It's normal to feel helpless and confused if your adolescent is battling an addiction. You might want to do whatever in your power to aid them, but there are a few things you should know before. Although it may seem unattainable, getting your kid to attend treatment is feasible. If you are well-informed and organised, you can get your teen the assistance they require. Here are some tips to help you get started.
If your adolescent has a drug abuse problem, you may feel lost and hopeless, but there is help. Your adolescent can start living a new way, free from addiction, and make positive strides towards health with the right drug.
As you strive to aid your child, remember to look after yourself.
As a parent of a drug-addicted child, you will unavoidably face pressure, along with a gamut of strong emotions ranging from despair and anxiety to fury and rage. Practising self-care will help you support your child as they go from addiction to recovery.
See our list of available Rehabilitation Programmes to help you make an informed decision for your treatment.
So, you've come to the conclusion that your child needs drug or alcohol rehab; the question is, how do you find a truly excellent facility for them to attend?
Frequently Asked Questions
A person who is younger than 17 years old can legally be forced into inpatient drug treatment without their consent.
Your teen must first give the therapist permission before they will talk to them. The same can be said for a centre for the mental health or treatment of drugs in adolescents. When your child reaches the age of 18, they are no longer legally required to obey you, and it is against the law for you to bring them to a facility for mental health or substance abuse treatment without first receiving their consent.
Your parents are unable to coerce you into the car and take you to treatment against your will. If you don't feel like going to therapy, there's no obligation for you to do so. Even if you see a therapist, the other person is not allowed to discuss your problems with that therapist without first obtaining your permission.
People who are at least 16 years old have the legal right to give consent for medical treatment. It is only possible to disregard it in extremely unusual situations. As is the case with adults, young people between the ages of 16 and 17 are presumed to have the mental capacity to make decisions regarding their medical treatment unless there is significant evidence to the contrary.
Parents' involvement in the process typically does not extend beyond the intake session and brief periodic check-ins when they bring their children to therapy, despite the fact that there is a consensus among play therapists that effective consultation with parents can maximise the beneficial outcomes for children. This is the case despite the fact that effective consultation with parents can maximise the benefits for children.
As You Move Forwards, Please Keep The Following Five Things In Mind.
But I Am Not In Need Of Rehabilitation
Your major goal should be to help your child see that they can benefit greatly from visiting treatment to get help managing the psychological, physiological, and social elements of their addiction. Your adolescent may refuse to see how much of an improvement in their lives would come from going to rehab. While they may open up to you about the influence of their peers' drug usage, you shouldn't expect them to suggest that their parents enrol them in a rehabilitation programme.
How do you explain to them that they are the only ones who struggle with this issue? Talk about the reality that some of us have a higher propensity to acquire an addiction due to our genetic make-up. In order to beat drug addiction, addicts need the help of qualified professionals.
Get outside help, perhaps from a relative you trust who has been through addiction and is now in recovery and could talk to your teen about what they went through. You might also have your teen's primary care doctor, who is knowledgeable with both the adolescent and their addiction, talk to them about their situation and explain why inpatient or outpatient treatment at a drug or alcohol rehabilitation centre is the best option for fixing the problem.
It's Scary To Go To Rehab. I Beg You, Don't Make Me Leave.
They may associate rehabilitation with confinement and worry about being separated from their friends and left to cope with the process on their own if they are a teenager. One other possibility is that they just want to hang out at your place.
If your teen is resistant to going to rehab, attempt to reassure them and assist them gain perspective on the programme you've selected. Then, you should enquire as to why your adolescent has such unfavourable views on rehabilitation and then supply them with facts that counters their preconceived assumptions.
Assure your child that you will be there for them every step of the way as they go through treatment, that you will visit them often, and that you will do all you can to help them. It's unfortunate, but your adolescent's chances of success in rehabilitation will not improve if they enter the programme voluntarily rather than acting as if they're being coerced to do so.
Keep an eye out for signs that your kid may have a more serious mental health problem than meets the eye. The vast majority of people who need therapy for both addiction and mental illness do not obtain treatment for both diseases at the same time, despite the fact that about 8.4 million persons suffer from both a mental disorder and an addiction. It's a good idea to bring up the possibility that your child has an anxiety problem, depression, or another ailment in a talk with your family doctor.
