Children and teens are more vulnerable than adults to substance abuse. Research has stated that the younger a child is exposed to drugs, the more likely they are to develop a substance use disorder. If your teen is using addictive substances, his or her brain is adapting to the presence of the drugs.

Alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs commonly used by teens can cause physical and psychological dependence. This will cause them to crave the substance when they’re not using it.

Physical dependence occurs when the body develops a tolerance to substances its been consistently exposed to, accommodating the presence of the substance. Psychological dependence is a mental addiction to a substance.

Symptoms of addiction, such as withdrawal or an intense desire to use drugs, may indicate that your teen is suffering from a substance use disorder. If your child is unable or unwilling to quit, teen rehab may be the best choice.

How To Determine When A Teen Needs Rehab

It’s important to understand that it’s normal for teens to go out now and then. However, the danger lies in substance abuse and addiction. Forming a dependency on drugs can have severely adverse effects on your teenager’s life.

There are many warning signs to look out for in your teen. If these signs are emerging in the presence of your teen, then rehab designed for teenagers may be necessary.

Changes in physical appearance

Your teen may have significant weight loss or gain, have bloodshot eyes, wounds or track marks, nosebleeds, and other changes that may not be obvious.

Changes concerning habit

Significant changes in appetite, misbehavior, a new group of friends, and other habit changes may all be indicators that a teen is abusing a substance.

Changes at home

Some teens may leave drug paraphernalia lying around or coming home with a dent in the car that can’t be explained. Missing prescription medications and other drugs from the home may also be a sign of drug addiction.

Being secretive

Acting in a secretive manner that is out of the ordinary may be an indicator that your teen is using drugs. For example, locking the bedroom door more often or staying out later with friends than usual.

Poor grades

A teen’s grades are often the first thing to suffer when he or she begins to abuse a substance. Grades either quickly decline or slowly get worse over some time.

Teen rehab can save your teen’s life if you help them detect and heal from their addiction early. Recognizing early warning signs are crucial to recognizing as early as possible.

Specific Signs of Commonly Abused Drugs

Frequent mood swings are a natural part of adolescence. Teenagers can get angry and withdrawn from time to time. They may also be going through problems at school or with friends. However, a consistent pattern of unpredictable, moody and emotional behavior may be a sign that it’s time to think about teen rehab for your child.

The signs and symptoms of drug use tend to be pretty general. However, certain signs are unique to the drug. These symptoms from different drugs may include:

• Marijuana (weed): Red, glassy eyes, inappropriate laughter, excessive sleepiness, weight fluctuation, and loss of motivation and interest in previously enjoyed activities
• Depressants: These substances include substances like Xanax, GHB, and Valium. Contracted pupils, drunk-like behavior, clumsiness, difficulty focusing, slurred speech, sleepiness, and poor judgment
• Stimulants: These may include cocaine (powdered or injected), amphetamines, and crystal meth. Hyperactivity, dilated pupils, irritability, euphoria, excessive talking, anxiety, going long periods without eating or sleeping, dry mouth and nose
• Heroin: Contracted pupils, wearing long sleeves and long pants even during warm weather, concealing feet (to hide track marks between toes), excessive sweating, coughing and sniffling, sleeping at strange times, twitching, and loss of appetite

Addiction is a serious disease that must be treated from the inside out. Fortunately, there are many evidence-based treatments used in rehab that can help your teen. Intervening early, when you first notice signs of drug use, in your teenager is critical. Seeking help at a rehab focused on serving the needs of teens can help in overcoming addiction and setting up a life of lasting sobriety.

What Should You Look For in Teen Rehab?

A study on adolescent substance abuse treatment programs in the United States identified nine key features that an effective program should pertain:

• Assessment and treatment matching: The facility should personalize treatment specifically for your teen
• In-depth, integrated treatment approach: The program should address all aspects of your teen’s life
• Family involvement during treatment: Treatment programs have better outcomes when parents and families are a part of the recovery process
• Age-tailored appropriate program: Treatment should be tailored specifically for teenagers, not just be an adapted form of a program for adults.
• Engaging and retaining teens in treatment: Teens should be able to build a trusting relationship with their therapists and be actively involved in their own treatment.
• Qualified staff: therapists, doctors, and other staff members should have specialized training/licensing in addiction and mental health treatment for teenagers.
• Gender and cultural understanding: Treatment programs should take into consideration the teen’s gender and cultural background.
• Aftercare: The teen rehab program should create a plan for care after the patient has finished its initial treatment program. An after-care plan’s goal is to improve reintegration into society and to prevent relapse.
• Treatment outcomes: The facility should keep track of individual teens’ recoveries and relapses to ensure that methods taught are working.

Understanding what to look for in teen rehab will allow you to help your child best. Quality treatment is made up of many different components. If you have any questions about rehab for your teen, addiction specialists are here to help.

Teen Drug Abuse Statistics

The pattern of high school binge drinking statistics shows that most high school students who drink tend to binge drink. The definition of binge drinking is defined differently depending on if someone is male or female. For males, binge drinking is considered having five or more drinks on the same occasion at least one day in the past month. For females, binge drinking means having four or more drinks on the same occasion on at least one day in the past month.

Alongside binge drinking, there is also heavy drinking. Heavy alcohol use means binge drinking on five or more days in the past month. In 2017, almost 61% of underage drinkers admitted to binge drinking in the past month. Also, about 12.5% of underage drinkers admitted to heavy drinking in the past month

Apart from alcohol, other drugs have been on the rise amongst teenagers. For example, the opioid addiction crisis has become a nationwide epidemic. If you’ve had a sports injury, dental work, or surgery, your doctor may have given you a pain reliever that was an opioid medication. While opioids can be very effective at treating pain, they can be highly addictive and should only be used under a doctor’s careful supervision.

In addition to prescription opioids, heroin use can also be a problem for teens. Heroin is a very dangerous drug that is usually used by injecting it directly into a vein with a needle. In 2016, 2.14 million people ages 12 and older had an opioid use disorder including 153,000 12- to 17-year-olds

Treatment At Teen Rehab

Quality treatment at a rehab for teens must offer a comprehensive plan. Fortunately, there are many drug and alcohol treatment resources available at our facility as well as many others. The priority is to set your teen up for long-lasting sobriety.

Ultimately, rehab is designed for continued sobriety after treatment ends. We’ll teach your teens coping skills and tools to work through their addictive tendencies. Many teen rehab programs will utilize a combination of multiple treatment approaches, such as:

• Individual and group therapy
• Family therapy
• 12-step programs
• Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) to manage withdrawal or cravings

Evidence-based treatments that may be used include:

• Motivational interviewing
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Contingency management

We’re Waiting For Your Call

No matter what stage of addiction you’re at, you can begin the road to recovery today. Teen rehab aims to create a better tomorrow and ultimately a better future for your child. From comfortable amenities to trained medical staff, we have everything you need to recover.

Our philosophy is what drives us forward. We have observed that recovery is achieved through an intentional combination of biological support and neuro-regeneration, in conjunction with clinical care provided by a TRULY CARING, trained & certified professionals.

Whether it’s you or a loved one struggling, one of our programs can help today. From individual therapy to medical care, treatment will be tailored to your teen’s unique needs. Contact us at Granite Mountain today.