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Your child may experience withdrawal if they are trying to give up an addictive substance or are unable to acquire their usual dose. To lessen the burden, it is highly recommended to seek help from teen drug rehab centers.

Symptoms of withdrawal in teens vary depending on the substance. They might cause difficulties in the healing process or even have fatal consequences. Knowing what to expect will help you and your child obtain the support you need to handle the withdrawal process safely.

Your child will require emotional support and medical assistance throughout this unpleasant process, but have them remember that it is worth the effort. A pleasant, sober life is waiting for them. Here are some tips to assist your teen:

1. Seek professional help.

Do not let your child go through withdrawal at home. Adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 struggling from withdrawal caused by substance addiction need expert help right away. The doctors will determine which type of treatment approach is required. In Los Angeles, medical drug detox and counseling are used in teen treatment therapy to alleviate their anxieties. These approaches allow teenagers to learn the coping skills they’ll use when they go to the next phase of their healing process — outpatient or inpatient treatment programs.

2. Prepare yourself and your child for the withdrawal process.

Research about what drug withdrawal is about and try to educate yourself as much as you can. This way, you’ll be able to answer any questions your child might have. If you find the topics complex, you can ask for guidance from mental health professionals specializing in the field.

3. Stay by your child’s side during the process.

While you might not want to see your child suffering, they need you with them throughout the process. They may experience physical pain and have difficulties handling their emotions, so your support is needed. Being with them will ease their discomfort.

4. Ask for support from trusted friends and family members.

You do not have to handle everything on your own. Your closest friends and relatives can help you emotionally and even financially. Try asking for their presence when you and your child are alone in the facility. Also, despite treatments being covered by insurance companies, getting professional help may cost a lot of money, so consider asking for financial assistance.

5. Follow the doctor’s prescribed treatment type after withdrawal is over.

After withdrawal, the healthcare providers will examine your child’s physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing, as well as the drugs left in their system using a series of blood tests. They will determine if any medication is necessary and create a comprehensive drug, medical, and mental health history. All of this information serves as the foundation for your child’s long-term treatment plan. Make sure to follow it. Be aware that your child must be physically, mentally, and emotionally stable during the therapy treatment process, so you might need to have a heart-to-heart conversation with them.

6. Avoid fueling stress to your child’s current situation.

According to studies, a child’s anxiety is influenced by their parents’ attitudes toward them. Most teenagers feel unsupported if they are constantly judged or yelled at. Punishments such as beats and silent treatments cause a lot of stress in a child’s brain, leading to reckless behavior and drug use. So be supportive. Hang out with your child in your spare time to do something you both enjoy. Try to align your child’s leisure time to your own. Another excellent alternative is to prepare food with them and eat something nutritious because food boosts energy and enhances emotions.

7. Find a way to cope with your child’s future situation.

Exercise and a healthy diet rich in fruits and nuts can enhance brain function and help avoid depression caused by substance use. Serve nutritious dishes if you suspect they are feeling stressed due to the withdrawal and treatment process. Also, talk about your boundaries and expectations in a straightforward and reasonable way. To minimize misunderstandings, tell them everything they wish to know about your house rules — the whats, whys, and hows — to ensure you’re both on the same page.

If your child needs help to deal with their drug issues, then seeking medical assistance is of the essence. When looking for a drug rehab facility, it is crucial to know what the program has to offer for your teen. Here are ten tips that may help you find the best teen addiction treatment program:

1. Ask for the staff and personnel qualifications. Ensure that they are experienced and professionally trained to work with teens.

2. Find out what the facility’s philosophy is regarding a successful teen treatment.

3. Seek treatment facilities that have inpatient and outpatient approaches since your teen may need one or a combination of both.

4. Ask the facility’s therapist or counselor for another assessment before proceeding to treatment.

5. Choose a facility that offers an aftercare treatment or that is close to a sober living facility.

6. Choose the treatment program that also prioritizes your child’s academic performance and responsibilities.

7. Look for a rehab facility that is close to home.

8. Check the insights of other people who went through treatment in the facility.

9. Find out what amenities the facility offers for you and your teen.

10. Consider a program or facility that your health insurance provider covers.

If you are looking for a teen drug rehabilitation center online, it might be good to check the website reviews for previous clients who already went through treatment. Positive feedback means that the program is good.

