While many treatment centers focus only on adults, there are millions of teenagers who also need addiction treatment. An estimated 31.2% of high school seniors report using any illicit drugs during the last year. By finding an inpatient drug rehab for teenagers, you can help your teen live a healthier life and take the next step in their recovery.
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What Is Inpatient Drug Rehab for Teenagers?
Adolescents need specific types of substance abuse treatment because their brains are still growing and developing. In fact, the human brain doesn’t finish developing until the middle to late 20s.
Teenagers are curious, impulsive, and still learning about the world. While they don’t know as much as an adult, teens will still challenge authority figures. Because of these traits, teens can’t simply enroll in an adult-focused treatment program. They need a teen-focused rehab to recover and achieve long-lasting sobriety.
Inpatient drug rehab for teenagers is one of the most effective ways to treat a drug or alcohol addiction. In an inpatient center, teens are monitored day and night. This ensures they can receive an added level of support and structure. Because these treatment centers are specifically designed for teens, they can help adolescents navigate their unique traits and challenges.
Why Choose Inpatient Rehab for Teens?
By choosing an inpatient treatment center for your teen, you can enjoy a range of different benefits.
Access a Distraction-Free Environment
Unlike an outpatient treatment center, an inpatient treatment program allows the teen to remain at the rehab for 24 hours a day. Typically, teenagers will have to surrender their phones and mobile devices when they start the detox process. Because of this, they are unable to communicate with old friends and negative influences while they work on becoming sober. By preventing distractions, you can help them have an easier recovery experience.
Treat Co-Occurring Disorders
In an inpatient drug rehab for teenagers, adolescents can get care for their substance abuse and co-occurring disorders. For example, some teens use drugs to self-medicate for anxiety, depression, and panic disorders. If they simply stopped using drugs, these behavioral health issues would still be a problem. To avoid a future relapse, they must be treated for all co-occurring disorders during rehab.
Build Life Skills
Another reason to look for the best rehab is to help teens build life skills. Teenagers are still developing, so they need to learn skills for self-care, work, and school. For instance, managing their finances, cooking meals, planning study sessions, and finishing chores are all life skills that teens must be able to do by the time they reach adulthood.
Ensure Safety
While outpatient centers offer family therapy, group support meetings, and other treatment options, they don’t require teens to sleep at the treatment center each night. Often, teens only go to outpatient centers for a few days a week. Besides being less intensive than inpatient care, this means teenagers have significantly less supervision than they would have in an inpatient rehab.
For many teenagers, an inpatient drug rehab is the best choice for their health and safety. They cannot relapse while they are at an inpatient rehab because they aren’t allowed to leave. Additionally, medical staff members are on hand at all times to address the teen’s physical and mental health needs.
Unique Features of Teen-Focused Rehab Programs
With a teen-focused rehab program, you can enjoy therapy approaches that are tailored to your teen’s unique needs. Often, these rehab programs will include the following features and benefits.
- Peer support: A teen-focused rehab is ideal for adolescents. They are at an age where their friends’ opinions typically matter more than what their parents think. Because of this, peer support is an incredibly useful tool during the teen’s treatment process.
- Family counseling: Family therapy and counseling are an important part of the recovery process. An addiction affects the entire family, and family dynamics can also fuel the addiction. To prevent relapses and support the teen’s reintegration into normal life, it’s important to get professional family therapy during the rehab process.
- Group therapy: Group therapy is an effective tool during and after rehab. With group support meetings, teens can get feedback and advice from people who have experienced the same problems.
- Education and academic support: Going to rehab shouldn’t require the teen to give up on their academic goals. Because of this, teen-focused rehab centers will normally include different types of academic support.
- Medical care: During the rehab program, teenagers may need help with co-occurring disorders (dual diagnosis), withdrawal symptoms, and other medical needs. A good treatment center will offer ongoing medical support, nutritional guidance, exercise options, and mental health treatment to support the teen’s holistic well-being.
There are a range of reasons why it isn’t a good idea to have a teenager in a rehab program that has older adults. Besides the drastic difference in life experiences, adults also normalize unwanted behaviors. If a teenager sees that there are many people who don’t become sober until they are 50, they will think that this type of behavior is normal.
Common Substances Addressed in Teen Rehab
In the United States, 14% of high school students have misused opioid medications. Today, the most commonly abused drugs among teenagers are alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, nicotine, stimulants, and painkillers. However, heroin, meth, hallucinogens, and synthetic drugs are frequently abused as well.
Next Steps After Inpatient Rehab
At a top rehab center, teens get the support and educational tools they need to stay sober. For instance, addiction education and therapy sessions can teach them ways to identify triggers and cravings. With this information, they can have an easier experience staying sober.
Once the teen leaves their rehab center, it’s important for them to use continued individual therapy, outpatient treatment and aftercare programs to remain sober. These evidence-based treatment programs can give the teen instant advice, feedback, and support if they feel the urge to use drugs or alcohol again. Additionally, ongoing support meetings can give teens a sober peer group to turn to during their recovery journey.
Family members and the community play an important role in helping teens stay sober. If the teenager is constantly around friends who use drugs and alcohol, it will be harder for them to stay clean. They need a sober network of friends and family to help them focus on activities and relationships that don’t involve substance abuse.
Help Your Teen Become Sober
By reaching out to an inpatient drug rehab for teenagers, you can help your teen take the next step in quitting drugs and alcohol. A residential treatment center provides them with around-the-clock supervision and intensive therapy as part of their substance use disorder treatment. In turn, these recovery services give teens the tools to stay sober after they have finished their treatment plan.
To improve your teen’s long-term well-being and help them become sober, reach out to Allure Detox for professional guidance. Allure Detox is known for its range of adolescent treatment and young adult rehab programs. If you’re unsure about what the next step is in your substance use disorder treatment process, one of Allure Detox’s team members can help.
Published on: 2024-12-31
Updated on: 2025-01-01
