Long-term rehab may be the right option for your teenager.
Long Term Rehab for Teens
Rehabilitation from alcohol or drug addiction is difficult for anyone, but there are special challenges for long term rehab for teens. Teenagers may find it difficult to take the rehab process very seriously and not be able of give full concentration to group therapy, exercises and informative lectures.
Understanding Long Term Rehab for Teens
It is vital for parents to understand their child’s condition in order to assess their needs and work together as a family unit for recovery. The most important aspect is for teenagers to have structured primary care for 30 to 60 days or more. Studies show that long term rehab for teens gives the best chance to reenter society and not slip back into alcohol or drug abuse.
The teenage years are a period in life where there are hormonal changes. With these changes affecting the teenager, they are often not open to making other changes such as starting rehab to lose an addiction to drugs or alcohol. Peer pressure is very strong at this age, and even if the teenager becomes clean, if they return to the same friends and hang-outs, they will most likely relapse. Long term rehab for teens gives the opportunity to address the issues of peer pressure and finding a new group of friends.
Treatment provided at Long Term Rehab Centers
Long term rehab centers provide focused treatment for drug and alcohol addiction as well as lifestyle activities to redirect the teenagers towards something useful and positive. Programs include:
- Workshops on addiction
- Lectures about recovery
- Group therapy
- Individual counseling
- 12-step programs
- Family meetings and activities
During long term rehab for teens, they learn to meet the needs that were previously met by drugs or alcohol. They gain control of their lives and have fun. They also learn new ways to handle stress and anxiety.
Boredom is the number one reason for relapse, and part of the treatment teaches teenagers to alleviate boredom with support groups and community networks. Some of the activities that help during the long term rehab for teens are:
- Games such as beach volleyball, basketball, softball, tennis and golf
- Physical fitness visits to a gym and weight lifting
- Activities such as rock climbing, canoeing or kayaking, yoga, camping, horseback riding, music, art and karate classes
- Visits in the locality to zoos, museums, aquariums, movies, rodeos, theme parks and concerts
Benefits of Long Term Rehab for Teens
Long term rehab gives the teenager the time to not only become detoxified and get treatment, but they also have the opportunity to learn new skills and have long term mentoring, so they never feel abandoned. Research shows that the more time a teenager spends in a supportive and structured program, the better their chances of not relapsing. Simply going through detox is not sufficient to hope for a full recovery. After detox, the teenager needs time to enjoy life, find new friends and possibly learn a vocational skill. Long term rehab gives addicts the time to learn new social skills that are based around being sober, not around their addiction.