Remember that looking for a teen drug treatment center is not a race, so you should not hurry. It takes a lot of time and effort to compare and contrast different rehab facilities. By doing so, you will eventually find the most appropriate and beneficial place for your teen.

Why Choosing the Best Teen Drug Rehab is Essential

Finding the most suitable therapy for teenage substance abuse is time-consuming. The most evident sign that a drug recovery program has gone wrong is if your teen relapses. When a rehab’s approach is evidence-based, the chances that your teen relapses are minimal.

Drugs have a significant impact on a teen’s psyche. As such, a program has been ineffective if your teen has developed new mental health issues due to stress or unhealthy triggers encountered during the treatment. The best drug rehab centers address these types of issues.

Recovery is a long and complicated process, so temporary housing may be needed. While your child may be looking forward to coming back to their usual routine, they might not be ready to deal with life’s challenges. Going to a transitional living house will rebuild their confidence, re-establish their identity and self-image, and find affection and empathy. Most facilities provide residents with a home-like living situation in which they can learn and practice life skills. Transitional housing ensures that patients are fully recovered and ready to return to regular life.

If your teen is using drugs or drinking alcohol, the first and most important decision you should take is to approach a treatment center as soon as possible. A psychotherapist can assist you in assessing the problem and determining the next step, such as teen drug rehab or therapy sessions. Here are some of the different types of programs for teen drug treatment Los Angeles that you might want to check out.

Inpatient Treatment Program

In an inpatient program, your child must live inside the facility for the duration of the treatment. While this might seem restrictive, a number of factors may determine that an inpatient recovery program is best suited for your teen, such as:

• Your teen has not seen positive results with outpatient treatment.
• They require professional assistance and medical intervention to speed up their recovery.
• Your child keeps relapsing, possibly due to a lack of supervision. An inpatient facility can monitor them 24/7.
• Your child poses a danger to themselves or others. Safety officers in inpatient treatments can minimize or prevent the risk of dangerous actions.

Outpatient Treatment Program

In an outpatient program, your child is allowed to go home after their treatment schedules with the doctor. A structured and intensive program runs for eight hours five days a week.

The main goal is to get them away from the substances that caused them to develop mental and behavioral issues. As such, your child may need professional help to improve their academic performance and conduct, in addition to medicine.

Behavioral treatment strategies such as family counseling, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) will help them deal with issues such as depression and anxiety disorders. These treatments can also aid in the abstinence from smoking cigarettes, the minimization of cravings, and the restoration of damaged interpersonal relationships.

Residential Treatment Program

Residential treatment includes a wide range of programs that treat both teenage health and state of mind, including counseling, group therapy, psychoeducational sessions, and some holistic treatments. Residential treatments are similar to inpatient treatments, except that monitoring is not constant, especially in the latter stages of the process where the need for hospital care decreases. 

This type of treatment can last for months or years, depending on how the patient reacts to the therapy. It can be used as backup support. Patients can go from an inpatient treatment program to a residential program after building a healing foundation, allowing them to focus on learning recovery strategies.

Sober Living Program

Moving into transitional living or a sober living home is ideal for patients who have undergone inpatient treatment but fear that they might relapse. A sober living facility keeps residents away from challenges that can trigger drug cravings and lets them interact with others who are going through the same situation.

These interactions can benefit their interpersonal abilities as well as their mental health development. Additionally, the staff members can help keep them motivated in their recovery journey. Here are other fundamental goals that transitional living facilities can offer your children:

• Achieve a full, long-lasting recovery.
• Cultivate a positive attitude in life by participating in humanitarian activities, such as community outreach programs.
• Educate about consumer education, financial budgeting, and money management skills.
• Avoid relapsing.
• Form meaningful bonds and social interactions with other teenagers of similar ages and backgrounds.
• Promote the positive exchange of thoughts and emotions.
• Improve physical health through exercising and sports.
• Provide an inclusive environment monitored by trained professional staff.
• Check on teens’ mental health regularly through individual, family, or group counseling therapy sessions.

