Treatment Options for Teens Abusing Drugs and Alcohol

August 5, 2011 • By Jeffrey S. Gallup, MA, LPC, Child and Adolescent Issues Topic Expert Contributor

He was angry, aggressive, destructive, suicidal, and blacking out. His parents found pipes, marijuana, and pills in his room, and they suspected that he had been using other drugs. The family got into fights about his drug use and tried different consequences to get him to stop using, but his problems worsened, and he kept using until he was arrested for possession.

She was unhappy, feeling that no one liked her and that she could not be popular without a little help. At the dance, she took a friend’s Ritalin for some extra energy and pep, to be the life of the party. Then she experienced chest pains, heart palpitations, and vomiting, which led a chaperone to call an ambulance, and she went to the emergency room.

Both of these teens were using drugs and hit their personal “rock bottom” – collective actions that had significant consequences. Often teens and adults will continue using drugs or alcohol until the consequences are so great for them that they choose to quit using drugs. Parents want to help when they see their child spiral out of control. As soon as you think that your kid has a problem with using substances, say something. Do not yell, but ask them what is happening and if there is something you can do to help them. The sooner you know something, the better. Resources include counselors, pediatricians, rehabilitation centers, hospitals, family doctors, residential treatment centers, wilderness camps, and Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous.

Residential treatment, in many cases, should be considered the “last-ditch” approach to helping a child with serious problems. If the child’s problem is truly severe, removing them from the home environment for a short period of time may help them to become sober and start thinking clearly about what is needed to help them. Studies of different treatment approaches have found that residential treatment is effective for individuals with a long history of addictive behavior. The federal trade commission has published a guide to help parents and caregivers decide which residential treatment program is right for their child and family.

Therapeutic wilderness programs are a subset of residential treatment, typically hosted as a camp, where teens are challenged by living in the outdoors and through that challenge get to understand themselves and their problems from a different perspective. Wilderness programs typically offer individual, group, and family counseling within their programs along with the unique outdoor challenge aspect. The National Association of Therapeutic Wilderness Camps hosts a list of member programs with links to their websites for families to get information about each program.

Sometimes a support group such as AA or NA can help a teen toward sobriety. These are 12-step programs that work to help people remain sober once they have made the decision to quit using. Once someone has quit using, they can attend as many meetings as they want to, and many programs encourage participants to attend 90 meetings in the first 90 days and find a sponsor. To find an AA meeting, go to www.aa.org for a list of local meetings and more information about AA.

No matter the situation, a child that is using drugs or alcohol needs help to deal with their use and to treat any underlying symptoms that led them to begin to use in the first place. If you are concerned about your child, seek out information from knowledgeable pediatricians, family doctors, counselors, and therapists. When talking to your kid, try to stay calm and show them your concern. Anger may only make the situation worse, as your teen may not want to turn to you for help. Help them to understand that they have to make a decision to give up using drugs and alcohol in order to turn their lives around. Once they make that decision to get help, there are many resources for families and teens to help them stay clean and sober.

The preceding article was solely written by the author named above. Any views and opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by GoodTherapy.org. Questions or concerns about the preceding article can be directed to the author or posted as a comment below.

17 comments
Leave a Comment

LOgan
August 6th, 2011 at 4:26 AM
I suspect that my son is using drugs but I have no idea how to confront him. I do not want to drive him away but I do not want him to die either. I am completely at a loss as to what to do. Any input will be greatly appreciated.

Reply
Michelle
August 6th, 2011 at 9:00 AM
Confrontations are not going to help in such a situation. Talking to a child and explaining the consequences of their actions is much better than trying to force them
Off drugs.Kids would definitely go against something enforced on them. But if they are convinced of what you’re saying, they might never touch drugs again.

Reply
Mac
August 7th, 2011 at 9:10 AM
I worked in a wilderness camp for teen addicts when I got out of school and it was a real eye opener for me. I think that I learned as much from the kids as they hopefully learned from me. I can’t say that it was always easy but I think that it made a real impact in all of our lives in a positive way. I would highly reccomend it for parents and teens who may have tried more traditional programs in the past but have not had much success with sobriety or continued sobriety as a result.

Reply
donovan
August 7th, 2011 at 1:39 PM
Logan: Why dont you try bringing up the topic of drugs and instead of telling him how they are harmful you could say something like-If you ever feel like trying these then please have a chat with me and we could research on the same together.

I hope that helps.

Reply
Logan
August 8th, 2011 at 4:49 AM
@ Donovan- thanks for that, but I feel like we are at a point where every time I even try to talk to him at all he shuts down.
At first I thought that he is just being a teenager but I have this fear that it could be more than that and that scares the h*** out of me as a mom.
But I can’t put my head in the sand either and pretend like it is not happening.
Just keep on trying til something gets through to him I guess.

