The Teenline

A special note to parents…

“the only thing more complicated than the behavior of someone involved in substance abuse is the behavior of an adolescent. The combination of the two defies a rational explanation.” This quote came from a book about adolescent substance abuse. It will hopefully validate your complicated feelings and fears about what is happening to your child. Whether you just discovered that your son or daughter is using drugs and alcohol, or you have known in your gut for years, you will sometimes feel like you are the one that is having trouble with reality. Keep in mind that this is a normal response to addressing abuse and addiction problems in those you love and care about. The denial of obvious problems, the rationalizing, the changes in behavior, mood, the lack of respect for you, all of these will drastically challenge your role as parent. Confronting the possibility of drug or alcohol use problems in your child may be the hardest thing you will ever do, but give yourself credit for doing the right thing.

Reach out, ask for help, take care of yourself, get support through the resources offered on this site, find out about an Alanon meeting in your area, and try to remain calm. You are not alone. -taken from ‘Chemical Dependency Treatment Options for Minors Under Age 18- A Guide for Parents.’

Substance Abuse 101

Here at the Teenline we have talked to literally hundreds of parents who have been concerned about their youth’s alcohol and other drug use. Many who contact us have either just discovered that their teen is using some type of substance or knowthat their child has been struggling with addiction and are looking for options.

Some of the more common ‘red flags’ one would expect to see that would indicate a progression towards abuse usually can be found in all aspects of a teen’s life and include the following:

Social Changes:

There will usually be a change in friends. Their social circle no longer includes those they have been friends with for a long time and they now ‘hang out’ with a different group of people, people you may not even now or have really met. There are reasons why you don’t know these people and if your teen is using alcohol and other drugs, chances are this new circle of friends is using as well. Becoming more and more secretive and isolating themselves to the point that you wouldn’t even know if they were home, let alone know what’s going on in their life is very common.

Emotional Changes:

Certainly the teenage years can be somewhat volatile and while teens are struggling for independence and making their own decisions, their parents are often times afraid of letting that happen. The two differences of opinion can cause displays of defiance on both sides. But when a teen is abusing alcohol and or other drugs and that has taken center stage in their world, use and withdrawal symptoms such as mood swings and sudden changes in emotion are enhanced. All of a sudden ‘small things’ that didn’t seem to be that big of a deal are now the focus of an emotional outburst. You’re left standing there thinking to yourself, ‘What is going on?’ If you try and point out how irrational the situation seems to be, you may find out that you are only provoking the already stressful situation.

Physical Changes:

Your teen may be tired A LOT and doesn’t seem to get enough sleep anymore. They may have lost their appetite and you may be noticing that they have lost quite a bit of weight in a relatively short period of time. They may have started complaining about physical symptoms they are experiencing such as headaches stomachaches, muscle or bone pain. Substance abuse is really hard on the body both inside and out. Since a youth’s body is still growing and developing, having physical symptoms is quite common.

Intellectual Changes:

So much can change in a short period of time. When youth are abusing substances and this has been made a priority in their life, a lot of interests, goals, and passions tend to slip away. Things they were once interesting in like school, sports, and other activities are no longer important to them. You may notice that your teen’s grades are slipping or perhaps have dropped dramatically. Skipping classes or school entirely may have started happening. They may have also been suspended for possessing alcohol and other drugs or for being under the influence while at school.

Other Changes:

You may have been doing laundry one day and discovered, ‘Hey, what’s this empty bottle of alcohol doing here?’ or ‘Hey, what’s this can of spray paint with the top missing doing under the bed?’ or ‘Hey, what are all these rolling papers doing in this drawer?’ or ‘Hey, where did they get this baggie of pills from?’ These are all signs that your teenager is more than likely using. I know some parents have heard the, ‘Well it’s not really mine, it’s a friend’s’ line before and honestly, if you are a substance abuser, you wouldn’t be giving your drug of choice to a friend to ‘hang on to’. It is highly unlikely that is the case.

So now what?

This is your child and despite what they say and how they act, they still need your help, love, support and guidance. You’ve read through the previous ‘red flags’ or ‘warning signs’ and if you could identify with some or all of those signs, you may be asking yourself, “What can I do?”. We certainly recommend that you contact a local outpatient chemical dependency treatment agency and schedule an alcohol and drug assessment. Whether you have private or state-funded insurance, the need for treatment must be established before you can admit a youth into treatment services.

‘An assessment is a thorough, multidimensional, individualized interview performed by a Chemical Dependency Professional to determine the diagnosis and recommendation for the appropriate level of treatment. Most CDPs, at outpatient youth agencies, are trained to work with adolescents, and use screening and assessment tools that can address resistance, denial, and other barriers to ‘getting the true picture’ of what is going on with your child. It should be noted that youth, when given a safe and supportive setting, are often very honest about reporting their drug and alcohol use, as well as other problems associated with the use. Interviews with parents are usually conducted as part of the assessment.’ As a result, youth may be assessed for any of the following:

ADIS (Alcohol Drug Information School):

A type of early intervention, this level of care commonly consists of an 8-hour class that discusses the physiological effects of drug use and pharmacology of alcohol and other drugs. Some outpatient programs will spread these hours out over several weeks. It’s important to ask the agency how their ADIS class is structured.

Outpatient Treatment:

Usually held in the afternoon once a week, this type of program works best for youth who have minimal problems with alcohol and other drugs but could benefit from learning the physiological effects of substance abuse, communication skills, life and refusal skills, and ways to enjoy life being clean and sober. Random urine analysis tests are also part of this level of treatment and if substances are detected, a higher level of treatment may be necessary and recommended.

Intensive Outpatient Treatment (IOP):

Usually held in the afternoons three times a week. This program may be broken down into multiple phases that would begin with attendance three times a week and then slowly decrease over a designated period of time. IOP is usually recommended for youth who are chemically addicted to alcohol and other drugs and need a more structured, intensive program. Random urine analysis tests are also part of this level of care and if substances are detected, a higher level of treatment may be necessary and recommended.

Inpatient Treatment:

Structured with group and individual counseling, support group attendance, lectures and assignments that are shared in group, and recreation time. Some school credit may also be given for the assignments and activities that are completed. Has a varied length of stay depending on the level of treatment.
Level I Basic Residential treatment is typically around 28-35 days and designed for youth who are dealing primarily with substance addiction.
Level II Secure Residential treatment can vary anywhere between 30-120 days and is designed to treat youth who are not only dealing with substance addiction, but who may be dealing with mental health and/or behavioral issues as well.