If you are aware that your teen is struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol, their safety and health is likely your highest priority. You may have done the research and decided that trying to convince your child to go through teen addiction treatment is the best way to get back on the right path.
However, it can be difficult to bring up addiction treatment with your teen. The Fort Behavioral Health team has some tips to make this process go more smoothly and get your teen into our female-only adolescent treatment program.
Go Out for an Outing Full of Fun
Your teen may become defensive if they are confronted in an area where they do not feel comfortable. If you believe this to be a scenario likely to happen, consider going out for a day of fun with them.
Do not bring up the subject right away, but instead enjoy the time with each other for several hours. This gives your child the chance to open up to you if they wish to discuss problems. If they do not make the first move, gently talk about your concerns with actions or behaviors you have witnessed.
Do not be condescending during this process. Asking questions about the addictive behavior opens up the line for communication. For this reason, do not scold and do not judge. Ask questions that encourage your child to be forward about their struggles. Suggest teen addiction treatment as an option.
Consider an Intervention
If you do not believe your child will open up to you about their addiction, and they are apt to listen to family members and friends if they are confronted about their difficulties, an intervention is an option to consider.
You need to contact each person who cares about your child, so they can be prepared with a speech that they want to convey to your child about their difficulty. This is usually done where all people who care about your child are present to discuss their concerns. During an intervention, the goal is to get your child to agree to go to rehabilitation to get help for addictive behavior. In some instances, knowing that there are people there that care and support your child is enough to have them agree to get help.
Use School as a Way to Help
Some schools will get involved when a child suffers from an addiction to drugs or alcohol. If your child has been struggling with their grades in school, there may already be an awareness of a problem. Contact your child’s guidance counselor to set up a meeting to discuss your child in length. During this meeting, indicate that you are worried about bringing up addiction treatment with your child. The guidance counselor may have some tactics available to help you get through conversations about the topic. They may also offer to be there for the conversation if you choose.
Visit an Addiction Treatment Center Together
After you bring up addiction treatment to your teen, consider taking a visit to Fort Behavioral Health in Texas to find out more about the programs and services we offer to teens struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, including adolescent treatment just for young women.
We offer the following for teen addiction treatment:
- Caring staff members who have been trained to take time to listen to teens and their addiction difficulties
- Counseling services both for individuals and in group sessions
- The use of trust and love as a basis for recovery
- Education and therapeutic services to teach and learn how to cope with addictive behavior and triggers when they occur
Get Addiction Help for Your Teen Today with Fort Behavioral Health
We are available for tours at our facility in Texas if you are interested in finding out more about us and the programs we provide to teens struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol. To set up an appointment for a visit or to inquire about teen addiction treatment for young women and the services we provide, give us a call at 844.332.1807, or contact us online.
