It is common for parents and their children to have strained or blurred communication during the teenage years. The tendency for children to be freer and independent can often be counterbalanced by their parents tightening their hold on them. Teen rebellion coupled with emotional problems and substance abuse is sure to end in disaster.
Many parents fail to realize how grave the issue of substance abuse among young people is. Approximately 2.08 million American teenagers (ages 12-17) use some kind of substance, according to the NCDAS report. If your teenager is chained by substance abuse, rehab centers in California can help them break them and set themself free.
Here are 10 things most parents don’t understand about teen substance abuse. If you find your teenager is exhibiting behavioral issues including drug or alcohol abuse, take note.
Table of Contents
1. Don’t Beat Yourself Up
Your teen’s addiction is not a report card of your parenting. Similar to other conditions like bipolar disorder and depression, drug abuse disorders are the result of chemical imbalances in the brain. You could not have prevented this as it was dormant until triggered. You could not have seen it coming or prevented it from happening. Individuals suffering from substance abuse disorders come from all walks of life and are raised in a variety of family types with a variety of parenting styles. There is no fault on your part.
2. Understand The Root Cause
For teens to overcome addiction, it is crucial to understand the root cause and source of it. It is common for children, teens, and adults to turn to substances as a coping mechanism to deal with a lack of emotions or to feel nothing or anything at all. Recognizing that simple truth will go a long way toward healing your parent-child relationship.
3. Don’t Resort To Punishing
Your teen won’t overcome substance abuse by punishment or yelling at them. If you are cruel to your teen or treat them harshly, you will create mistrust, leading to lying, deceitful acts, and further strain in your relationship with them. Addiction cannot be punished away.
4. Remember That Recovery Can’t Be Forced
Forcing recovery will not help in the long run. To achieve true addiction recovery, it has to be your teen’s choice. The only way they can maintain long-term sobriety is simply to accept and incorporate the lessons learned in rehab into their everyday lives.
5. They Will Need YOUR Support
The importance of family support for teenagers in recovery cannot be overstated. In difficult times, they’re going to need you. Whenever they feel urges or something triggers them, your encouragement, and guidance will be needed by them. It will be a long journey and they will need your support throughout.
6. Sobriety Is Not Magic
Rehab does not mean all the work is done once the child returns home. There will be bumps in the road, recovery is not an easy fix. Perhaps they will even stumble or fall. There is no need to feel disappointed or let them give up on themselves, nor does it mean they failed.
7. Believe Them When They Slip
Relapse doesn’t always happen consciously. Teenagers in recovery may fall back on old comforts due to being overwhelmed by emotions or not handling stress well. It is not anyone’s fault.
8. Relapse Are Not Failures
If your child relapses, it is vital that you explain that they can still get sober; their addiction does not have to rule their lives. It might feel and appear like a failure but relapse isn’t one.
9. Sure Be There For Them But Remember That It Is Their Journey
The road to recovery is the path they have to walk for themselves to prove to themselves that they are more than their addiction. You cannot build their self-esteem. As parents, you need to be your child’s biggest cheerleader, but they also need to take these steps independently.
10. Do Take Care Of Yourself Too
The recovery process of your teenager can be taxing for you as well. It is important to take care of yourself during recovery as well; therapy and counseling are incredibly helpful tools. In the same way that your teen has others to support them, you too can find support from others who have been where you are. You should also prioritize your well-being.
RECOVERY IS POSSIBLE WITH COMBINED EFFORTS.
Read Also: 5 Benefits of Inpatient Rehab program