If your teenager is struggling with alcohol or substance abuse, the effects on you, your family, and your teen can be detrimental. As a parent, you want to do whatever you can to help your teenager recover and get back to living life the way they did before substance use was a part of their reality.
You have likely heard that rehab programs could be beneficial in helping teenagers recover. However, you may have questions about which rehab program is right for your teen. Here are some of the options that you may want to consider.
Questions to Consider before Choosing a Rehab Facility for Your Teen
It is always good for parents to become familiar with the rehab facility and speak to the staff before encouraging their teenager to go there. You may want to prepare a list of questions that can ease your concerns. For example, you may want to ask:
- How involved will my family be in treatment?
- Is the program only for teenagers or are there also adults involved?
- How will rehab impact my child’s education?
- How does your program prepare my teenager for life after treatment?
By doing your research, you will feel confident that the program you are sending your teenager to will be good for them. It should allow them to recover in a dignified, safe, and friendly environment.
Types of Drug Rehab Programs for Teens
Drug rehab programs for teens fall in to two categories. There are outpatient and inpatient programs. The primary difference between the programs is if a patient stays at the facility full-time or goes to the facility to receive treatment.
Inpatient and outpatient rehab programs might have the same therapies. However, inpatient treatment facilities usually have more intensive therapies and treatments available. When determining if an inpatient or outpatient treatment center is right for your teenager, you will want to factor in your teen’s health and addiction needs.
Inpatient Rehabilitation
Inpatient rehab offers full-time care. Your teenager will live at the facility, which can be especially beneficial if your teen needs to go through detox before starting therapy. Your teenager may derive several benefits from inpatient rehab.
With inpatient treatment, medical professionals are on hand 24 hours a day to give medical assistance if necessary. This can be helpful, especially if your teenager is going through severe withdrawal symptoms.
Another benefit of inpatient treatment is that your teen is isolated from the triggers that lead to substance use or alcohol abuse. They have no contact with friends, relatives, or dealers who encourage them to use.
Inpatient rehabilitation can be emotionally challenging for both the teenager and the family. Your teenager may mistakenly believe that you are sending them to rehab as punishment or that their family wants nothing to do with them anymore. Thankfully, many inpatient rehab centers let family members and parents visit their teenagers and even actively participate in some treatment, including family therapy.
To make inpatient treatment work, you need to reassure your teenager that the decision to send them to rehab is one you are making out of love. Your teen needs to feel that they are being sent to a place for medical help.
Outpatient Rehab
With outpatient rehab, your teenager will go to a clinic or facility for appointments according to a set schedule during the day. However, they will not stay at the facility overnight.
As a parent, you may be involved in group, individual, or family therapy. There may also be other forms of treatment that have been uniquely designed to help your teen. With outpatient rehab, family members may be encouraged to receive counseling, depending on how the teenager’s addiction has affected the family’s emotional and mental state.
Inpatient programs are usually for a set amount of time. However, outpatient programs typically do not have a time limit. Your teenager can get the therapy they need for as long as they need it. Outpatient treatment is suitable for teenagers who may not have fallen into a serious addiction and have a reduced risk of relapsing. Or it could be a way to provide continued support to a teenager who has already gone through an inpatient program and needs a little bit of assistance to stay on the path of sobriety.
Are you ready to help your teen find a recovery program that is right for them? We can help. Call us today at 833-846-5669.