Teen Alcohol Treatment Tips

If your teen is abusing alcohol, there is some basic information that you cannot do without. Check out our 10 tips below to help you understand what your teen needs in terms of alcohol treatment.

11 Tips on Teen Alcohol Treatment

#1: Don’t Wait

Almost 90 percent of people with chronic alcohol addiction issues started drinking before they were 18. If your teenager is abusing alcohol, do not wait to get them into a teen alcohol treatment center. Get them the help they need.

With that said, emotional issues due to hormones are difficult enough. Add the pendulum swings that come with alcohol abuse and addiction, and processing anything of an emotional nature is twice as taxing for your developing teen. Start early to prepare him or her with what to expect at alcohol treatment. Give yourself enough time to have the luxury of backing off and providing space to both of you whenever emotions begin to run high. Come back and try again later, if necessary, but always remain as calm as possible when discussing treatment and preparing your child for what to expect. As tough as he or she may pretend to be, the prospect of leaving home for the unknown is scary and they need you to remain as strong and supportive as possible during the days before they leave.

#2: Don’t Give Up

For many people, true recovery that “sticks” doesn’t come until after the addict has attended an alcohol treatment program two or three times over the course of years. Though this doesn’t apply to everyone-some find lasting recovery after a single stint in rehab-this means that you shouldn’t give up if your teen relapses after treatment.

#3: Early Treatment Is Crucial

Getting alcohol treatment during the first decade of using increases the efficacy of that treatment by more than 50 percent. Unfortunately, only one-tenth of teens who need alcohol treatment get the help they need, and only 10 percent of those teens receive the all-important continued care after they leave treatment.

#4: Dual Diagnosis Treatment May Be Needed

Most teens who have alcohol abuse and addiction problems also have co-occurring diagnoses of depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts; behavioral issues like ADHD or conduct disorder; have suffered trauma; have issues with violence or a criminal history; and/ or have sex with multiple partners. Getting help for these issues during drug treatment more than doubles the chances of a teenager’s success after alcohol treatment.

#5: Fight Relapse Through Continued Care

It is exceedingly common for teenagers to relapse in the first 90 days after teen alcohol treatment. The best way to fight against this is to make sure that your teen continues with aftercare services (i.e., therapy, group sessions, volunteer work, 12 step meetings, etc) after treatment.

#6: Pack Correctly

There are certain things that your teen will have to do in order to be prepared when they arrive at their teen alcohol rehab, such as packing. Your teen will need 10 days worth of clothes (on-site laundry facilities are available) and comfortable clothes with a few warmer items for the evenings. Make the first hour of treatment easier on your teen by double checking his or her bags for “forbidden” items. Your child will need to leave valuables at home, including cell phones, laptops and other communication devices. If he or she brings them to drug rehab, they will be taken away and locked up until they are done with treatment.

Note: It’s common for teens who are about to go to alcohol treatment to binge before they leave. Keep an extra close eye on your child during the days prior to departure to make sure they don’t put themselves in harm’s way.

#7: Recognize Addictive Behaviors

Whether your teen is on their way to an alcohol treatment center or has just returned home, you can watch for the signs of addictive behavior to minimize it. If your teenager is breaking rules, staying out late, hanging out with friends who drink, seems angry or inattentive, has poor hygiene, if their grades are falling, then get them to treatment ASAP or enroll them in aftercare services to help prevent against relapse.

#8: Stay Vigilant for A Year

If may seem like a long time, especially if your teen is still doing well 30 days, 60 days, 180 days after alcohol treatment, but staying on top of things and watching out for addictive behaviors for the first year after treatment is important. Follow up with aftercare services to help ensure that your teenager won’t return to drinking after alcohol rehab.

#9: Choose Residential Treatment

High school aged students who enroll in outpatient treatment generally receive less than 10 hours a week of treatment. This is not enough for teens who are actively abusing alcohol on a regular basis. Don’t wait for outpatient treatment to fail. Choose a residential treatment for your child as soon as you recognize the signs of alcohol abuse.

#10: Choose Teen Focused Recovery Options

The alcohol treatment you choose for your teen should be populated only by teens and run by staff members trained specifically in how drug and alcohol abuse affect teenagers. Aftercare services should also be for teenagers so that your teen will be surrounded by peers.

#11: Parents Need to Help too

The mental health and physical well-being of a parent also need some recovery time after dealing with teen addiction. Parents should prepare to get the help they need through options like personal therapy, support group meetings, parent groups and holistic treatments like yoga, acupuncture, massage and meditation.

Prepare Your Teen for Treatment at Newport Academy

Preparing your teen for teen alcohol treatment can take its toll emotionally and physically on everyone in the family. It’s important to invest time in helping your teen understand what he or she can expect to experience at teen alcohol rehab, assisting in the packing process and making sure your child is familiar with the rules and other details of treatment. The more you can do to prepare your child for what to expect ahead of time, the more quickly he or she will acclimate when they arrive.

At Newport Academy, we offer both inpatient teen alcohol rehab and outpatient teen addiction treatment programs. Our gender-specific programs separate boys and girls and provide each of the 12 teens included in treatment with everything they need to heal from addiction, keep up with their education and make progress toward transitioning back home.

Learn more about teen alcohol treatment today. Call Newport Academy and schedule an appointment or request a tour or our teen rehab facility.