Showing posts with label teenage drug abuse pennsylvania. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teenage drug abuse pennsylvania. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

What to Do About Your Teen's Drug Addiction

Parents can help the situation improve by following certain steps. These are not difficult and do not require training or specialist skills. They need determination and common sense.

First you should never lay any blame. You may want to blame yourself or your partner or you may want to blame your child. Laying blame doesn't help anyone. The teen drug addiction problem won't be addressed or fixed if people are blaming one another.

Likewise with punishment, studies show it has little if any effect. It's a case of shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. Forget about punishment and concentrate on helping your child and discovering the cause of the problem.

Why is your teen involved with drugs? Experimentation is sometimes a starting point but often there is a serious underlying problem. Get help obviously but also try and discover what caused the problem in the first place.

Teen drug addiction is a serious mental and physical problem which a loving parent is most unlikely to cure. Professional medical help is required. Your family doctor will be able to help in a number of ways not the least being advising the best specialist help available. There are camps and treatment facilities for young people with drug problems. The programs are specifically designed to help troubled teens stop taking drugs and develop strategies and the self-confidence to live without drugs.

Clearbrook Treatment Centers : The best Pennsylvania In-patient Drug Addiction Rehab Treatment Center, Adolescent Drug Rehab & Teen Drug Abuse Center in the Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, St Louis and Chicago areas : A proven 28 Day Treatment Program in our in-patient drug & alcohol abuse treatment center.



Geeting Help With Teen Drug Abuse

No single teen drug treatment is appropriate for all teens which is why there are many places your teen can get help. Look for local programs geared towards teens and find a peer counselor who your teen can talk to. Teens relate to other teens and young people, so finding someone close to their own age can be very effective.

Match the treatment with the individual. If your teen's drug use has gotten completely out of hand, you may want to look at an inpatient clinic. But try to find a clinic where other teens are being treated as well. If you send them to a program that has only adults in it, their chances of relapse are higher. If you do put your teen in a treatment facility, be sure you participate in all of the activities that are asked of you. This is the perfect time for your teen to talk to you in a safe environment with a moderator. They are more likely to open up and say what they need to say in the clinic rather than at home.

Just as with adults, relapse is a very real possibility, neigh, a probability. Teens are going to be thrust back into the environment that they were in when they were users, so keep in mind that teen drug addiction is a very powerful mental disease and relapses are very likely to occur. This is where patience and understanding come in. Talk with your teen and get them help and counseling to understand why they went back to drugs. When you tackle the psychological part of drug abuse, you have a better chance of helping your teen become drug free.

Clearbrook Treatment Centers : The best Pennsylvania In-patient Drug Addiction Rehab Treatment Center, Adolescent Drug Rehab & Teen Drug Abuse Center in the Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, St Louis and Chicago areas : A proven 28 Day Treatment Program in our in-patient drug & alcohol abuse treatment center.



Counseling for Teens

Your first inclination might be to get angry when you find out your teen is using drugs. This a normal reaction, but please know that anger and yelling will just turn your teen's ears to the "off" position. You need to let your teen know you care about them and that you just want the best for them. You must place responsibility for their actions on their own shoulders and make them accountable without doing so in a threatening manner. Honest, open communication is the key towards overcoming your teen's problem - even before it becomes a problem.

Move on to the future and find things that you can do right now to help your teen. Try not to live in past; this will make the person you are trying to help agitated or upset. With teen drug addiction comes a lot of damage; material and emotional. In the wake of the episodes that the addict can create, remember that you are not alone. There are people around you that care. Those that have been and are in the trenches of this disease can help the addict when no one else can.

Counseling is a very effective way to help curb your teen's drug use. By allowing your child to interact with a third party you will find that recovery often goes better, because often times the family is too emotionally close to the addict to be of any real help.

Clearbrook Treatment Centers : The best Pennsylvania In-patient Drug Addiction Rehab Treatment Center, Adolescent Drug Rehab & Teen Drug Abuse Center in the Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, St Louis and Chicago areas : A proven 28 Day Treatment Program in our in-patient drug & alcohol abuse treatment center.

