Dealing with a teenager’s drug abuse or alcoholism is extremely difficult for parents. You are terrified about your child’s future, and you want to do whatever you can to find the best addiction treatment for them. You’re upset about the effect that this has had on the rest of the family, especially if there are siblings in the house. You are probably also partially blaming yourself and wondering what you should have done differently to prevent the addiction from getting out of hand in the first place. Teens face unique issues when recovering from alcohol and drug abuse.

Fortunately, there are many options for help available. This also means that research must be done to find the correct path of addiction recovery for your teenager. Begin by looking at addiction treatment programs that are designed specifically for teens. Many rehab facilities specialize in treating people 12 to 18 years of age. Support groups can also be a wonderful resource, where the teen can relate to others going through the addiction recovery process.

Schooling is one of the special issues for a teen with an alcoholism or drug abuse problem. If the addiction is severe, they may have already dropped out of school. Drug rehab centers require teens to attend classes at the facility. This can allow them to keep up or begin to catch up on schoolwork.

Families need to be very involved in a teen’s addiction and treatment program. Most rehab facilities encourage family counseling. You need to learn how to be supportive without being codependent. New skills are necessary to keep the entire family healthy and functioning in the face of alcohol and drug addiction. Counseling can also help you to not blame yourself for the problem, while understanding family dynamics that might be related to the addiction.