Larry was a teenager who was in his 10th grade and was known to be quite good at his academics. It was obviously a big shock for people to find out that he was being taken to a teen treatment center for drug addiction treatment.  He was seen begging people for money saying that he had no money on him and he had lost his way in the busy street.  Larry would create a sad story saying that his wallet has been stolen and he has no money to go home. Some of them would give him money sympathetically, and he would use them to buy him some drugs. One day, he was found by his uncle tottered unsteadily trying to cross a busy street, under the influence of drugs.  His parents were informed and he was taken to a teen rehab center.

 Larry stayed alone with his grand-mother, his parents used to live in a different country. Since Larry had all the freedom do to what he wanted, he misused it by taking it to drugs. He had gone partying once and some of the people there asked him to try out a few drugs.  He loved it and soon became addicted to heroin. Larry had a drug peddler who promised him drugs if he would help him in selling them. So the boy neglected his medicine and started subtly selling drugs to some people around the night club. If he felt that he was short on cash, he would ask people on streets to give money by concocting some story.

 Larry was taken to a teen rehab center where he was treated with the best detox procedure; he was counseled well against drug addiction and soon it dawned on to him that he was actually destroying his education and his health in the process. Larry’s parents, who had flown all the way to make sure that the entire treatment process goes well, cooperated with the doctor. Soon in a matter of two months, Larry was fine, having benefited a lot from individual and group therapy.  He said that he would cooperate with the law and give all the information about places he knew where drugs proliferated. He also gave the name and address of the person who sold him drugs and asked him to supply it to other people at night clubs. Both the police, the authorities and even the rehab were deeply perturbed by this, the extent to which teen drug addiction was being spreading in the country was condemnable. 

 Nevertheless, Larry found a huge difference in his health after being treated in a teen rehabilitation center.  He is now an active college campaigner against teen drug abuse. He gives his example to teens and tells them to avoid taking drugs and alcohol at any cost.  He said that if it were not for his uncle and the teen rehab program that changed his life, he wouldn’t have been able to survive.  Just one person can make so much difference; it is high time teens gave up on drugs and start being high on positive things in life; after all, today’s teens are the future of this nation.

Alcohol is easily the most easily influenced and abused of drugs that has destroyed the ambitions, aspirations, health and even lives of many teenagers.  According to a recent study done by a teen treatment center, 16 percent of teenagers are intoxicated heavily by alcohol in the year 2009.  Nearly 8 percent of teens have admitted to drinking more than five alcoholic drinks in a row.

 Drinking too much alcohol at any age can be harmful but indulging in it during the formative phase of adulthood, or teenage can entail a lot of repercussions.  Some of the effects of alcohol addiction among teenagers include:

 Teenage habits of drinking and driving is a common and a dangerous thing.  Lots of cases of juvenile drinking and crushing someone to death under the wheels of a car, under drunken stupor have been registered. Be it in the US, UK, China, India or any other country you can name, cases of teenagers and people  in their early 20s who have been arrested for drinking and causing accidents are quite common.  Every year almost 2000 die in road accidents and most of the people who cause these are under 21 years of age, driving their vehicles under the influence of alcohol.
 Alcohol is known to interfere with the ability of a teen to concentrate and focus on work and studies.  The younger the person starts drinking, the more is the chance of the people to develop a prolonged, stronger case of alcohol addiction.
 Alcohol addiction can drive a person to severe depression and anxiety which can also lead to suicides. The reason is excessive alcohol temporarily masks feelings of sadness and despair but once the affects of the alcohol wears off, these negative emotions are all the more stronger and life-threatening.
 Drinking in excess can lead to problems like drug addiction. It has been observed by teen treatment centers that these adolescents who take to drinking also abuse drugs like marijuana, cocaine or heroin.
Drinking has been used by boys as a way to lure girls to bed or make them sexually promiscuous. It is fact that alcohol mixes easily in the bloodstream of girls and they are prone to feel drunk, intoxicated or near sedated easily which leads to sexual crimes like rape, unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases including HIV and AIDS.
 Crimes of passion usually happen due to alcohol abuse.  One usually gets to read in news about how a person in a fit of anger thanks to alcohol killed his spouse on lover believing that the other person was having an affair.
 Some people tend to feel sleepy due to alcohol. But at the same time, they are not able to digest what they have drunk and as a result choke on their vomit in sleep, resulting in death.
 Teenagers who drink alcohol are obviously abusing their health. By the time they reach their 20 they do not have the energy like the guys who do not drink. Liver and kidney related problems start to surface in their 20s or even earlier. 

