Sending a Child or Teen to a Rehab Center: What To Know
Legally, individuals aged 17 years or younger can be put into residential drug rehab without their consent. This can seem like a very harsh decision, but there are circumstances where parents may have no other choice. When the teen's life is at risk due to drug use, the resentment and anger that can result from forcing them into rehab is usually worth it. Keep in mind that a teen's brain is still developing—up to age 25—meaning that the damage done by drug and alcohol use may be lasting.
Does My Child Have an Addiction?
The first step to getting a child who may be addicted to drugs or alcohol help is to make sure the problem is indeed a substance use disorder, the clinical term for addiction. Symptoms of drug misuse and symptoms of mental illness often overlap, and forcing a child into addiction treatment when there is no addiction can cause serious damage to the parent-child relationship. This is complicated by the fact that teens who misuse substances typically hide this behavior from parents.
Signs of Addiction
Parents who suspect drug misuse and addiction should watch for changes in their teens, including:
- Changes in their social circles.
- Changes in their sleep schedule.
- Secretive or withdrawn behavior.
- Changes in hygiene or grooming habits.
- Unexplained weight gain or loss.
- Unusually large or small pupils.
- Health changes (feeling sick after staying out late the night before, for instance).
- Sudden reduction in their ability to meet school or work responsibilities.
- Bloodshot eyes.
- Having drug paraphernalia.
- Severe mood swings.
- Feelings of anxiety or paranoia.
- Lacking the ability to focus.
- Feeling frequently lethargic.
- Experiencing increased aggression.
- A loss of interest in hobbies or extracurricular activities they once enjoyed.
- Getting agitated or being full of energy and then crashing.
Some of these may also be symptoms of mental illness like depression, anxiety disorders, or bipolar disorder. Others may seem like normal teenage behavior. However, several of these symptoms together can point to a drug use problem. It can also be helpful to understand the signs of alcohol use disorder or specific substance use disorders, such as stimulant use disorders or opioid use disorders, for example.
It’s also important to understand that drug misuse and drug addiction are not the same thing. Drug misuse is defined as any use of an illegal drug, any use of a prescription drug beyond what is recommended by a doctor, or excessive use of legal intoxicants like alcohol (though for teens, this is also illegal use). Drug misuse can lead to addiction, which involves the compulsive use of the substance despite the negative consequences it has had on an individual’s life.
Stopping a teen from using drugs may be difficult for some patents. Once an addiction forms, however, cravings and withdrawal symptoms can make stopping substance use feel nearly impossible for them. At this point, treatment is needed.
Intervention
Though you can force an underage teen into rehab, it’s better for the outlook of the treatment and for the parent-child relationship to allow teens to make the choice on their own. Though sometimes, staging an intervention with close family and friends—that doesn’t involve blame or judgement—can help a teen, who is struggling with drug or alcohol misuse or addiction, understand that loved ones want to help them get well.
Before staging an intervention, it’s essential to research rehab centers first. Not all treatment centers offer rehab for teens, so if your child is under the age of 18, you’ll want to understand your options and where these facilities are located. This is also important because research indicates that getting an individual into treatment as soon as willingness is expressed can be vital to encouraging a positive and encouraging start—and outcome—in the treatment process.
Addiction Treatment for Teens
Teen drug rehab may take place in an inpatient or outpatient setting, depending on the needs of the teen. Inpatient care means your teen lives at the facility full time for the duration of the program. Family members can usually visit and may be encouraged to also participate in family therapy, which can help improve trust and communication within the family unit. Parents or caregivers may also be invited to take part in education programs that teach individuals who struggle with addiction how to cope with life after rehab, including how to deal with temptation, peer pressure, and cravings. Here, parents can learn how to support their kids through this and how to avoid enabling behaviors.
Outpatient programs look similar if not identical to inpatient programs but vary in intensity, and your teen lives with you at home or in a sober living environment and attends counseling and therapy sessions at scheduled times at the treatment center.
Prior to beginning either an inpatient or outpatient comprehensive treatment program, some teens may undergo medically managed detoxification, which allows the body to rid itself of substances safely and as comfortably as possible. Medications may be prescribed for anxiety, depression, insomnia, nausea, tremors, and other withdrawal symptoms. After detox, rehab combines psychoeducation, counseling, behavioral therapies, and mutual-help groups, such as 12-Step programs—all intended to get to the causes of substance use, identify triggers, teach the teen to manage stressors without substance use, and prevent relapse.
Some teens may also struggle with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. In fact, research suggests that over 60% of adolescents in community-based substance use disorder treatment programs also meet the diagnostic criteria for another mental illness.2
Co-occurring disorder treatment programs address the substance use and mental health disorders simultaneously, which leads to better treatment outcomes than treating the disorders separately.
Aftercare Options for Teens
Once rehab is complete, a teen’s journey to recovery does not end. Cravings may surface for many years, and peer pressure, temptations, and stress can make it difficult for your teen to avoid relapse. It’s important that everyone in the family understands that addiction is a mental illness, not a personal failing or a weakness of character and also that relapse does not mean that treatment failed.
Instead, it may mean that the individual requires additional treatment. Additionally, family and friend support, ongoing counseling and therapy, and regular participation in mutual-help groups can all help your teen sustain their recovery.
American Addiction Centers (AAC) does not offer treatment for teens. All AAC facilities offer programs for adults aged 18 or older, and some facilities, such as Laguna Treatment Center in Southern California, and Greenhouse Treatment Center near Dallas, Texas, offer a specialized program for young adults, where group therapy takes place among individuals in the same age group, who understand each other’s unique perspectives and experiences.
If you aged 18 or older and struggling with addiction, or if you are a parent in need of rehab for a teen, who is struggling with substance misuse, you can call AAC at . Our knowledgeable and compassionate admissions navigators can listen to your needs, answer your questions, explain your options, and help you find treatment for yourself or a loved one—whether that means finding an AAC program for an adult or one elsewhere that caters to teens.
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