Discovering that your teen has been using or is using drugs can be extremely overwhelming. Every parent responds differently. Having a wave of emotions is normal. The teenage years are the years in which teens may get involved with “the wrong crowd” or feel peer pressured to experiment with drugs because others are doing it around them. Whatever the cause may be, you should not ignore your teen and hope they stop after you tell them to. You may not know exactly what to do to get help for teen using drugs, but rest assured knowing there are ways you can get them on the track to recovery.
The Start
Asking for help is the first important help. While you may feel embarrassed or alone. You are not. Many parents and teens go through this type of situation. Seeking professional help is critical to help your teen reach their fullest potential and live a drug-free life. It takes a lot of courage to seek help for a child with a possible drug problem because there is a lot of hard work ahead for both of you. This can interrupt academic, personal, and possibly athletic milestones expected during the teen years. However, treatment works, and teens can recover from addiction. This should be the priority. It just takes time and patience. Treatment enables young people to counteract addiction’s powerful disruptive effects on their brain and behavior so they can regain control of their lives. While pursuing a professional’s help, keep these things in mind:
- Seek a doctor who can screen for signs of drug use and other related health conditions.
- You might want to ask in advance if he or she is comfortable screening for drug use with standard assessment tools and making a referral to an appropriate treatment provider. *If not, ask for a referral to another provider skilled in these issues.
- Focus on creating incentives to get the teen to a doctor
- Let your teen know that family and loved ones will stand by and offer loving support.
- Ask your doctor about therapeutic options
All Things Therapy
Therapy is a good consideration for helping your teen using drugs. There are many therapy types that can be used to help young adults rebuild their lives to be healthier and happier. Here are some therapy options:
- Outdoor therapy. This type of therapy allows teens to remove themselves from the chaos and triggers in their every day life. The serene setting of the outdoors allows them to step back, reflect, and focus on improving their behaviors all while being guided by experts.
- Group therapy. This type of therapy puts your teen around others who struggle with the same things. This can help them to learn from others and bond.
- Adventure-based therapy. This type of therapy uses adventure-type activities to help teach teens skills and healthy practices/alternatives to unhealthy practices that they can carry to the real world.
BlueFire Wilderness can help
BlueFire Wilderness Therapy is an adventure-based program for teens ages 11-17 who struggle with addictive behaviors. Wilderness therapy removes students from the distraction of peers, devices, and demands of life and allow them to heal in a supportive and nurturing environment. Clients will be able to focus on themselves and become more aware of their troubling behaviors. BlueFire gives them the skills and tools they need to combat these behaviors and be on their way to a happy and healthy life. We can help your family today!
Contact us at 1-844-413-1999