Teensavers Teen Drug Rehab

    One of the best reasons to get a help for teens while they are still teenagers, beyond being a very formidable time in a childs life, is the consequences of inaction upon future generations Statistics have shown that instances of teen drug addiction run in long chains from parents to children.
One of the best reasons to get a help for teens while they are still teenagers, beyond being a very formidable time in a childs life, is the consequences of inaction upon future generations. Statistics have shown that instances of teen drug addiction run in long chains from parents to children. This is why now is the time to either break the chain of teen drug addiction or stop it from forming. No amount of hard work, money, sacrifice is worth more than breaking a chain of substance abuse or preventing one from forming. For some, the vicious cycle of teen drug abuse begins at home when they are influenced by the addictive behaviors their parents exhibit. For example, children of alcoholics (COAs) are a group of individuals who suffer the plight of their parents'' alcoholism.

    As a teenager, the likelihood of exposing to drugs and alcohol is very high, and there is a good chance that you will try drugs and alcohol. Even though you tell yourself that you will only try drugs once, you do it one more time, and then one more time after that, and before you know it you are developing a drug problem. One of the consequences of drug and alcohol abuse is addiction. Most teens don''t think that they will become addicted, and simply use drug and alcohol to have a good time. However, the reality of addiction to drugs and alcohol can result in some pretty undesirable consequences, such as loss of friendships, health problems, behavioral problems, alienation of family, and a loss of interest in sports, academics, hobbies, etc.

    Substance abuse and addiction can greatly alter behavior, and a new preoccupation with drugs can crowd out activities that were previously important, like sports or academics. Abuse of drugs and alcohol can also change friendships, as teens begin to move away from old friends who don''t approve of their drug use and begin to associate with fellow drug users who will encourage and support one other''s drug use. Most teens who are addicted won''t see a problem with their behavior or their drug use. Drugs make them feel good, and are a way to relieve the stress of school, problems at home, disagreements with friends, etc.

    Teenage drug addiction is one of the most common problems faced by parents in the country today. Studies show that about 36 percent of teenagers in the United States are hooked different forms of illegal drugs and about one-half of American teenagers are most like to experiment on drugs before they graduate from high school. This rate is really alarming considering that many of these young people are not really aware of the negative impacts of drug addiction in their bodies. More often than not, these kids just want to have some fun that?s why they take drugs. Most these teenagers who experiment on drugs do so due to peer pressure. According to experts, young people who want to belong to ?in? crowd at school experiment on drugs to be accepted by their peers. Unfortunately, a single experiment could lead to drug addiction and a lot of troubles. In some extreme cases, these experiments can cause the loss of lives. If you are one of those parents who have teenagers at home, here are some things that you can do to stir your kid away from drug addiction.

    Friends can have tremendous influence on your kid. To stir you kid away from drug addiction and other troubles, find out about your kid?s friends. Do this is a discreet and non-invasive way. Always remember that teenagers can be quite protective of their privacy. Instead of asking your kid about his or her friends, throw a barbecue party and ask your kid to invite some of his or her friends. Inviting your kid?s friends over to the house is the best way to get to know them better. You may also encourage the kids to hang around the house every now and then so that you can observe them without really appearing too nosy or something.

    Being engaged in some worthwhile activities can help keep your kid away from drug addiction. If your kid is interested in some worthwhile hobby, support him or her. Make him or her feel that you are genuinely interested in what he or she is doing. For instance, if your kid in interested in sports, encourage him or her to join sports activities at school or in your community. Note that if you kid is preoccupied with something; he or she will have less chances of associating with undesirable people. Moreover, if your kid is into team activities, he or she will not only develop physically, he or she will also improve socially and emotionally.

Posted by admin under Articles Of Interest | No Comments »

Addiction can be defined as a family disease It is a fact that the entire family suffers with the addict
Addiction can be defined as a family disease. It is a fact that the entire family suffers with the addict. This is the reason that professionals consider treatment of the family to be the part of the whole treatment of addiction. First, it is important to understand that the tendency to become addicted is genetically transmitted. This is proved by a research that has been undertaken to know the exact reason of raise in the cases of addiction.

When it comes to the family suffering, there are a number of ways a family suffers with the addict. According to a study, about one third of the families in the United States have at least one member in the family with a substance abuse problem. About one-fourth of this problem exists in nuclear family. In such families, there are more chances of divorce, domestic violence, anxiety, child abuse, depression and general medical problems.