Teen Drug Abuse and Teen Suicide

Something that we don't think of is the connection between teen drug abuse and suicide. There are some studies that would suggest that teens who use drugs regularly are more likely to consider suicide as well as to act upon their thoughts. According to the American Psychiatric Association, many teens suffer from depression.

When a teen is living in this world of depression it is not unlikely that they would find a means of "self-medicate" with drugs in order to avoid exposing themselves to their friends or adults. As we know through years of dealing with teens and their drug abuse that the use of drugs does not alleviate the problems, but instead, usually aggravate them, leaving the teen with a feeling of helplessness and hopelessness. This places them at greater risk for suicide attempts.

Clearbrook Treatment Centers : The best Pennsylvania In-patient Drug Addiction Rehab Treatment Center, Adolescent Drug Rehab & Teen Drug Abuse Center in the Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, St Louis and Chicago areas : A proven 28 Day Treatment Program in our in-patient drug & alcohol abuse treatment center.


How to Spot a Bad Teen Drug Rehab Facility

There are a number of ways that you can evaluate the quality of a teen drug rehab facility, and factors such as the quality of education, the degree of individual therapy offered, and the level of family participation are all extremely relevant; but a very simple way to get a feel for the quality of a rehab is simply by listening to the questions they do or don’t ask on the phone.

Any treatment center that claims that they can offer treatment assistance to all in need is either hopelessly optimistic, or more likely, more interested in an admissions check that in the quality of care.

There are some teens, with certain special needs who will not benefit from the treatments and therapies at a standard drug rehab facility, and a quality rehab should ask certain pre screening questions to ensure that they are capable of providing quality care to each individual patient.

Teen drug rehabs should want to know about any history of violence or anti social behavior and they should want to know about academic performance or learning disabilities. They will almost certainly want to understand the level of abuse they are going to be confronted with, and they should also want to know about family or other social problems.

These are all normal pre assessment questions that quality rehabs will ask to ensure that they are equipped to provide quality care; and if they don’t ask them, maybe they don’t care.

Clearbrook Treatment Centers : The best Pennsylvania In-patient Drug Addiction Rehab Treatment Center, Adolescent Drug Rehab & Teen Drug Abuse Center in the Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, St Louis and Chicago areas : A proven 28 Day Treatment Program in our in-patient drug & alcohol abuse treatment center.


3 Criteria for an Effective Rehab for Your Teenager

1) Is it a teen specific program?

Although many adult facilities maintain that they can offer effective treatments to people of all ages, teens do far better in age specific programming. Teens do not have the same issues or problems as adults in recovery, and face a completely different set of developmental and recovery challenges. Your teen needs to recover in a teen specific rehab facility, no matter what adult rehabs may say about their ability to handle patients of all ages.

2) What is the level of family involvement?

Even while you child resides in a drug or alcohol rehab away from home you exert enormous influence, and parental involvement has been proven the single greatest influencing factor over the success of a teen in drug or alcohol rehab. Parental involvement cannot mean occasional phone calls, but should involve a committed and active participation in therapies and educational seminars within the rehab.

These whole family programs can help to heal the family, educate the family about the nature of addiction, and teach the family exactly how they can best support the recovering teen addict once back in the home.

3) What type of academic program is offered?

Many teens enter into a rehab significantly behind in school. No teen using and abusing drugs does well academically, and many teens in treatment need considerable remedial attention and one on one tutoring to catch up.

Teen drug rehab should never be a vacation from school, and teens need to fulfill their academic responsibilities while in treatment. The rehab should offer trained and experienced educators, able to manage classroom discipline and behavioral issues effectively.

Clearbrook Treatment Centers : The best Pennsylvania In-patient Drug Addiction Rehab Treatment Center, Adolescent Drug Rehab & Teen Drug Abuse Center in the Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, St Louis and Chicago areas : A proven 28 Day Treatment Program in our in-patient drug & alcohol abuse treatment center.

Choose the Right Rehab for Your Teen

It's heartbreaking to watch a teenage child fall into substance abuse and addiction, and once parents make the decision that professional help and residential treatment is needed, a whole new set of challenges emerge, and it can be very hard to know where to get the best help for your son or daughter.