Your primary care doctor may suggest seeing a therapist or psychiatrist if they think it would be beneficial to you. Your adolescent may need to attend a few therapy sessions before they are ready to commit to a recovery programme.
Keep in mind that your adolescent will look to you for indications on how to broach the topic of therapy; it's important to be open and direct when discussing therapy with your child, and to reassure them that it's not something to be ashamed of or kept hidden from them.
Consider Your Concern To Be An Expression Of Love.
Try to remember that even at their most laid-back, teenagers can be rather intense people. Even though your child will look to you for stability in the midst of this storm, it can be difficult to stay loving and patient in the face of rage, confusion, despair, and tears. It has been noted that prioritising self-care is crucial if you want to approach conversations with your adolescent feeling prepared and in control of your emotions.
Looking for the best rehab centre? Refocus Rehab Melbourne might be the answer.
Keep In Mind That You Are The Parent.
If your child is younger than 17, you have the legal authority to force them to get help, while doing so is not necessarily in their best interest. Self-referral to a rehabilitation centre increases the likelihood of positive outcomes for patients of any age, but you and your primary care physician may decide that urgent action is necessary.
Telling a teenager they need to go to rehab can be a difficult conversation to have on your own, so you may want to enlist the help of others before initiating such a conversation. Your child's favourite aunt, for instance, could be a credible source in supporting the choice to enter treatment. Your child may be able to speak with a member of the rehabilitation center's staff about the center's services and the advantages of therapy.
Your adolescent may get the most from prompt help for their addiction if you act quickly. Although some parents may trust their teens when they say they can quit using a substance without any assistance, scientific evidence demonstrates that this is extremely unlikely to occur.
Your adolescent needs to understand why they consume drugs and how they might find healthier ways to deal with the immense challenges of adolescence. Your kid has to know that there are different ways of life and coping with the immense stresses of maturity.
Encourage Treatment And Positive Behaviours To Encourage
Try to keep your cool as you explain the reasons for your adolescent's recent shift in behaviour or academic performance. Allow them to talk it out, and see how open they are to sharing their thoughts and feelings. While encouraging them to stop using drugs, you should be tough with them and make it obvious that you will not stand for it. Make it crystal clear that there will be consequences for their ongoing use of alcohol or drugs.
Place An Emphasis On Individuality
More than half of high school students know of a place on or near school premises where other students get high, according to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. Adolescents may have a hard time understanding why they should be treated differently from their peers in light of this information. Your kid might effectively ask you, "If that person can drink alcohol, then why can't I?" , "My friend can smoke pot anytime he wants without ever becoming dependent on it."
It's crucial to stress to your teen that everyone's brain is wired differently and that people have varied levels of susceptibility towards addiction when having this chat. Just because they want to stop using drugs or alcohol doesn't mean they can do so without help from a professional.
Utilize The Help Of Third Parties When Possible (Treatment Counsellor)
In reality, most teenagers would rather do anything else but hear out their parents' advice. They could benefit from hearing another person's perspective on the situation, such as a trained counsellor or a person who has successfully dealt with addiction and is willing to tell their story. It's a great tool for showing teens the outcomes that could occur if they keep on the same road.
The ultimate goal of seeking outside assistance is to help your child recognise that they need outside aid to overcome their addiction.
Establish Unequivocal Boundaries
Most teenagers will resist going to a rehabilitation centre when they are told they need it. It's possible they have misconceptions about addiction treatment or are afraid of the prospect of leaving home to get help.
Instead of debating, try asking them to come up with three specific reasons why they do not want to get professional treatment. After your child has recorded their concerns in writing, you may have a conversation with them about them and work together to find answers. In addition, make sure you respond constructively to all of their comments.
Visit them often and assure them that you will be there for them through the ups and downs of their therapy. It will help them understand that they are not being "sent away" because of their bad behaviour.
Establish Your Authority Over The Circumstances
Being a parent means taking charge and making decisions. If you have tried everything else and your child is still under 17, you are within your rights to send them to therapy without first getting their consent. Sending your child to rehab against their will usually has bad implications, but it is possible that you will be successful in convincing them to make positive adjustments once they have completed treatment.
This article will help you make a decision about Rehab Treatment Melbourne fees for different treatments.
