Teen alcohol treatment is the first line of defense. It is best for teens that are unable or unwilling to stop drinking. Whether alcohol addiction or alcohol abuse is the issue, there are a number of different types of addiction treatment services that can help your teen fight the urge to drink and learn instead how to make better choices that prioritize wellness and healthy living. It is best to attend an alcohol teen rehab center designed for teens. Your child can get help that will speak to the appropriate emotional, mental, and physical maturity.
Adults function differently than teens do. Their brains are fully developed. They’ve had more life experience. In addition, they’ve had more time to develop relationships and function in the world. This is also true for those with an addiction to alcohol. Teens need a treatment that caters to their limited experience and perspective on life. They also need a medical and therapeutic team trained to understand the teenage brain.
Teen Alcohol Treatment
It’s important that teens spend their time in rehab surrounded by peers. They learn from those struggling with similar issues. Furthermore, they gain connection and feel safe sharing their own thoughts and experiences in a group setting.
Assuming that your teen is going through a phase and will simply grow out of his or her alcohol abuse is a mistake. The research is clear. The earlier you enroll your teen in alcohol treatment, the more likely it is that he or she will find recovery. Unfortunately, most people don’t seek out treatment until they have been actively abusing alcohol for 20 years or more. The fact that the substance is legal confuses teens. Many believe that their use of the drug is normal. Furthermore, this permissiveness makes it harder to see the impact it’s having.
Getting your teenager into a teen alcohol treatment program gives them the chance to stop before it takes over your teen’s life.
At Newport Academy, we provide all these things and more for your child. Contact us today to find out more about how we can help your child to stop drinking and start living a life of positivity.
Risk Factors for Teen Alcohol Addiction
There are a number of factors in a teen’s life. This includes history, personality, and genetics. These factors might increase risk for the development of an alcohol addiction.
The following risk factors may increase your teen’s susceptibility:
- Family history of alcohol abuse
- History of childhood abuse or trauma
- Teens with diagnosed or undiagnosed mental illness
- Teens who struggle with self-image issues
- Friends with alcohol problems
Age Matters
The younger a person starts drinking, the more likely it is that he or she will continue drinking.
About 90 percent of adults struggling with chronic alcohol addiction started drinking before the age of 18. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, kids who drink before the age of 15 are four or five times more likely to become addicted to alcohol than those who start to drink at 21.
Unfortunately, only about 10 percent of teens who need help will get the alcohol treatment they need. Of that 10 percent, only one in 10 will receive the crucial follow-up care necessary to maintain sobriety after attending a teen alcohol treatment program. What will your teen’s experience be?
Signs and Symptoms of Teen Alcoholism
Does my teen really need alcohol treatment or is this just a phase that will pass on its own? It’s a common question that parents have and it’s one that comes from a place of hope. A phase is harmless and requires no drastic measurements. If it’s a phase, then everything will be fine. If it’s something more serious than that (e.g., alcohol abuse or alcohol addiction) then your teen needs treatment.
Physical Symptoms
The physical signs that your teen needs alcohol treatment may or may not be obvious depending on your child’s personal style. An unkempt appearance, clothes that highlight drug abuse or inattention to hygiene can mean that your child is drinking.
There are other physical signs, aside from your teen’s appearance that can tip you off that alcohol has become a problem. Empty beer or liquor bottles in their car, the smell of alcohol on their breath, or their friends drink can all be tip-offs that your teen is drinking.
There are obvious signs of teen drinking. DUIs, drunken fights, coming home drunk, and skipping school are red flags. If these signs are evident, it’s time to do something about your teen’s alcohol problem.
More: Signs and Symptoms of Teen Substance Abuse
Emotional Signs
It may be difficult to pinpoint the emotional signs that your teen needs treatment. If you know your child is drinking, it may have an emotional cause and an emotional consequence. For example, if your teen is upset about your divorce, a death in the family or of a friend, or due to an issue with her friends, she may drink to numb the pain. Mood swings, depression, and irritability are signs that your teen could benefit from help.
Five Signs Your Child May Need Teen Alcohol Treatment
In the fight against teen alcohol abuse, it is crucial that parents recognize that warnings signs.
- Drinking has caused their schoolwork or class attendance to suffer.
- Reckless behavior
- Smell of alcohol when they come home in the evening
- Teens lie about their whereabouts when they leave the house
- They become isolated, or forgo old friends for new social circles.
Health Problems Caused by Alcohol Addiction and Abuse
Your teen’s brain and body are developing and maturing at a rapid rate during the teen years. If alcohol is introduced into the limbic, endocrine, and immune systems, health problems can result.
Limbic system
Between the ages of 12 and 20, the brain is developing and growing at a significant rate. The limbic system is the reward system in the brain. If a teen abuses alcohol, adverse effects can result, says the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Drugs and alcohol target the reward system to give the user a sense of euphoria and to get high. In the process, the limbic system is altered. With continued use, drugs like cocaine, heroin, MDMA, and crystal meth make it difficult to feel happiness without using the drug.
