Helping Your Teenager Cope with Addiction Has your college freshman or sophomore been displaying strange behaviors lately? Are you worried that he might be addicted to drugs or alcohol? Addiction during the teen years can be especially difficult, as your child’s college friends may be participating in the same habits. As the following suggestions indicate, though, you can help him gain control over his chemical dependency problems with patience, diligence, and proactive assistance.
Talk to a Professional
It’s important to remember that if your child has a substance abuse problem, you cannot solve it for him on your own. Drug and alcohol addiction are conditions that often have mental, emotional, and physical components. For your child to successfully overcome his chemical dependency, he requires professional substance abuse treatment. As soon as you suspect that your child may have an addiction issue, consult a professional who can guide you toward the right dependency treatment program.
Keep Open the Lines of Communication
Feelings of anger and frustration may arise as you contend with your child’s addiction problem, but these emotions can also obstruct efforts to communicate with him. Your child needs to feel safe in coming to you with his thoughts and feelings, so be sure to encourage open and judgment-free communication at all times. The sooner your child realizes that you are ready and willing to help him overcome his substance abuse, the more likely he is to accept professional treatment.
Set Healthy Boundaries
As supportive as you would like to be while your child frees himself from addiction, you may want to set certain boundaries with him. For instance, you might tell him that consequences will result should he come home drunk or high on drugs. You should also communicate how you will react if law enforcement finds him in possession of drugs or drunk while behind the wheel.
Las Encinas Hospital offers addiction treatment options for residents of Pasadena and the surrounding areas who are at least 18 years old or older. For more information on how our substance abuse programs can benefit your teen child, call (888) 348-2165. You can also visit our website for additional details on our chemical dependency services.