Getting The Best Drug Treatment For Adolescents

Drug treatment for adolescents is highly specialized and adolescent drug users are different from adult users in many ways. This has made drug rehab experts create special treatments designed for adolescents. Adolescents have unique psychiatric issues, beliefs, influences, and environmental considerations.

Drug rehab therapy for adolescents is highly based on the physiological and psychological capacities and tendencies of an adolescent. Basically, they have smaller body sizes, low tolerance for drugs and their brain is still in the process of development. This means that careless imposition of drug treatment could worsen or even negatively affect the process of recovery.

Despite there being more than a million adolescents and teenagers requiring drug treatment, it is sad that only one out of every ten adolescent addicts gets the required therapy. Among the reasons are;

  • Lack of funding from the state
  • Lack of funding from the federal government
  • Decreasing insurance budgets

However, there are a number of good drug addiction treatment options for an adolescent drug user. As always, the success of the treatment depends on the addiction, the response of the adolescent to the treatment and the support of his family and friends. Here are some facts to consider when considering drug treatment for adolescents:

One popular therapy is the Multisystematic Therapy (MST). This follows an intensive model and is usually done at home. This is done so that the parents can be actively involved in the whole process of recovery for the child. The therapy employs a team of therapists, specialists, psychologists who would be available at any time of the day at the convenience of the family. This method relies greatly on the family’s role as an important factor in bringing back the patient to the normal environment where he can positively interact with others and become more progressive.

In an intensive therapy like the MST, the expert gets to communicate often with family members and help them look for ways to change the undesirable behavior of the child. They are given regular assignments that they need to apply at home and are expected to make quick changes. This is done in an intensive manner such that both the patient and his family members undergo the same therapy for the purpose of having significant recovery shown by the child.

Treatment facilities for adolescents cater to individuals as young as 12 years old - and up to 17 years old - diagnosed with drug and alcohol problems. The facility is designed as a safe, home-like atmosphere where the adolescent can comfortably learn about himself and adjust to more socially-accepted behaviors necessary for long-lasting recovery. It follows a structured program which is designed with purposeful daily activities. Most facilities also follow the popular 12-step recovery program that helps the patient choose the right choices for a more healthy and productive life.

Studies show that a community-based treatment program given to a suffering adolescent could effectively reduce drug and alcohol use, could improve school performance, and lower involvement with the criminal justice system. The study, which involved nearly 1,200 adolescents aging 11 years old to 18, has associated specific drug treatment with reduced drug use and improvement in the respondents’ lives.

After the treatment, when the researchers conducted follow-up interviews and research, they learned that marijuana use dropped from 80.4 percent to 43.8 percent and the rate of abstinence from the use of illicit drugs rose from 52 percent to 57.8 percent. The heavy drinking rate dropped by 10 percent and criminal activities by almost 20 percent. The study also clearly showed that drug treatment for adolescents could result in better psychological adjustment and improved school performance, thereby making them productive members in the community.

There are non-profit agencies that offer help for teenage drug treatment like the research institute more popularly known as Drug Strategies. The Institute came up with a Guide to adolescent and teenage drug problems, the strength of which lies in the nine elements that can be used for young adult drug treatment. The Guide is a good source for parents looking for drug rehab tips for their teens as it presents over 144 programs for young drug addicts.

Drug Rehab