When an addict & the whole family gets into the recovery mode, many effects of depression are supposes to go away in a couple of years. However, there needs to be an active participation from the addict, the family & the recovery professional.

It may be quite difficult to deal with addiction in the family as it?s hard to see a family member in trouble but one needs to be strong enough to cope up with such troubles. The most important thing to remember is that there are many important issues to explore as soon as someone in your family requires help. First, you need to make out whether you are contributing to the core problem or working towards eliminating it.

Here are certain contributions you may be making to increase the problem:

? Making yourself believe that you are responsible for the whole scenario rather than caring for yourself.

? Getting judgmental towards the addicted person.

? Concealing the addict?s behavior & covering up for them.

? Doing certain things for the addict that they require to carry out all by themselves.

? Accepting your lack of control & giving up after some trials.

? Paying attention to your feelings & needs rather than taking care of the addict.

Here are certain important facts that you must know regarding how to deal with addiction:

? The family must suggest some actions to the addict that are required to help him get out of the addiction.

? Individual counseling also works really well with the addict. Here, a professional puts an effort to provide some cool tips to get out of the situation and fight addiction bravely.

? People who are fighting against a drug or alcohol addiction, a variety of detox treatments are suggested and these treatments may be conducted in a hospital, specific clinic or even a treatment facility.

? Certain types of addiction also require adept or special type of medication. For instance, a drug called nicorette helps a lot to those addicted to smoking.

? One can also contact self recovery groups where special help is provided to addicts. Addicts are taught how to recover & maintain their self esteem here.

? Different types of out-patient facilities are also available where the addict is provided adept treatment. He needs to visit where facilities regularly in order to meet their program expectations.

The task of helping an addict overcome his problem may be difficult but with hard work & determination, it is possible.

Posted by admin under Articles Of Interest | No Comments »

Many a parent questions their teens behavior at one point in time or another But every parent?s worst is always that they will one day find that their child has become addicted to some sort of illicit drug
Many a parent questions their teens behavior at one point in time or another. But every parent?s worst is always that they will one day find that their child has become addicted to some sort of illicit drug. Watching anxiously for any sign of erratic behavior, has caused many parents? hair to turn grey virtually overnight. This isn?t necessary if you know how to recognize the effects of drug addiction in your teen, and are able to stop their destructive behavior before it gets the best of them. Recognizing the effects of drug addiction in your teen isn?t difficult as long as you understand what to look for. Below you will find some of the early warning signs that your teen may be battling a drug addiction, along with useful tips on how to get him or her the help they need.

Although withdrawing from family is a normal part of adolescence, an extreme and sudden withdrawal from both family and friends can be one of the effects of drug addiction in your teen. If you have noticed that your teen has become even more sullen and withdrawn than usual, you may want to talk to them (or at least try to) about what they are experiencing. A lack of interest in previously enjoyed activities can also be one of the effects of drug addiction in teens. If your teen was once active in his or her school, church, or community, and suddenly shows little or no interest in these activities, it may be a sign that he or she is battling the effects of drug addiction.

A sudden and extreme weight loss is also one of the effects of drug addiction in teens. Even though this may have roots stemming from an eating disorder, rapid weight loss is usually indicative of drug use; and you should get your teen into the doctor as quickly as possible. Even if your teen?s sudden weight loss is not due to the effects of drug addiction, it may have a serious underlying cause, and should be treated immediately.

Again, although every teen will typically experience a decline in their grades during their high school years, a sharp drop on your teen?s report card can be one of the effects of drug addiction. As can a sudden lack of interest in their part time jobs, or even just getting out of bed in the morning. If you think that your teen is experiencing any of the effects of drug addiction, it is imperative that you get him or her help as early as possible. All too often parents put off trying to help their teens until it is too late, purely out of the fear of being rejected. Just remember that you are the parent, and if counseling or admission into a drug rehabilitation center is what your child needs, then it is up to you to make certain that he or she gets it. Although the effects of drug addiction can be quite frightening when they present themselves in your child, catching them early and taking action now can save your teen from a life of addiction.