Reply
Jeffrey Gallup LPC
August 9th, 2011 at 10:30 AM
It can be very hard and scary to confront your teenager if they are using drugs, although it is the 1st step towards helping them, your family and you heal through the process of getting treatment for them.

Jeff

Reply
janet sadler
August 20th, 2011 at 6:45 PM
Those parents in the first story were rather uninspired if they couldn’t think of how to keep the drugs out of his hands. Keep him at home grounded unless it’s schooltime. He gets driven to school, picked up at the gate and driven straight home. That’s how you keep a user away from drugs: you don’t give them a window to get them.

Reply
Katherine C. Carillo
August 20th, 2011 at 7:23 PM
@janetsadler-That’s a fine plan except for one thing. What if they get their drugs at school? What do you do then? You don’t really have any proof if they’re out of your sight what they are up to and the schools won’t be monitoring every child’s movements 24/7 to see who he connects with outside his classes on the school grounds.

Schools are rife with drugs. Unless you plan to get the boy a minder that watches his every move, you’re not going to avoid him getting drugs at school if he wants them that badly.

Reply
Gail O'Connell
August 20th, 2011 at 9:24 PM
If they don’t leave the grounds and they don’t leave the house and they still have drugs, then obviously they’re getting them at school. At that point, you throw your kid in front of the police as hard as it is to do that and let him suffer the consequences of his actions.

You do your bit to keep drugs out of his reach with a more hands-on approach and you won’t be seeing him lying in a casket within the next decade.

Reply
Eliza Lewis
August 20th, 2011 at 10:18 PM
Report the school as the source of the drugs too to the police, the press and the school’s board of governors. You’ll soon see changes and stricter security measures at the institution to combat that if they are being publicly badmouthed in the press and investigated by the police.

Reply
Stuart Livermore
August 20th, 2011 at 11:34 PM
“If they don’t leave the grounds and they don’t leave the house and they still have drugs, then obviously they are getting them at school.”

Err, not necessarily. The child could already have a secret stash somewhere in the home or on the family property. Friends that know where that is could drop them off more anytime.

Checked the garage, loft, basement or shed lately for anything suspicious? Any usually dusty containers not looking so dusty? Do they suddenly have a great interest in going to one particular area of the house they didn’t used to or seem to be in and out of the shed a lot with no real reason to be? Heck, a tree would work if it could hold a weatherproof container in a hole in its trunk.

Use your brain to find where they are stashing the goods.

Reply
Nichole Brightman
August 21st, 2011 at 5:15 PM
There are better ways to perk yourself up instead of taking prescription drugs that aren’t yours. Ritalin is for teens with hyperactivity, and it will have completely different effects on those who aren’t hyperactive. That girl was a teenager and she should have known better. Get outside and exercise for a natural high, girl!

Reply
DarrenAnderson
August 21st, 2011 at 6:45 PM
@Logan–Stress what you said in your post at the outset: you love him and you don’t want him to die but are concerned he could be using drugs. You need to sit him down at the table, and talk to him about drugs and that you disapprove of them in your house.

Then-and this is important-tell him that if he is doing drugs, he can hand over all of his paraphenilia or any he has already whenever he wants. Explain you’re giving him amnesty for an infinite length of time and he won’t get punished for making a smart decision.

However, then make it clear that if you or anyone else catches him with drugs because he didn’t take advantage of that amnesty, the consequences will be serious. You will call the police and he will take his punishment whatever that may be.

Don’t get soft at this point. If you don’t think you would call the police, then don’t say that because he’ll know you’ll lying and that will dilute the whole discussion.

Choose something else: pick something he loves to take from him like his car, his phone, his computer, etc. and stress it will be sold and that this is not a temporary arrangement. No harm in hinting or saying too you’d need to think seriously about kicking him out, especially if there are younger siblings in the home to think about. What if they found a pill and took it? It could kill them. Make him think about that.

Reiterate your opening message, that this is all because you love him and don’t want him to die. See if he has questions or anything he’d like to say or do. Leave it at that. Above all, stay calm. If he brings you anything, don’t go back on your word. Just say thanks for being honest and making the smart decision. Please don’t touch any of this kind of stuff again.

(And get a lock on your medicine cabinet.)

Reply
June Murphy
August 21st, 2011 at 7:41 PM
@Nichole: I don’t believe that second story because I’m pretty certain it would take an overdose of Ritalin to cause that kind of complication. In small doses, Ritalin can help just about anyone, and larger doses can be disastrous. This is the same with all pills, so she either overdosed or the story is a complete fib.

