Chemical dependency isn’t a phase your teen outgrows. Adolescent addiction treatment center specialists routinely work with parents who express surprise at the severity of dependence. They thought that a youngster might’ve experimented with drugs but never expected addiction. Here’s what you need to know about working with therapists from a Portland adolescent drug addiction treatment center.
Why Choose Adolescent Rehab?
A teen drug addiction treatment center is a specialization. It caters to a clientele with unique needs. Most importantly, it must address chemical dependency with age-appropriate modalities. What works for the married father of five isn’t going to work for the high school junior.
Understanding the Risk Factors
When you connect with experts from a Portland adolescent drug addiction treatment center, they’ll ask about risk factors. These include genetics. Maybe there’s someone else in the family with an addiction problem. Because it can run in families, it’s essentials for therapists to understand the teen’s background.
Next, there are environmental risks. Is your teen running with a crowd of individuals who approve of substance abuse? They could be applying social pressure to get the adolescent to use or continue using. Of course, one of the most significant risk factors is your teen’s psychological health.
Some adolescents struggle with anxiety, depression, or personality disorders. However, they never received a diagnosis. Therefore, they self-medicate with drugs or alcohol. Overcoming dependency requires them to deal with this aspect of their health, too.
How a Portland Adolescent Drug Addiction Treatment Center Helps Your Teen Recover
At the heart of the treatment is behavioral therapy. The goal must be a change in their coping mechanisms. Therapists accomplish this task by asking your teen to participate in individual and group therapy sessions. That said, there are other modalities, too.
Examples include:
- Dual diagnosis evaluation and treatment of co-occurring personality or mood disorders such as depression
- Family therapy, which gives everyone a chance to get on the same page for successful recovery
- Social skills development that encourages your teen to stand up to social pressures
- Life skills training as a way to become an active contributor to their improvement
- Addiction education, which helps the adolescent understand how drugs affect not just today’s reality but tomorrow’s goals, too
Inpatient or Outpatient Treatment?
The majority of facilities that help teens suggest an outpatient treatment protocol. It allows for continuing school attendance. Most importantly, it keeps the adolescent in the home with loved ones. However, depending on the severity of the addiction, an inpatient stay can become a consideration.
For example, is there upheaval in the home that could jeopardize the teen’s efforts at recovery? If so, a stay at a facility is a good choice. Similarly, if the teen dropped out of school and now has too much free time, supervision is of the essence. Of course, your adolescent needs to learn how to restructure the day for productivity, which is an inpatient modality.
Finally, learn more about working with a Portland adolescent drug addiction treatment center today. Contact a caring intake advisor now.