Posted by admin under Articles Of Interest | No Comments »

Claudia is a teenaged girl who feels abandoned. Her sister Marie gets most of the attention. Marie is not after the family spotlight, but her condition demands attention. Sadly, Marie suffers from an incurable form of cancer and she must rely on her family to care for all of her needs.

Claudia loves Marie and spends most of her time with her. She feels selfish and guilty whenever she thinks about herself. Sharing the responsibility of caring for Marie with her parents has its good and bad perspectives. The good news is Claudia has a deeply spiritual relationship with her sister. Marie has taught Claudia trust, humility, patience and gratitude for life. The bad news is Claudia is only fourteen. She too needs to be nurtured and parented. She needs to spend time with friends and to enjoy, or at least participate in her adolescence.

Claudia and her parents endure the daily pain of Marie’s deterioration. They feel tremendous guilt and sadness, which occasionally turns to frustration and is directed towards Claudia. It’s difficult for mom and dad to realize Claudia’s needs when they are under such duress as losing a child.

Claudia’s parents came to us for help with their grief. We attempted to help them to find somewhat of a balance during this difficult time. We recommended that they first draw strength from their faith and then from each other. We also ended for Claudia’s sake, that they see her as the child that she is and treat her as such. Mom and dad were to relieve Claudia of all expectations and responsibility for her sister, because encouraging a caretaker relationship serves no purpose for either of the girls. Finally, they were to forgive themselves for Marie’s condition for which they have no control. They owe it to their entire family to find a sense of normalcy.

Mom and dad will best serve both daughters by parenting Claudia. This includes touching her, hugging her, expressing anger towards her, arguing with her and anything else that one would expect a parent to do.

They are to set-up a part-time nurse/caregiver or relative once a week in order to take time away to recharge themselves. And finally, they are to encourage Marie to share her feelings with them, regardless of how painful.

There are no right answers here, but Marie’s parents must acknowledge her needs as well as, Claudia’s.

Posted by admin under Articles Of Interest | No Comments »

We all become angry from time-to-time, that’s normal. Craig on the other hand, entered our teen drug rehab program with extreme anger towards his father. We label this unresolved anger as resentments.

Craig’s anger was justified and may actually have been healthy had he been able to express it towards his father. And, if only his father were willing to at least hear him out. He probably would have avoided treatment.

It is rare for someone to experience the feeling of anger, then recognize where it’s coming from and finally share it with the person he/she is angry with. If we were all able to do this, we could eliminate resentments, as well as, eliminating acting out or violent behavior. In an earlier column I discussed anger as a healthy emotion, yet left unexpressed, will turn into problem behavior.

Craig was afraid of his father and therefore didn’t dare express his true feelings. This unexpressed anger turned to rage and finally to acting out in destructive ways. When Craig was admitted here, he was punching holes in walls at home, calling his parents names and leaving home whenever he felt like it.

We had Craig write a list of 20-resentments he had towards his father. The resentments needed to be made up with what we call our “6-basic feelings” as follows: Mad, sad, glad, afraid, ashamed and hurt. Our theory is, that if any of these basic feelings were unresolved between Craig and his father, the situation would worsen without therapy. Here’s an example of how one emotion can turn to resentment:

Craig’s older brother received a car on his 16th birthday. When Craig turned 16 he received a bicycle. Naturally Craig felt hurt about this, but failed to share this feeling with his father. Now granted, Craig’s brother deserved the car while Craig did nothing to prove responsibility. Nevertheless, Craig still had the fantasy of getting a car for his birthday, even though he himself felt he didn’t deserve it. Craig’s was full of guilt for not measuring up to his own expectations. His guilt led to silence about his feelings, then to feelings of hurt, and finally to resentments towards his father. Can you see how Craig’s own expectations and failure to communicate actually caused the resentments? This was Craig’s core problem that we identified in treatment.

The good news is Craig received the support and guidance to work through several resentments with his father. His hard work led to trust, which ultimately led to better communication and improved behavior at home. All this of course earned Craig that car he had been wanting.

Posted by admin under Articles Of Interest | No Comments »

When I speak at special events the number one question parents ask me is “What‘s a normal teenager?” My first response is that normal doesn’t stand for “The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.”

Although normal teenage behavior has changed over the past thirty years, it hasn’t changed entirely. “Normal” varies based upon many factors such as culture, race, religion, personal family values, etc. However, there remain some constants in the process of normal adolescence. One constant that has not changed is the number one unconscious task of every teenager: to separate from his/her parents.