I’m not a doctor, only a natural born skeptic.

Reply
calum samuels
August 22nd, 2011 at 6:32 PM
@June Murphy–I don’t think it’s a fib. Some are stupid enough to grind it up and snort it like cocaine, which is probably what she did. Snorting something can make it go too close to the brain, causing chaos in the upstairs department. I wouldn’t say she hit rock bottom from one bad trip though.

Doctor’s cannot predict with 100% accuracy how a single individual will react to a drug. They can make a general prediction but not a specific one. That’s why drugs come with an extensive list of possible side effects. Some will react differently than others.

Reply
O.C.
August 22nd, 2011 at 7:52 PM
@Michelle: When you confront them, you have to do it in a neutral fashion and without accusing them of being drug addicts. My mother has made some subtle accusations that I smoke marijuana and I was offended.

I don’t touch cigarettes, I don’t drink alcohol, and I most certainly don’t have the time or money to get weed but she said it anyway. Paranoia is her middle name.

Reply
Fred n dressler
September 29th, 2011 at 4:24 PM
@Logan – How do you know that your son is using drugs? Unless you’re 100% positive about his drug use you shouldn’t confront him. Confronting him if he isn’t doing drugs will be an easy way for him to grow to loathe you. When this happens he could retaliate by using drugs for real.

I recommend you have a talk with him, in a very casual manner and try to get him to admit that he has been using drugs. Good kids that use drugs often feel like they are betraying their parents, with a little push they might come clean. If this doesn’t work I’d recommend looking for further help from a therapist.

Reply

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LOgan

August 6th, 2011 at 4:26 AM

I suspect that my son is using drugs but I have no idea how to confront him. I do not want to drive him away but I do not want him to die either. I am completely at a loss as to what to do. Any input will be greatly appreciated.

Michelle

August 6th, 2011 at 9:00 AM

Confrontations are not going to help in such a situation. Talking to a child and explaining the consequences of their actions is much better than trying to force them
Off drugs.Kids would definitely go against something enforced on them. But if they are convinced of what you’re saying, they might never touch drugs again.

Mac

August 7th, 2011 at 9:10 AM

I worked in a wilderness camp for teen addicts when I got out of school and it was a real eye opener for me. I think that I learned as much from the kids as they hopefully learned from me. I can’t say that it was always easy but I think that it made a real impact in all of our lives in a positive way. I would highly reccomend it for parents and teens who may have tried more traditional programs in the past but have not had much success with sobriety or continued sobriety as a result.

donovan

August 7th, 2011 at 1:39 PM

Logan: Why dont you try bringing up the topic of drugs and instead of telling him how they are harmful you could say something like-If you ever feel like trying these then please have a chat with me and we could research on the same together.

I hope that helps.

Logan

August 8th, 2011 at 4:49 AM

@ Donovan- thanks for that, but I feel like we are at a point where every time I even try to talk to him at all he shuts down.
At first I thought that he is just being a teenager but I have this fear that it could be more than that and that scares the h*** out of me as a mom.
But I can’t put my head in the sand either and pretend like it is not happening.
Just keep on trying til something gets through to him I guess.

Jeffrey Gallup LPC

August 9th, 2011 at 10:30 AM

It can be very hard and scary to confront your teenager if they are using drugs, although it is the 1st step towards helping them, your family and you heal through the process of getting treatment for them.

Jeff

janet sadler

August 20th, 2011 at 6:45 PM

Those parents in the first story were rather uninspired if they couldn’t think of how to keep the drugs out of his hands. Keep him at home grounded unless it’s schooltime. He gets driven to school, picked up at the gate and driven straight home. That’s how you keep a user away from drugs: you don’t give them a window to get them.

Katherine C. Carillo

August 20th, 2011 at 7:23 PM

@janetsadler-That’s a fine plan except for one thing. What if they get their drugs at school? What do you do then? You don’t really have any proof if they’re out of your sight what they are up to and the schools won’t be monitoring every child’s movements 24/7 to see who he connects with outside his classes on the school grounds.

Schools are rife with drugs. Unless you plan to get the boy a minder that watches his every move, you’re not going to avoid him getting drugs at school if he wants them that badly.

Gail O'Connell

August 20th, 2011 at 9:24 PM

If they don’t leave the grounds and they don’t leave the house and they still have drugs, then obviously they’re getting them at school. At that point, you throw your kid in front of the police as hard as it is to do that and let him suffer the consequences of his actions.