Which Treatment Type is Best For Your Teen?

As a parent, it is your responsibility to ensure that the rehab facility for substance use can meet your teenager’s needs. The best type of teen drug treatment program is the one that is prescribed by your teen’s physician or mental counselor. After assessment and evaluation, they may be able to identify what program type suits your teen’s condition.

The most apparent indication that your teen entered an ineffective drug rehabilitation program is if they relapse. Drugs significantly impact a teen’s behavior, particularly when they become reliant or addicted to them. As such, it is vital to ensure that your child receives the most appropriate type of treatment.

The last thing to keep in mind is that a facility should have a well-thought-out post-treatment plan with a relapse prevention plan. This will enable your kid to recognize the factors that may tempt them when they transition back to society.

Teen substance addiction is one of the leading reasons for conflict among youths and families. As a result, psychotherapists strive to provide kids with the best available solutions while still allowing them to enjoy their teenage years. Therapy and teen drug treatment programs have been primarily created to stop underage substance addiction among teenagers.

Teen Substance Abuse by the Numbers

Addiction to substances like drugs and cocaine is on the rise in the United States, with teens and young individuals being the most susceptible. As a result, parents must be prepared for the possibility of their children using substances or consuming alcohol.

The most apparent cause for teen drug use is curiosity. More than 50% of new drug addicts are under the age of 25. While experimentation is an essential part of a child’s learning experiences, it can also bring severe negative consequences.

In the United States, the misuse of harmful substances is continuously increasing, with teenagers and young adults being the most vulnerable demographic. It has been predicted that more than 2 million teens will try drugs this year. The most commonly used illicit drug among high school students is marijuana, and its consumption has been steadily rising since 2009. More than 30% of teens drink alcohol, 23% abuse marijuana, and 22% smoke cigarettes or other vaping devices.

In addition to marijuana, alcohol leads the numbers for the most commonly consumed toxic substance by adolescents and young adults aged 13 to 25. More than 54.1% of this age group stated that they drink alcohol occasionally. Alcohol increases a teen’s substance tolerance, making them much more susceptible to drug addiction and alcohol-induced health risks. Over 50% of American teens drink alcohol before turning 13, and an alarming 70% try alcohol by 17.

Marijuana: The Most Commonly Used Drug by American Teens

Young people, particularly teenagers, are constantly exposed to “cool” activities like drinking, gambling, and smoking. Most of them are pressured to participate to stay up to date with the latest trends among their peers. Teens who are accustomed to smoking are more likely to use marijuana, cocaine, or heroin. Marijuana use by teens is one of the most widespread issues in the United States.

Currently, 18 states have legalized recreational marijuana, while 37 states allow its use for medical reasons only. In 1996, California became the first state to allow medicinal cannabis, and it legalized its recreational use in 2016. People aged 21 and up are allowed to buy up to 8 grams of cannabis concentrates and carry up to 1 ounce — 28 grams — in their possession. Furthermore, people are permitted to have up to six cannabis plants per household.

However, California’s “pot-friendly” image has made it challenging to regulate and prohibit the use of marijuana by teens and young adults. More than 25% of California’s young people are exposed to several potential health risks brought by marijuana.

Why Do the Numbers Keep on Increasing?

The rise in teen alcohol consumption in the United States is linked to various economic and social difficulties, particularly in Los Angeles, one of the most accessible places for partying and substance consumption. Violence, car crashes, illegal activity, and disorganization at school and work are the drug-related issues that most people are concerned about.

Teens are more likely than adults to develop an addiction since they often lack the awareness to make informed decisions. Not all schools in the United States proactively address concerns such as substance abuse and alcoholism. As a result, teens rely on the Internet, which can be a critical source of disinformation, placing them in danger of misunderstanding the effects of drugs and alcohol.

The safest strategy to reduce the chances of your teen abusing substances is to keep them away from their temptations in the first place. The best approach for parents to help their children is to lead by example. A good education begins at home, so parents must act as mentors if they want their children to avoid drugs or alcohol. It is worth remembering that abstinence from dangerous substances prevents the need for professional help.