Talking to Your Teen About Drug Abuse

Why talking to your young teen about drug abuse is important?

A child getting addicted to drugs or alcohol is nothing new—the threat has been very serious, globally prevalent since the 1960s. Addiction can be the result of parenting styles, problems at educational institutions, or peer pressure. As a result, nearly every individual is at the risk of falling prey to addiction. However, teens present a bigger threat. The reason lies in their impressionable minds. Teenage years are associated with exploring beyond the realm of reason or what is taught at school—teenage is about being a non-conformist, daring to do things that are deemed risky by the society. This thought is prevalent in nearly every environment where teenagers converge.

Why is this challenging?

The biggest challenge for parents during this phase is talking about issues like drugs without getting too predictable or preachy. We realize that as a parent or guardian, you feel the pressure of guiding your child but in a way that appeals to their mindset. In this discussion, we are going to discuss this approach, i.e. how parents/guardians should approach the dialogue when the threat of drug addiction and alcohol is omnipresent. These are just a few tips that have been gathered after interacting with parents across different age groups, Rehabilitation Centers, counseling experts and healthcare practitioners. Read through each of these tips and try to put a couple into practice to introspect and realize which approach works best for your teen:

1. Keep the conversation casual

We feel that most conversations about drug addiction prevention fail because the environment gets too serious. Even if you suspect your teen of using illicit chemicals, ensure that the tone and moment of the interaction does not come across as intruding into the teen’s personal space. Your approach should be that of a seasoned campaigner, someone who has seen close friends and family members destroy their life due to addiction. The idea is to underline the threat without directly accusing the child or putting him at the center of the dialogue.

2. Encourage them to ask questions 

There is a fallacy that teenage addiction is fueled by ignorance. The fact remains that with the advent of social media and the web, there is plenty of information available. It is just about channelizing the media-enabled information in the right manner. Most teenagers struggle to do this, making them more susceptible to seek the help of folks who are either peddling or abusing drugs. You should try to become the source of authority. Encourage your teen to ask questions about every, in detail, aspect of drug abuse. Don't be shy of quoting real-life examples like having tried and being reprimanded yourself during your college days.

From where to get Right Guidance for your Teen

Apart from an honest conversation and creating an environment that encourages interaction, you might need the help of a professional. These folks are well acquainted with how to weave a conversation that drives results, i.e. your teen sharing addiction fears, experiments or the confusion that prevails in this segment. This is why we recommend Quapaw House—community-level institution that combines caregivers, after-care programs, de-addiction programs, and counselors for the best inpatient and outpatient facilities.

Summary

Teens are highly susceptible to drugs or substance abuse. The right time to make them aware about making better decisions is the teenage years. However, doing this is not easy. It requires a certain degree of tact that every parent might not have.

Continuing of Care Important in Treating Alcoholism or Substance Abuse

Why is Continuing of Care Important in Treating Alcoholism or Substance Abuse?

After-care is exclusively designed for patients who are at final stage of their abuse treatment program and think that they are no longer drug addicts. Finishing treatment process is a great achievement but this is definitely not the end of their problem. There is always a fair chance of relapse in most of the cases. Hence, it’s not wrong to say that real task begins after completion of treatment. Hence, after-care is necessary during first year of Recovery. 

Possibility of Relapse

According to experts, approximately 50% of patients who have gone through initial treatment relapsed at a later stage. Addicts who have relapsed rarely get another chance to recover. But there is still hope as relapse is preventable. Highest possibility of relapse is during the first 2 months and persists up to first five years of recovery. 

What Might Cause Relapse?

When people leave treatment facility after initial treatment, they are very confident and motivated for their future. Once they settle down to their normal life, staying away from drugs and alcohol is very difficult. People are again surrounded by temptation and there is no body to help them out outside the rehab facility. They lack therapy and support of the behavioral care center. 

How After-Care Can Help?

Continuing care after treatment for alcoholism and substance abuse can prevent chances of a relapse. Benefit of aftercare is that it keeps person motivated, confident and provides support of therapists during difficulty. Over time, they develop coping strategies.

Continuing care is quite easy with behavioral health centers like Quapaw House. Quapaw Rehab has simple 12 week continuing care program with successful recovery rate. 

Summary- After-care is very crucial part when patient requires complete recovery. It’s better to have continuing of care in form of sober living skills, relapse prevention and coping strategies to achieve complete sobriety. 

Is Addiction Really a Disease ?

Reality Check: Is Addiction Really a Disease?

When I ask this question “Is addiction really a disease?” from people, some say yes while others reply in the negative. Then what is the reality? After thoroughly researching the subject, I would have to say that yes, addiction is really a disease. In the words of Benjamin Rush, well-known physician and one of founding fathers of U.S. ‘Alcoholism is medical disease and when person drinks alcohol he loses control over himself’.

Scientific researches have indicated that addiction causes degenerative changes in nerve cells of the brain leading to creation of abnormal transmission of nerve impulses. This can ultimately result in unusual mental and physical effects.

Let us highlight how addiction qualifies for a disease:

• Addiction is responsible for cessation and interruption of several body functions and organs- Excessive drinking leads to chemical and physical changes in brain, behavioral abnormalities and cirrhosis of liver. In fact, alcoholics are more susceptible to heart attacks than those who do not drink.
• Addiction is characterized by known etiologic agents- There are several factors like genetics, drug of choice and environment that are potential causal factors for Substance Abuse. The sooner a person is exposed to drugs and alcohol, the more profound is the effect of etiologic agents on their brains
• Addiction creates anatomical alterations of human body system- There is clear evidence that with heavier doses of alcohol and drugs, brain metabolism changes and with this temptation to take more doses drastically increases.
• Substance abuse produces predictable signs and symptoms- Frequent and heavy consumption produces several problems such as subjective distress, occupational problems, social issues, interpersonal conflicts and cognitive decline.
• Chemical dependence – Addiction or chemical dependence is one of the major causes of death in the USA. Drug and alcohol related disorders are highly responsible for deaths caused due to accidents, cirrhosis, cancer and heart disease.

Addiction

According to National Institute for Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, alcoholism is 3^rd most frequent cause of death in United States of America.

I am sure, till now I have provided sufficient evidence and facts that show that addiction is a threatening disease that can affect a person mentally, physically, socially and even financially. But, the good news is that treatment of substance abuse is easily possible. Behavioral health centers like Quapaw house are well known for successfully treating several victims of alcohol addiction and substance abuse through their holistic detoxification, transitional living, outpatient and residential programs.

Summary- Life is precious, so don’t waste it for temporary pleasure. Addiction is no less than a full-fledged disease with its own signs and symptoms. I would advise to seek professional help as soon as you notice the first sign of addiction in yourself or a loved one. 

Inpatient Rehabilitation VS Outpatient Rehabilitation

Inpatient Rehabilitation Versus Outpatient Rehabilitation- What is the Better Choice?

Chemical dependence can adversely affect a person's life in many ways. Right from consequences on physical health, addiction takes a toll on the social life and psychological health of the addict. Drugs or toxic substances which are consumed for fun, or ‘getting a high’ initially turn into craving desires and long-term addiction. Slowly person’s dependency increases on drugs and alcohol because of the effect of toxins on person’s brain.