Summer teen drug and alcohol rehab in Malibu maybe wasn’t the first thing I had on my agenda for the summer before my senior year, but it ended up being the best thing I ever did for myself. I thought that getting sent away from my friends to spend the summer in rehab was the worst thing my parents could have done to me. I knew that my drinking and using was out of control and that I definitely used and drank more than a lot of my friends but I wasn’t sure if I needed to go to rehab. I thought that my parents were being dramatic by sending me to treatment and that somehow I was being punished and banished by my family. At the end of the program however, all of my perceptions had changed.
I realized that my family loved me a lot and was really worried about what I was doing to my life by drinking and using drugs. I realized that my problem was a lot bigger than I initially admitted, and that I really needed help. I learned that I couldn’t figure this out on my own and that I was tired of paying the consequences for my behavior. I was tired of lying and stealing and not being myself. In treatment I met other teens who were like me. I got help with my eating disorder issues and inclination towards self injury. Counselors helped me pinpoint the roots of my problems and find tools to move beyond my sticking points. My self esteem skyrocketed as I stayed in a place where I felt safe enough to really let my walls down. After my summer in rehab, I had some really great tools and support to turn my life around. I made some new friends and started hanging out with other recovering teens. I got my grades back up and will be going to college in the fall. I never thought that my time in rehab would amount to anything. Fortunately, I gave it a chance regardless of how I initially felt about it. It might not be every teen’s dream summer vacation, but it might be the one that saves a teen’s life.
Originally posted on June 10, 2010 @ 5:56 am
