Since the 1970s, drug abuse has greatly spread among teens. Abusing substances has damaging health, social, economic and legal effects. Because of that, serious measures are essential to help youths stop substance abuse. Life skills training is part of this effort. Along with the experiential therapy NC provides for those in need, your loved one could find their way back on the right track.
What Is Life Skills Training?
Everyone needs life skills to effectively manage stress, hold a job, communicate with others and care for themselves. In general, these abilities include a range of interpersonal and socio-psychological skills that help people make conscious decisions. They also involve adopting an active and healthy lifestyle. Life skills training for youth focuses on the lack of skills that lead to substance abuse and other disorders.
Which Life Skills Do Teens Learn During Treatment?
The skills that teens learn during mental and behavioral health treatment depend on their needs. However, the shorter that the program is, the less time that they have to train. Long-term programs give them more time to practice the skills that they need to lead healthy lives. However, below are some of the most important aspects of life skills training.
Healthy Habits and Self-care
Learning how to be healthy is a top priority for teens. Drug abuse can have damaging effects on the brain and body, and co-occurring disorders could be present. It’s vital that youths learn healthy habits with regard to personal hygiene, nutrition, exercise, and sleep. For that reason, life skills training for youth often includes:
- Learning how to buy groceries
- Developing cooking and cleaning skills
- Understanding how to wash clothes
- Getting a physical every year
- Managing dental and medical problems
- Engaging in enjoyable sober activities
In addition, structure is a major element in maintaining good self-care. Life skills training for youth helps them develop a routine, complete their tasks on time, and attend support groups regularly. Consistency is the main focus to make it easier for teens to manage recovery.
Emotion and Stress Management
Keeping emotions and stress under control is a necessary life skill for everyone. Without this skill, teens exhibit unhealthy behaviors. Through experiential therapy, they learn self-control to regulate their emotions, which reduces stress.
For instance, teens learn how to identify their feelings as they happen. Then, they can use breathing techniques or meditation to control those emotions. Outdoor games, role-playing, art, and music are just a few activities that a life skills training program may include.
Time, Job and Financial Management
The whole point of life skills training for youth is to prepare them for a bright future. In order to do that, a treatment center must teach them how to manage their time. Sometimes, all that they need is a traditional calendar to plan out their days. Other times, an in-depth agenda is a better option.
With the ability to see and schedule what they do during the day, they can keep their commitments better. As a result, they’re more likely to have good attendance at school. When they maintain this routine as adults, they have what it takes to keep and exceed at their jobs.
Furthermore, learning financial responsibility in life skills training ensures that they can support themselves as adults. Financial management includes maintaining a bank account, living within a budget, saving money, and managing debt and credit cards.
Let Foothills at Red Oak Recovery Teach Your Teen Life Skills
Does your teen have a mental or behavioral health condition? You can get the help that he needs at Foothills at Red Oak Recovery. Our treatment center provides several teen therapy services NC and surrounding areas need, such as:
- Individual counseling
- Group therapy
- Family counseling
- Experiential therapy
- Academics
Foothills at Red Oak Recovery uses these and other services to develop a customized treatment plan for your teen. Some of the disorders that we can address include anxiety, depression, disordered eating, trauma, and substance abuse. Also, we offer process addiction treatment for gaming, social media and smartphone addictions.
Don’t let your teen fall behind because of a mental or behavioral health condition. Let us help him prepare for the future with life skills training. Call 866.300.5275 to learn more about Foothills at Red Oak Recovery.