If a teenager is to successfully process through adolescence, he/she must separate physically, emotionally, cognitively and financially from his/her parents.

It has been evident in my work with adolescents throughout the years that parents who interfere, disrupt or undermine the healthy process of “separation” actually contribute to anger outbursts and other forms of unhealthy teenage behavior. In addition, it’s been my observation that too much parental interference during this crucial time-of-life also contributes to the teenager’s loss of “spirit” or enthusiasm.

An adolescent’s inner-self; personal thoughts, beliefs, motivation, hopes, dreams and self-esteem are what I refer to as their “Lifespark” or in other words, their enthusiasm for life.

Once an adolescent’s “Lifespark” has been damaged, there hope to restore it lies in direct work with their parents or caregivers. Many times the parents themselves are the perpetrators of the damage inflicted on their child’s “Lifespark;” this is usually unintentional but nonetheless, requires their participation and that of an outside professional to help restore it. When damage occurs and trust is lost between a parent and teen, it’s best to work with the assistance of a therapist or a drug rehab facility for reasons of objectivity.

The bottom line is that teenagers must separate from their parents and healthy separation is ideal for long-term emotional health. Therefore, I’ve listed a few behaviors you might need to be aware of that can help define “normal” and give you a bit more peace-of-mind about your teenager’s healthy separation:

1. Sudden assertion of personal rights or space.
2. Desiring to be with friends rather than family.
3. Disagreeing with their parents.
4. Wearing clothing or jewelry that conflicts with their parents’ desires or values.
5. Computer addiction (watch this one closely).

The aforementioned behaviors are generally normal and benign for an adolescent attempting to separate from his/her parents, provided the adolescent is doing well in school, getting along fairly well with family members, he/she is not in trouble or in danger, and he/she follows most rules at home.

Healthy parents allow for separation.

Posted by admin under Articles Of Interest | No Comments »

Dear Tim:

My 16-year old daughter has run away from home three times in her life. The first two times she came back home in a matter of hours, this time I’m worried. She hasn’t been home in three days and she hasn’t called. Rumor has it that she is staying with a boy at his mother’s house not far from here. Should I go over there? What do you suggest?

Posted by admin under Articles Of Interest | 1 Comment »

Depression may very well be anger turned inward. Take Steve for instance; a 16-year-old who was brought into or clinic by his parents for evaluation. According to his mother, Steve started cutting himself with razors and knives. One-day mother noticed blood on his sleeves when she was doing laundry. She confronted Steve and he admitted what he had been doing. Steve’s parents brought him in the following day.

During the evaluation Steve scored high on a depression test and he also admitted feeling depressed for nearly two years. His parents were astonished to hear this.

Steve is an above average student and is well liked in school. He described himself as a “people pleaser,” always telling others what they want to hear. He rarely says no and always follows his parents’ direction to the letter. Steve’s mother felt ‘blessed” to have a son so well behaved. Unfortunately, this “blessing” led Steve’s self-destructive behavior and to our clinic.

It turns out that Steve has been angry for many years. He feels he can’t communicate with his father and that his mother “runs interference” between them. He blames mom for not allowing him to get close to his dad, yet he doesn’t tell mom because he doesn’t want to hurt her feelings. He fears his father, even though his father has never harmed him. Steve’s answer to all this confusion is to hold his anger inside and pretend everything’s okay. This behavior would be more appropriately labeled repression as opposed to depression. However, the results are the same; anger turned inward led Steve into depression and then to self-destructive behavior, his cutting himself.

Our remedy for Steve’s depression was to have him write a list of his unresolved feelings towards his parents, role-play his list of feelings in session with a counselor, and then to sit down with his parents and the counselor and express his feelings directly. Once this was done, we were able to work mom and dad through their own feelings while helping them to understand that although Steve’s resentments are valid, his perception and the resulting feelings were not their fault.

If you believe your teenager designs things just to make you angry, perhaps your right. However, perhaps in a roundabout and unconscious way, your child is trying to help bring out your suppressed anger. Suppressed anger leads to emotional-outbursts. Using anger as a weapon leads to generalized fear in the family.

The end result was that Steve worked through his depression and his parents became willing to listen to his feelings, including his anger, without fighting or blaming himself or herself.