Do not let this health threatening menace grow, take advantage of teen treatment centers and make your loved one get the best treatment for alcohol addiction.

In my outpatient counseling job I see many teenagers turning to drugs and cutting themselves though only a portion go to adolescent drug rehab programs. As I delve into issues with them at the outpatient mental health clinic I work at, the main issues seem to revolve around friendships, boyfriends, family tensions and academic pressures.

It is easy to discount a teen’s worries and tell them worrying about a boyfriend at age fourteen isn’t important. But, it is to a teen and rejection can be very painful. As adults we are often good at building defenses and a wall, but many teens are vulnerable. Plus, they don’t have many of the outlets that adults have when things are stressful. For instance, as an adult, we can jump in the car and take a ride, drive to the mall to shop, plan a girls night out to forget trouble etc. A teenager often can’t drive and has limited escape options for mental health. There isn’t the luxury of running to a pilates class or getting a massage to try to regain mental peace.

Of course, teens do have ways to diffuse stress such as the internet, cell phone calls, texting and listening to music. Still, if the issues revolve around their friends or dates, many of the same people are interacting and it may just re-inforce the painfulness of the original interaction. If there is additional strain with the family then there just may not be any way it seems to feel good. Adolescent drug rehab can help if the problem gets out of control. If it is occassional use, it’s important to help the person find other ways to feel good which can include exercise that releases endorphins, creative activities like drawing and music or relaxation techniques through tai-chi, meditation and yoga.

If there are family pressures that are the source of the drug problem, brainstorm about an aunt or uncle that the teen can visit for a weekend to just get a new environment. This can help to get a break from each other. It often is hard for teens to open up and one way that is useful for parents is to talk about oneself honestly and an issue that one had and overcame. Don’t be preachy or give a lecture but talk about your own vulnerability, how you felt stuck and the difficult points. This is often why al-anon, aa and other twelve step groups work well because people are able to hear others experiences and understand their process, insights and trials.

Perhaps you have discovered that one of your children or adolescents use alcohol and other drugs. It is important to know that some kids do develop serious problems in this area which require professional help. Such programs include inpatient treatment, office counseling, twelve step programs, and inpatient units for individuals who have both emotional and substance abuse problems.

There are a variety of substance abuse treatment programs available. The decision to get treatment for your child or adolescent can be difficult, and because of this, your first step should be to seek consultation from a psychologist when making these decisions.

Other psychiatric problems can often coexist with your teens substance abuse problem. Therefore, get a complete assessment before starting treatment.

When substance abuse treatment is recommended, you can obtain the information you need by asking the following questions:

1. Why do you believe this program will help my child? How do its features and services compare to other local programs or services?

2. What are the credentials of members of the treatment team? Will the team include a clinical psychologist who will due in depth counseling and testing or will it be oriented exclusively with the psychiatric model by emphasizing the use of medications?

3. What treatment approaches does this program use? For example, which of the following are included: detoxification; abstinence training; individual, family, and group therapy; use of medications; a twelve-step program; support groups; relapse prevention. Is there aftercare or a continuing recovery process available?

4. Does my child have other psychiatric problems in addition to substance abuse? If so, will these be addressed in the treatment process? How?

5. How will the family be involved in our child’s substance abuse treatment — including the decision for discharge and after-care?

6. What will treatment cost? Are the costs covered by my insurance or health plan?

7. How will my child continue his education while in treatment?

8. Is your facility approved by the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)? Is this substance abuse program a separate unit accredited for youngsters of our childs age?

9. How will the issue of confidentiality and privacy be handled during and after treatment?

10. How long will the treatment process continue? Will we reach our insurance limit before treatment is completed?

11. When my child is discharged, how will it be decided what types of aftercare will be necessary, how often, and for how long? Will my insurance cover it?

12. Does this program provide less intensive/step-down treatment services as my child improves? Do not forget that severe substance abuse and chemical dependency in adolescence is often a chronic relapsing disorder. Always ask what treatment services are available for continued or future treatment.

If questions or doubts persist about either admission to a substance abuse treatment program or about a denial of treatment, a second opinion may be helpful.