You do your bit to keep drugs out of his reach with a more hands-on approach and you won’t be seeing him lying in a casket within the next decade.

Eliza Lewis

August 20th, 2011 at 10:18 PM

Report the school as the source of the drugs too to the police, the press and the school’s board of governors. You’ll soon see changes and stricter security measures at the institution to combat that if they are being publicly badmouthed in the press and investigated by the police.

Stuart Livermore

August 20th, 2011 at 11:34 PM

“If they don’t leave the grounds and they don’t leave the house and they still have drugs, then obviously they are getting them at school.”

Err, not necessarily. The child could already have a secret stash somewhere in the home or on the family property. Friends that know where that is could drop them off more anytime.

Checked the garage, loft, basement or shed lately for anything suspicious? Any usually dusty containers not looking so dusty? Do they suddenly have a great interest in going to one particular area of the house they didn’t used to or seem to be in and out of the shed a lot with no real reason to be? Heck, a tree would work if it could hold a weatherproof container in a hole in its trunk.

Use your brain to find where they are stashing the goods.

Nichole Brightman

August 21st, 2011 at 5:15 PM

There are better ways to perk yourself up instead of taking prescription drugs that aren’t yours. Ritalin is for teens with hyperactivity, and it will have completely different effects on those who aren’t hyperactive. That girl was a teenager and she should have known better. Get outside and exercise for a natural high, girl!

DarrenAnderson

August 21st, 2011 at 6:45 PM

@Logan–Stress what you said in your post at the outset: you love him and you don’t want him to die but are concerned he could be using drugs. You need to sit him down at the table, and talk to him about drugs and that you disapprove of them in your house.

Then-and this is important-tell him that if he is doing drugs, he can hand over all of his paraphenilia or any he has already whenever he wants. Explain you’re giving him amnesty for an infinite length of time and he won’t get punished for making a smart decision.

However, then make it clear that if you or anyone else catches him with drugs because he didn’t take advantage of that amnesty, the consequences will be serious. You will call the police and he will take his punishment whatever that may be.

Don’t get soft at this point. If you don’t think you would call the police, then don’t say that because he’ll know you’ll lying and that will dilute the whole discussion.

Choose something else: pick something he loves to take from him like his car, his phone, his computer, etc. and stress it will be sold and that this is not a temporary arrangement. No harm in hinting or saying too you’d need to think seriously about kicking him out, especially if there are younger siblings in the home to think about. What if they found a pill and took it? It could kill them. Make him think about that.

Reiterate your opening message, that this is all because you love him and don’t want him to die. See if he has questions or anything he’d like to say or do. Leave it at that. Above all, stay calm. If he brings you anything, don’t go back on your word. Just say thanks for being honest and making the smart decision. Please don’t touch any of this kind of stuff again.

(And get a lock on your medicine cabinet.)

June Murphy

August 21st, 2011 at 7:41 PM

@Nichole: I don’t believe that second story because I’m pretty certain it would take an overdose of Ritalin to cause that kind of complication. In small doses, Ritalin can help just about anyone, and larger doses can be disastrous. This is the same with all pills, so she either overdosed or the story is a complete fib.

I’m not a doctor, only a natural born skeptic.

calum samuels

August 22nd, 2011 at 6:32 PM

@June Murphy–I don’t think it’s a fib. Some are stupid enough to grind it up and snort it like cocaine, which is probably what she did. Snorting something can make it go too close to the brain, causing chaos in the upstairs department. I wouldn’t say she hit rock bottom from one bad trip though.

Doctor’s cannot predict with 100% accuracy how a single individual will react to a drug. They can make a general prediction but not a specific one. That’s why drugs come with an extensive list of possible side effects. Some will react differently than others.

O.C.

August 22nd, 2011 at 7:52 PM

@Michelle: When you confront them, you have to do it in a neutral fashion and without accusing them of being drug addicts. My mother has made some subtle accusations that I smoke marijuana and I was offended.

I don’t touch cigarettes, I don’t drink alcohol, and I most certainly don’t have the time or money to get weed but she said it anyway. Paranoia is her middle name.

Fred n dressler

September 29th, 2011 at 4:24 PM

@Logan – How do you know that your son is using drugs? Unless you’re 100% positive about his drug use you shouldn’t confront him. Confronting him if he isn’t doing drugs will be an easy way for him to grow to loathe you. When this happens he could retaliate by using drugs for real.

I recommend you have a talk with him, in a very casual manner and try to get him to admit that he has been using drugs. Good kids that use drugs often feel like they are betraying their parents, with a little push they might come clean. If this doesn’t work I’d recommend looking for further help from a therapist.