How to Help If Your Teen Has An Addiction

No one likes to think that their teen is addicted to drugs. It can destroy families and have a devastating impact on your teen's future well-being. If you find yourself in this unenviable position, follow these intervention steps, and be ready to seek guidance from someone with professional training right away.

Step One: Help Your Teen Admit There is a Problem

You can’t really solve this kind of a problem if both sides aren’t committed to solving it. If your teen doesn’t acknowledge the problem or thinks “it isn’t a big deal,” you won’t get very far towards the solution.

Getting your teen to admit that he or she has a problem isn’t always an easy task. Kids know that drugs are bad and are often ashamed of their actions. If you find any physical evidence, use it when you are confronting your teen. This will make it hard for your teen to deny it and make an excuse.

No matter how you decide to approach your teen, think beforehand about what you will say. The stronger the case you make, the faster you will get an admission that there is a serious problem.

This can also be a great window for getting to know why your teen began using drugs in the first place. You can also try to find out the source and how much your teen is using. In cases when your teen doesn’t open up about these issues right away, don’t force it. Getting a teen to admit to drug use is a progress in itself.

Step Two: Dealing with Anger and Depression

Be a positive influence by showing your teen other ways to cope with negative emotions. If your teen is facing unfair anxieties in school, or just suffering from the everyday pressures of life, help him or her learn how to deal with the struggle. We need to teach our teen to face their problems head-on and not to try and escape from them using drugs.

If you notice your teen has problems with temper and lashes out on even a minor problem, then consider anger management therapy. Whether it’s depression or anger-management problems, professional counseling might be just what your teen needs to properly express feelings in an open environment. The sooner your teen can get those sensitive emotions and harsh feelings under control, the sooner that he or she can ultimately get on the road to recovery.

Step Three: Getting Professional Help

In most cases, the best course of action is to seek professional help right away. Especially if your teen experiences withdrawal symptoms. The detoxification process isn’t something that should be taken lightly and an experienced staff will be able to provide your teen with better care than you. It may sound harsh but it isn’t something you should be ashamed of.

Find a good detox or rehabilitation facility, where your teen can properly detox and get the help necessary to move beyond the influence of illegal substances. This isn’t always an easy decision for a parent to make but serious problems require serious solutions.

Drug addiction is a slippery slope to failure and disappointment in life. Show your teen there is a support system made up of people who are caring and loving.