Teenage Drug and Alcohol Substance Abuse Programs
How Does Substance Abuse Begin?
For many teens, using drugs and alcohol began as an escape from daily problems, a way to find acceptance in a group, or simply as a tantalizing forbidden source of entertainment. Regardless of why they began the behavior, teens often allow using drugs and alcohol to become an addiction that threatens to engulf a their life, dreams, and potential. 
What are the Results?
Substance abuse can send teens into a downward spiral that affects every aspect of their lives. The effects can be:
- Physical – Alcohol abuse takes a toll on many of the body’s organs, but especially the liver and the brain. Overtime, liver damage can lead to fatty liver disease, which can be fatal. More acutely, however, both alcohol and drugs damages the brain. This effect is particularly alarming because adolescence is a vital time for brain development.
- Mental/Emotional – Drugs and alcohol, which are commonly used to self-medicate mental illnesses like depression and anxiety, can ironically make them worse. Still worse, some drugs such as hallucinogens, can even precipitate more severe mental illnesses like schizophrenia in individuals who are genetically predisposed to such disorders.
- Social – Substance abuse can cause problems with friends and family when teens need positive support the most.
What Can Be Done to Help?
Fortunately, there is hope. Many treatment options exist for teens who need help recovering from alcohol and drug abuse. Among the treatment options, specialized residential substance abuse programs are the most comprehensive. These programs are designed to surround teens with a supportive, constructive environment to help them work towards recovery. Dedicated professionals such as psychologists, social workers, and psychiatrists are on staff to ensure that the teens get the treatment they need. Moreover, teens in the program gain positive social support through participating in the program with other teens with similar issues who are working on learning how to cope with their problems in positive ways.
How Do I Enroll My Teen?
If you think that substance abuse programs would benefit your teen, speak with a representative for Visions Adolescent Treatment Center. The staff at Visions understands that a teen’s substance abuse can affect the entire family, so Visions is committed to providing resources to heal the entire family. Help for your family is just a call away.
Please click below to schedule your consultation or call us at 866-889-3665.
Originally posted on April 25, 2014 @ 8:47 am
