The challenges parents are facing have never been greater and the resources to help are very few. Parents must somehow try to predict if their child’s use is simply a phase or if they will fall into that 15 to 20% of the population that is destined to experience ever-increasing problems. Likewise, teens are confronted with peers for whom “partying”, is the norm. While the indicators for predicting addiction are inexact, there are certain factors that can give parents a far greater ability of anticipating how alcohol or drugs may affect their child’s future. Below are a few important questions to ask:
Is there a significant family history of alcohol or drug abuse in the natural family? The closer the history of abuse to the parents (especially the same sex parent) the greater the probability. Addiction clearly has some basis in family DNA and genetics. Have alcohol or other drugs caused problems for family members on either parent’s side?
Has your teen had any past negative consequences related to substance use with a subsequent return to the use again despite parental discipline and or the pain of those consequences? Any return to a behavior, after experiencing pain, is an abnormal response and indicates how important the teen’s substance use has become to him or her. The types of problems include: school, health, legal, relationship, job or financial and constitute the clearest and most consistent indicator of future problems. How much or how often your child has used alcohol or drugs, is much less important, than what happens when they do use. Most importantly – do they go back again?
Although this is rarely shared with a parent: does your teen express clearly the emotional benefits of their use of any psychoactive substance? In other words, do they tell you how much they like drinking or doing drugs?
If a parent has concerns after answering these three questions, it is imperative to assess your situation, while also, uniting in a strategy for the future. Doing nothing will often create a division between the parents allowing the teen’s problems to worsen; as the parents become increasingly polarized. Do my spouse and I fight over the best way to respond? We are available to help parents navigate this very emotional time. Hill Alcohol and Drug Treatment has had tremendous success utilizing wilderness programs to help kids break out of this destructive cycle.
We have many teens and parents who have experienced this life changing treatment and are willing to share their stories of change and recovery with you. We also have an adolescent family night geared to help the entire family in the recovery process. Know that you did not cause your Child’s addiction. You simply are not that powerful!!
Distributed by Client Initiatives
Media Contact
Company Name: Hill Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Contact Person: Charles
Email: info@hillrecovery.com
Phone: 951-719-3685
Address:41877 Enterprise Circle North, Suite 100
City: Temecula
State: California
Country: United States
Website: www.hillrecovery.com