has no emotional hold over the professionals at a drug rehab center and therefore no leverage. They will need to detoxify first and then relearn all their rituals to replace the drug habit with new positive habits. A drug rehab center has access to medication that can help the addict make the transitions less painfully. They have medical staff, trained to deal with withdrawal and a secure facility that will protect the teenager and watch them 24 hours a day if necessary. They also tend to have access to physical training equipment to help the teenager get healthy and nutrition experts to help replace the vitamins and minerals lost through the drug addiction. In comparison, a parent has a family home that an angry teenager will wreck, possibly other children and a partner that also need them and little medical expertise to deal with someone who is essentially ill.

FEELING STUCK? CONTACT US

Call 800-781-8281 or fill out the form below and we'll contact you ASAP.


Do you have an Aetna PPO insurance plan? Or is your child adopted from California? If so, you may qualify for financial assistance. Contact us today.

New Posts

Parent gives his thoughts about teen boot camps...

Read More...

(NEW!!) Guest Expert Dawn DiRaimondo, Psy.D


(New) Troubled Teens and Routines Read More...

(New) Troubled Teen Assessments Read More...

(New) Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Read More...

(New) Authority Problems Read More...

(New) Boarding Schools for Troubled Teens Read More...

(New) Boarding Schools for Troubled Teens in Colorado Read More...

(New) Cutting or Self-Harm Read More...

(New) Oppositional Defiant Disorder Read More...

(New) Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Read More...

(New) Residential Treatment Centers for Troubled Teens in Illinois Read More...

(New) Residential Treatment Centers for Troubled Teens in Nevada Read More...

(New) Residential Treatment Centers for Troubled Teens in Texas Read More...

(New) School Problems Read More...

(New) Substance Abuse Treatment Centers for Troubled Teens in Arizona Read More...

(New) Substance Abuse Treatment Centers for Troubled Teens in California Read More...

(New) Substance Abuse Treatment Centers for Troubled Teens in Colorado Read More...

(New) Substance Abuse Treatment Centers for Troubled Teens in Florida Read More...

(New) Substance Abuse Treatment Centers for Troubled Teens in Illinois Read More...

(New) Substance Abuse Treatment Centers for Troubled Teens in Nevada Read More...

(New) Substance Abuse Treatment Centers for Troubled Teens in New YorkRead More...

(New) Substance Abuse Treatment Centers for Troubled Teens in Ohio Read More...

(New) Substance Abuse Treatment Centers for Troubled Teens in Orange County CA Read More...

(New) California Adoption Read More...

(New) Teens & Sexting Read More...

(New) Divorce and Teen Rebellion Read More...

(New) Christian Boot Camps.. Read More...

(New) Is Boot Camp Tough? Read More...

(New) Boot Camps & Boarding Schools Read More...

(New) Therapeutic Boarding School or Teen Boot Camp Read More...

(New) Therapeutic Schools for Boys Read More...

(New) What is a Summer Boot Camp for Teens? Read More...

(New) Are there any affordable schools or boot camps for troubled teens Read More...

(New) Are there any boarding schools, or boot camps for troubled boys Read More...

(New) Are there any military schools or boot camps for troubled girls Read More...

(New) Boot Camp School for Troubled Youth Read More...

(New) Is a military boarding school similar to a boot camp for troubled teen Read More...

(New) Is a military school for a troubled teen the same as a boot camp Read More...

(New) Is a school for troubled girls similar to a boot camp Read More...

(New) Is a school for troubled youth similar to a boot camp Read More...

(New) Which is better, boot camp or boarding school for a troubled teen Read More...

(New) What is Oppositional Defiant Disorder? Read More...

(New) Are there any Boot Camps for Kids? Read More...

(New) Are Wilderness Therapy Programs Effective? Read More...

(New) How Can I Find Help For My Troubled Teen? Read More...

(New) How Do I Find A Boot Camp For A Teenager? Read More...

(New) How Do I find A Boot Camp For Boys? Read More...

(New) What is the best way to find a troubled teen program? Read More...

Boot Camps In Specific CITIES

Los Angeles CA, Chicago IL, Washington DC San Francisco, Philidelphia PA, Boston MA Detroit MI, Dallas TX, Houston TX, Atlanta GA Miami FL, Seattle WA, Phoenix AZ, Minneapolis MN, Cleveland OH, San Diego CA, St Louis MO, Denver CO, Tampa FL, Pittsburgh PA, Portland OR, Sacramento CA, Kansas City MO, Milwaukee WI, Orlando FL, Indianapolis IN, San Antonio TX, Norfolk VA, Las Vegas NV, Columbus OH, Charlotte NC, New Orleans