Posted by admin under Articles Of Interest | No Comments »

People fear anger, yet it’s the most socially acceptable feeling we encounter. Sound conflicting? We’ve all heard of anger workshops, and anger management, but I’ve yet to hear of a fear, sadness or hurt workshop. Ever hear of anyone being sentenced by a judge to a workshop about feelings other than anger? I doubt it. Anger is popular, so why is it so feared?

Anger in and of itself is a positive force, not a destructive emotion. Anger gets a “bad rap” from people who fail to express it appropriately or not at all. Anger is a feeling, how one may act upon it is a behavior, which is where the confusion lies.

I encounter numerous teenagers in our practice who are prime examples of unexpressed anger turned problem behavior. When a parent becomes angry, his or her actions determine trust or distrust to their children. Parents able to accept their own anger contribute to trust in their family. Those who can’t, create doubt and fear.

Example; Mike is a parent who is willing to acknowledge his anger. His children are not intimidated by dad’s anger because he “puts it out there” and they trust he won’t lose control. They also admit it’s difficult to manipulate their dad with angry outbursts because he’s comfortable with his own anger.

Parents able to deal with anger as it surfaces enjoy lower levels of stress. Additionally, anger is emotional energy and children sense energy. When mom or dad become irritated and fail to express the feeling, the child senses it, determines it’s not safe, and adapts a defensive position towards them. For many teenagers unexpressed parental anger feels more uncomfortable than being yelled at. Unexpressed anger increases the likelihood that teens will “act-out” in order to evoke an aggressive response from their parents.

If you believe your teenager designs things just to make you angry, perhaps your right. However, perhaps in a roundabout and unconscious way, your child is trying to help bring out your suppressed anger. Suppressed anger leads to emotional-outbursts. Using anger as a weapon leads to generalized fear in the family.

If you find yourself constantly angry with your child, perhaps it’s not about your child’s behavior. Stop yourself before reacting aggressively. Test your stress level. There are several stress tests you can take on the internet. Once you’ve identified major life stressors (excluding your children), seek professional guidance to reduce or eliminate those stressors. You might be surprised how little anger you feel towards your children, and how anger itself is not so frightening after all.

Posted by admin under Articles Of Interest | No Comments »

Craig, a 16-year old entered our treatment program with “out-of-control anger.” He would scream, hit his little brother and toss things around whenever he became angry. In an earlier column I discussed anger as a healthy emotion, yet left unexpressed, turns into problem behavior. Craig, as with most teenagers, needed a safe way in which to express his anger. This would help him to avoid acting out negative behavior.

It was a challenge convincing Craig’s father that he was a key factor in helping Craig express feelings appropriately. We explained that Craig’s anger was actually healthy and that Craig’s behavior was the problem, not his anger. Craig’s father was open to listening to his feelings of anger provided he curbed his inappropriate behavior. Once the two agreed to work on this together, Craig almost instantaneously became willing to share his feelings.

In the treatment process Craig and his father had to learn the language of feelings. The first step was to remember that feelings are entirely different from behavior. Behavior is expressed via an action, feelings are expressed verbally. They learned that verbalizing anger without judging the other person, or expecting a certain result, is the appropriate way to do it.

Most of us know how difficult it is to express anger appropriately in the “heat of the moment.” Therefore, we recommended scheduled, rational talks, between Craig and his father. The purpose of the talks was purely to express their feelings, not to solve problems. The talks were to be held twice weekly at a pre-determined time, and were to last no less than ten minutes and no longer than fifteen. Too long a talk may lead to boredom, nothing to discuss and undesirable results.

During each talk Craig and his father were to express feelings they had experienced that particular day. Any feeling would do, so long as they used our “6-basic feelings” language. We instructed them to share their feelings to one another without interruption, without consequence and without giving advice.

The 6-basic feelings language is: “mad, sad, glad, afraid, ashamed and hurt.” These words were to be the foundation of their talks. Again, they had to use one or all of these words when describing their feelings.

This simple exercise helped them to articulate feelings; listen and hear one another, and it helped them to learn to spend time together. If it sounds simple, it was. And, it worked for two good reasons.

1. They followed through with the talks consistently.
2. They intended for this to work.

Their intent was as important as their follow through.

Posted by admin under Articles Of Interest | No Comments »