Endocrine system
The endocrine system is responsible for assisting the reproductive organs and muscles in maturing. It does this by stimulating growth hormones and reproductive hormones. When your teen uses alcohol in large amounts (binge drinking), the levels of reproductive and growth hormones decrease. This can disrupt the development of ovaries, testes and the parts of the brain that control the endocrine system. Depending upon the amount of alcohol your teen drinks and how often he or she indulges, this disruption may be brief. But, if your teen continues to drink heavily for a long period of time, there can be irreparable damage. It can impact the reproductive system that has long-lasting effects.
Immune system
The immune system is necessary to protect your teen against viruses, bacteria, and disease. Drinking alcohol can surpress the immune system. This makes it hard to protect against the threat of illness, leaving one more vulnerable to infection. Additionally, long-term alcohol use can mean chronic illness if the immune system is damaged and cannot recover.
Time for an Intervention
When you realize that your teenager is struggling with alcohol abuse and requests for them to stop have yielded nothing. It’s time to put them on the right track. An intervention can help you. It can provide you with a formal forum with people who care. Setting your teen up for success starts with getting them the alcohol treatment help they need.
The Elements of Teen Alcohol Treatment
When a teen enters an alcohol treatment program, parents should expect the best. Their child should receive kind, compassionate care that impacts every aspect of the individual. Most programs include detox, counseling and aftercare as their foundation for treatment.
- Alcohol detox: During alcohol detox, the teenager will be a given a chance to let harmful alcohol toxins leave their system. This process takes a few days. The individual may experience withdrawal symptoms, including: depression, mood swings, irritability and hallucinations.
- Counseling: The real “meat” of teen alcohol treatment is individual and group counseling. It is during these sessions with a counselor that the teen can open up about the causes of their drinking problem. Also, they can address why they have been unable or unwilling to quit until this point. During group counseling, other teens share their stories as well, and everyone in the group is urged to provide support for one another. Because young people are so closely tied to their peer group, counseling can result in breakthroughs. They can lead to real progress during .
- Aftercare: Aftercare programs prepare clients for life after treatment. It teaches teens how to apply the taught skills. Aftercare programs can include follow-up counseling and support groups. This may be programs that follow the mold of 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous.
How Can Parents Get More Involved?
There are a number of ways that parents can get involved and participate in their teen’s alcohol treatment. You will be encouraged—in some cases, required—to take part in the program and support your teen. The home environment is an important piece in the success of your teen. Newport Academy has a number of resources for parents and avenues for their involvement.
- Be a more involved parent. Parents need to understand the relationship between their involvement in the lives of their children and the trouble that child gets into. Parents need to ask the right questions about where their children are going, and who they are hanging out with.
- Take the time to learn the warning signs. By knowing what to look for, parents can gain a significant advantage over the situation. Look for the signs mentioned above, and never entering into a state of denial.
- Share the knowledge. Parents need to sit down and talk to their kids about alcohol at an early age. Kids want to do the right thing, but sometimes do not readily understand what that means. By pointing out the potential damage that alcohol can have on their lives, parents are giving their children a fighting chance. We live in a world that may pressure teens to drink while they are underage.
Family Therapy
Family therapy allows parents to meet one-on-one with their teen in an emotionally safe setting. Seek the objective guidance of a psychotherapeutic professional. You and your teen will learn the tools that you need to talk to each other about past issues and underlying problems. In some cases, this allows you to address family problems that have been building for years. In other cases, you can work on the act of communication and how to deal with day-to-day issues without allowing them to escalate. The goal is to build a stronger foundation for your relationships. You and your teen that will get the support needed.
Parent Support Group
Our Parent Support Group at Newport Academy is available to parents. We guide the parents of teens in both our inpatient and outpatient teen treatment programs. Parents can meet other parents of teens with the same issues and gain peer guidance, insight and support. The Parent Support Group is also a good place to voice concerns, gain perspective, and learn more about relapse.
Educational Classes and Workshops
Understand what is happening to your teen physiologically and psychologically. This can help you in dealing with your teen. If you know what to expect and have a clear idea of what they are going through, you will be more effective at supporting them appropriately. The risk is that many parents will inadvertently enable their teen’s issues. Educational classes and workshops help parents learn how to positively support recovery.
Parental Involvement at Newport Academy
Parents of teens enrolled at Newport Academy are always welcome to contact us for a progress report or to check on their teen during treatment. Educational classes, our Parent Support Group, and family therapy are all available. Contact us at the phone number listed above to schedule a tour or begin the enrollment process for your child.
Alcohol Treatment at Newport Academy
Alcohol use among young people has been a constant health and social problem in the United States for the past hundred years.
Newport Academy provides teen treatment for young people and their families in a safe environment. We are proud of the fact that our program creates real results.
For more information, contact Newport Academy today.