Nothing will be gained from the experience if the participants aren't enthusiastic about it. Again, this highlights the need of having a frank discussion with young people about the dangers of substance abuse and the message that addiction is a road that leads nowhere but destruction.
Underage Drinking Can Be Fatal, This Things Will Help.
Talk To Them As If They Were Actual People.
Some parents may feel panic and a strong urge to reclaim authority when they learn that their children are drinking. Yet, this is unlikely to be helpful in any way. Teenagers have an innate desire to feel like their parents value them as individuals rather than as objects of control because they are the people of their generation.
Avoid patronising or condescending language while communicating with teenagers. Avoid using phrases like "it's only a phase" or "they'll outgrow it" when discussing their current situation. Instead, you should give careful consideration to their comments and suggestions. Prioritize making connections before planning any form of assistance. Publicly praising someone while privately criticising or confronting them is inappropriate. Pick your supporting materials with care, avoiding anything that references celebrities, the media, or technology that is more than a few years old. You have no room to claim superior wisdom and age.
Bring Attention To The Dangers Of Abusing Alcohol.
Considering the severity of the issue of underage drinking, it's easy to feel frustrated, furious, and preoccupied. Instead, you should talk to your teen about the risks associated with alcohol use.
Addiction can be a drain on resources vital to adolescents' maturation and development, not just experimentation or recreational use. Addiction is a chemical neuronal pattern formed in the brain as a result of a physical condition. This routine requires the brain to actively plan for, obtain, administer, consume, and recuperate from the addictive substance. This is not always a quick process, but it usually is. This occurs because the teenager is prevented from pursuing more conventional and holistic types of growth in other areas of life, which in turn has the consequence of affecting brain development. Addiction, by its very nature, disrupts a person's ability to operate normally in other areas of life. Adolescents are at a period of rapid development across many domains of functioning; the concurrent development of an addiction might impede healthy maturation in other areas of life.
Your teen needs to know that long-term alcohol abuse can alter brain structure and function. Additionally, the following dangers are associated with excessive alcohol consumption:
- Trouble with the law, maybe leading to incarceration Liver damage and other health problems are only some of the alcohol-related complications that might arise after an overdose.
- Relationship difficulties
Instead Of Punishing, We Should Support.
Rather than being seen as a behavioural problem, alcohol consumption disorder is understood to be an illness. It's natural for you to be concerned and angry about your teen's drinking, but humiliating them won't help them quit. It may even enhance the adolescent's stress levels and encourage them to experiment with substances even more.
As an alternative, you should talk to your teen about how and why they started drinking. Then you should provide them with options that can help them sober up. Your adolescent's well-being and contentment may hinge on their commitment to an evidence-based rehabilitation programme. Try telling your teen that you love them and want to help them instead of becoming angry and punishing them.
Acquire An Understanding Of The Science Behind Addiction
Learning the mechanisms of alcoholism may help you accept the fact that your adolescent cannot quit drinking on his or her own. In addition, it might help you come up with strategies to offer them assistance. Some people are more susceptible to developing substance use disorders than others, and this susceptibility can stem from a variety of factors including genetics, trauma, the substance itself (such as surgery and opioids), and learned responses. Most cases of substance abuse that have been studied extensively involve a mix of several of these factors.
When a person under the age of legal adulthood drinks, they are introducing a psychoactive drug into a brain that is still growing and maturing. When compared to an adult brain, a developing brain is inherently more delicate and susceptible. It will react strongly to that drug, and the sooner that reaction is activated, the more devastating the contact could be. Danger lurks when this is coupled with an underdeveloped prefrontal cortex. In addition, it can be harmful if the individual has a genetic predisposition that makes them more vulnerable to developing an addiction to a response to psychoactive substances. This can initiate usage at an earlier age, which in turn accelerates the onset of use and paves the way for a path of problematic alcohol use. If alcohol use had been postponed until after brain development was complete, this route would never have been taken.
Make A Plan For It.
Collaborate on a plan for your adolescent's rehabilitation from substance usage. These services may include in-patient or out-patient care, counselling, family support, involvement in 12-step programmes, and more. Tell your teen emphatically that they must get help, and that you will not penalise them for their addiction but will take preventative measures and enhance supervision if they refuse.
