What Are the Treatments for Teen Drug Abuse?

Drug abuse is an ever-present force in society, especially in the life of peer-pressured, stressed teenagers. However, there are many treatment options available for drug abusing teenagers. Treatments available are counseling, rehabilitation, medical options and special programs. Getting treatment is important before substance abuse takes over the teenager's life and causes problems in school, socially and family.

Counseling

• Individual, family and group counseling are all available to help teenagers overcome substance abuse. One of the first options considered is individual counseling, which deals with motivational interviewing and cognitive-behavioral counseling. The cognitive behavioral counseling is good for teenagers, because it helps them understand why they are using drugs, their negative thoughts, and the things that are pressuring them to abuse drugs. Individual counseling has motivational interviewing, which is a technique that encourages the patient to get treatment. Family counseling is important because it helps the teenager's parents regain discipline. The parents are able to reinforce things learned during sessions back at home, and communicate freely about how everyone is hurt by the substance abuse. Group counseling allows the teenager to connect with his or her peers in sessions. The group is able to provide support to one another.

Rehabilitation

• Sometimes a teenager will be using drugs dangerously or have a strong addiction. At times such as that, rehabilitation is the best treatment option. Rehabilitation will last as long as the teenager needs to overcome their addiction, from weeks to over one year. This treatment is good if a teenager is having negative peer pressure from family or friends.

Outpatient Programs

• Teenagers can get more intensive counseling with intense outpatient programs. In intensive outpatient programs, a teenager is given group, family and individual counseling. However, it is much stricter than attending regular counseling by choice. A patient of this program is normally required to attend a certain amount of hours of group, family and individual counseling, such as 25 hours a week.

Medication

• Addictive drugs such as cocaine and heroine are hard to overcome without detoxification and medical assistance. Teenagers using drugs over a long period of time need medical assistance, or they risk harming themselves, especially if the substance they are abusing was originally prescribed. For example, a teenager abusing depression medication originally intended for their depression will need medical help. Stopping the use of the medication so suddenly can increase their depression and negative thoughts.