Before you need to consider getting your child into a teen drug addiction treatment program, you should spend time and effort educating your child. If a teen knows the dangers of drug use, they may not be as easily encouraged to participate in drug experimentation or develop an addiction on their own.
You can share data and statistics about substance abuse and even talk about the current U.S. opioid epidemic and the factors that caused it. If you have family members that have struggled with addiction, you can talk about how your family dealt with the situation. Most of all, you can discuss the dangers of repetitive drug use in terms of how it affects overall health.
If your teen is already addicted and you’re looking for a way to introduce getting formal treatment into the conversation, focus on how addiction can affect their health. It can also affect relationships and how life unfolds. If you’re already looking for teen boys’ drug addiction treatment programs in North Carolina, contact Foothills at Red Oak Recovery today. Call 866.300.5275 or reach out to our team online.
The Many Dangers of Drug Use
The dangers of drug use mostly involve varying risks to health behaviorally, emotionally, mentally, and physically. The long-term dangers, apart from developing addiction, include:
- Anxiety and depression
- Cardiovascular problems
- Confusion, hallucinations, and paranoia
- Damaged relationships with colleagues, friends, and family members
- Damage to educational and work careers
- Loss of appetite and malnutrition
- Kidney damage and liver failure
Addiction to different addictive substances also leads to specific risks. For example, alcohol addiction can increase the risk of developing severe liver problems and some types of cancer.
Sedative drugs such as alcohol, heroin, and tranquilizers can lead to memory loss, anxiety, decreased concentration, depression, and an overdose. The latter can lead to a coma and even death. Heroin and tranquilizers can be injected, which can cause damage to your veins and arteries. The risks of sharing needles can also put someone in danger of serious infections like HIV and hepatitis B and C.
Stimulant drugs such as amphetamine, cocaine, and ecstasy can damage the brain cells and cause anxiety or panic attacks. Heart attacks are especially common when taking large quantities of these addictive substances. Taking stimulants can also lead to feelings of depression or anxiety.
Hallucinogenic drugs such as LSD and magic mushrooms can produce disturbing experiences that can lead to erratic or risky behavior. The short-term effects of using these drugs can include distorted perceptions, panic, and increased heart rate and blood pressure. Hallucinogenic drugs can also cause flashbacks that may occur days, weeks, or years after taking the drug dose.
Teen Drug Use Education Resources
Teen drug use education doesn’t have to start at 13. You can start educating your children early, years before they hit their teen years. Education can start with parents talking about the dangers of addiction to their children. It can even begin in primary school with programming designed to increase knowledge about substance abuse and the associated risks. Most parents and guardians may remember Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) from when they were in school, and the work of this government-supported education program continues today.
Parents and guardians looking for sources to get their drug addiction facts from should search online for pamphlets. In addition, there are other resources from other government-supported programs and entities, such as:
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
- Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
What to Expect from a Teen Drug Addiction Treatment Program
Most teen addiction treatment facilities offer both inpatient and outpatient programs. Inpatient programs for teens are often gender-specific and offer options to continue schooling while also undergoing treatment. Outpatient options may be intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) or typical low-intensity outpatient programs.
Your teen may be diagnosed with a co-occurring mental disorder during admission into a treatment facility. A dual diagnosis program would be a better choice in cases like this. However, some teen drug addiction treatment programs may be customized to handle dual diagnoses.
Detox is typically the first step after admission, and for some teens, this includes medication-assisted treatment (MAT). This means that they’ll be prescribed FDA-approved drugs to help manage their withdrawal symptoms. When they’re stabilized after detox, they’re ready to transition into further addiction treatment, including individual therapy, family counseling, and group therapeutic activities.
Once your teen leaves formal treatment, you may think that they’re cured, but they still need a lot of structure and support. You and the rest of your family need to keep on supporting them as they manage their sobriety for the rest of their lives. Most addiction treatment programs also provide aftercare plans to effectively help your teen deal with triggers.
Learn More About Foothills at Red Oak Recovery
If you’re looking for teen drug addiction treatment programs for boys in North Carolina, we can help. Contact Foothills at Red Oak Recovery by calling 866.300.5275 or reaching out to our team online.