Price is always a consideration, and your degree of insurance coverage and the amount you can afford to contribute does impact on the decision; but it's always about more than price, and you want to find a drug or alcohol rehab that offers your teen the best quality treatment, that offers quality teen specific treatments, and that offers them the best total chance of sobriety and a life of health and happiness.

Clearbrook Treatment Centers : The best Pennsylvania In-patient Drug Addiction Rehab Treatment Center, Adolescent Drug Rehab & Teen Drug Abuse Center in the Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, St Louis and Chicago areas : A proven 28 Day Treatment Program in our in-patient drug & alcohol abuse treatment center.


Helping Treat Teenage Drug Addicts

The boarding facilities of teenager drug rehab centers are very attractive and helpful. Most of these boarding rehab centers offer twenty four hour helpline services to drug addicted teens. Drug addiction treatments offered by Christian rehab centers are flexible for any kind of alcohol abusers. These Christian rehabs offer price less services to affordable cost. Most of the alcohol rehabs are state funded and offer various flexible financial options to drug addicted teens. They provide some special facilities for families with low income and experiencing various types of addiction problems.

The counseling services offered by the alcohol rehabs help teen addicts and families to understand the importance of alcohol addiction treatments in a specialized drug rehabs. Most of the addiction treatment centers offer same kind of facilities for boys and girls experiencing addictions. There are some single gender addiction treatment centers are also available for the disordered teenagers.

These single gender centers are very helpful for girls. They provide all necessary and modern addiction treatment facilities to teens with the help of drug addiction treatment specialists. The staff members of these centers are very caring, helpful and experienced in changing most of the addicted teens to responsible individuals.

Clearbrook Treatment Centers : The best Pennsylvania In-patient Drug Addiction Rehab Treatment Center, Adolescent Drug Rehab & Teen Drug Abuse Center in the Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, St Louis and Chicago areas : A proven 28 Day Treatment Program in our in-patient drug & alcohol abuse treatment center.


Teen Drug Treatment Facilities

In order to recover from drug and alcohol addictions, a strong decision and a professional drug rehab is required. As there are number of drug rehabs, find out list of specialized drug rehabs that are having years of experience in treating drug addicts.

Teen drug addiction treatment includes methadone maintenance, drug-free programs and psychological treatments. These drug addiction treatment facilities are offered to any kind of alcohol abuse in teens. Public and private sectors are offering various addiction treatment facilities for struggling teenagers, which is very helpful and supportive to recover from addictions.

All the treatments are professionally designed with years of experience in treating drug addicted teens. Specialists design a treatment approach for each individual based on the initial analysis of teen addiction. Majority of drug rehab centers provide various result oriented facilities such as boarding programs, day programs, individual support, good playgrounds, clinical facilities which bring a new change in teenagers.

Clearbrook Treatment Centers : The best Pennsylvania In-patient Drug Addiction Rehab Treatment Center, Adolescent Drug Rehab & Teen Drug Abuse Center in the Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, St Louis and Chicago areas : A proven 28 Day Treatment Program in our in-patient drug & alcohol abuse treatment center.


Monday, May 3, 2010

Helping Your Teenager After Rehab

Drug abuse among teens is a growing concern. As with any disease, early detection increases the chance for a full recovery and a drug and alcohol free future. Inpatient treatment at a Chicago Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Center is the first step to a drug and alcohol free life. The patient is provided 24-hour care to monitor and ensure a safe withdrawal from drugs.

In addition, they attended lectures, workshops, group therapy and individual counseling to educate them about the psychological and physical implications of long-term substance abuse.

During the period of treatment, patients are able to take a good hard look at the reasons that they have used drugs in the past, such as emotional triggers, certain events or peer pressure.

Patients are also taught to effectively address emotional or psychological issues that might interfere with their recovery through group and individual counseling. The staff also helps them determine and address their own unique relapse warning signs.

After a 30-day stay at the Chicago drug rehabilitation facility, your teen will return home much better equipped with the capabilities to avoid drug abuse and live a normal life.

How you can help your teen after rehab:

Although relapse is common, as long as your teen remains committed to his or her recovery and implements lifestyle changes, they can avoid becoming a statistic of chronic relapse.

