When Your Teen Enters Drug Detox
It is hard to watch our children struggle. Addiction is a struggle that can be painful and lonely for the person involved and for the family members closest to him/her. When it is your teen struggling with addiction the combination of pain over their plight and your own feelings of loneliness and despair can seem overwhelming.
Thankfully, parents don’t need to struggle alone. Help is available. Residential facilities which offer drug detox and addiction treatment programs specialize in understanding teens and understanding addiction.
Detox and Rehab Centers can Help Parents Even Before the Teen Enters the Doors
The professionals at treatment facilities are able to help kids cleanse their body of the drugs through detox and can provide practical instruction on how to live without drugs from now on. Yet, sadly, some estimate that just 10 percent of teenagers who abuse substances ever make it into treatment for their addiction. Parents can make an important difference at this point by ensuring that their child is included in that 10 percent who do get help. As uncomfortable as it may be to confront the abuse and suggest treatment, loving parents will be ready to intervene. Some parents find it helpful to call the rehab center ahead of and ask for pointers in beginning the conversation and for help in responding to likely resistance from the teen.
Detox Treats the Physical; Therapy Treats the Psychological
Once the teenager enters detox there will be an anticipated withdrawal period during which the body’s cravings for the drug will be denied. The symptoms of withdrawal vary from person to person and drug to drug, but the trained and knowledgeable staff at the detox facility is able to guide the teen safely and as comfortably as possible through the phase of eliminating drugs from their body. Parents can find peace of mind in knowing that their child is in capable hands during this crucial first step.
After detox, comes addiction treatment which can last anywhere from one to three months. Detox rids the body of the drug and all of its traces, but does not equip the teen for living drug-free. This equipping comes through the addiction treatment program. Addiction is not only a physical occurrence; it has a strong psychological component which needs to be addressed in order to gain the best chance of lasting recovery. Understanding what may have led to the teen’s abuse of drugs and how to develop better coping mechanisms is the goal of addiction treatment.
Some detox/rehab facilities offer family counseling along with the therapies for the teen individually. Because the addiction impacted the life of the family and because the family will be integral in helping to create and support a healthy post-treatment environment, this type of counseling is invaluable. Parents don’t have to face this struggle alone. There are professionals ready and available to help from before the teen arrives and even after they leave.