According to research, it takes 90 days for the brain to develop resistance against the desire to use drugs. Usually inpatient drug and alcohol rehabilitation is followed up with Sober Living, which are alcohol- and drug-free houses that support the recovering person to maintain an alcohol- and drug-free lifestyle.

Applying the principles of Sober Living in your home:

First, you need to make sure that your teen lives in a place that is free from alcohol and drug use. Second, your teen needs to attend group counseling and meetings. Finally, your son or daughter needs structure and strict guidelines, including curfew and random drug testing.

Your teen also needs to stay away from nightlife and friends, learn to take responsibility for their choices and actions and how to function in the day-to-day world.

Often well-meaning efforts to help someone with a drug problem actually empower them to continue their destructive behavior by allowing them to avoid the consequences of their actions.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Signs Of an Alcohol Addiction in Your Teenager

The following behaviors may indicate an alcohol or other drug problem, but it's important to note that some also reflect normal teenage growing pains. Experts believe that a drinking problem is more likely if you notice several of these signs at the same time, if they occur suddenly, and if some of them are extreme in nature:

-Mood changes: flare-ups of temper, irritability, and defensiveness

-School problems, including poor attendance, low grades, and/or recent disciplinary action

-Rebelling against family rules

-Switching friends, along with a reluctance to have you get to know the new friends

-A "nothing matters" attitude, for example sloppy appearance, a lack of involvement in former interests, and general low energy

-Finding alcohol in your child's room or backpack, or smelling alcohol on his or her breath

-Physical or mental problems: memory lapses, poor concentration, bloodshot eyes, lack of coordination, or slurred speech

If you think your child may be in trouble with drinking, you can protect them from years of pain by seeking advice from a mental health professional specializing in alcohol problems as soon as possible. The life you save may be your child's.

Be especially scrutinizing as you determine the drug rehab program that meets your specific needs. Clearbrook Treatment Centers have the Cleabrook Lodge that is specifically designed to meet the challenges of teen drug and alcohol abuse.

How Long Does Addiction Recovery Take?

Addiction rarely occurs overnight, and like the descent into the disease, the journey out of it can take some time.

People naturally want to know how long treatment and recovery will take. They want to know when they can expect to feel better and when they’ll stop craving that drink or that hit so badly.

Frustratingly, concrete answers to questions like these are hard to come by. Every person recovers in their own time, and every person requires something different on what is always a very individual journey.

The only part of recovery that transcends this individual experience is the reality of a lifetime of recovery. No matter who you are, once addicted, addiction recovery is for life.

The Facts of Recovery

-Addiction remains an incurable disease. Although treatment can induce remission, recovery lasts a lifetime.

-The National Institute on Drug Addiction (NIDA) does not recommend residential or outpatient programs that last fewer than 90 days, calling programs shorter than this “of limited effectiveness.”

-NIDA recommends staying involved in addiction treatment for “significantly longer” than 90 days as the best way to encourage lasting success.

-NIDA recommends that people taking methadone to help break their addiction stay on the medication for a minimum of 1 year before attempting to taper off.
Longer Is Generally Better

There are no quick fixes to overcoming an addiction, and you should be wary of those treatment methods that promise the impossible. When deciding to get treatment for your addiction, realize that recovery is a lengthy journey. For the best chance of continuing recovery, you will need to invest significant time and effort into your treatment experience.

People who enter a short- or long-term residential addiction treatment program will need to continue their involvement in aftercare outpatient programs to maximize their chances of success. That will provide them continued support and encouragement on their path of recovery.


Sunday, December 13, 2009

Ecstacy Abuse and It's Effects

“Ecstasy” is a slang term for MDMA, short for 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, a name that’s nearly as long as the all-night parties where MDMA is often used. That's why MDMA has been called a “club drug.” It has effects similar to those of other stimulants, and it often makes the user feel like everyone is his or her friend, even when that’s not the case.

MDMA is man-made—it doesn't come from a plant like marijuana does. Other chemicals or substances—such as caffeine, dextromethorphan (found in some cough syrups), amphetamines, PCP, or cocaine—are sometimes added to, or substituted for, MDMA in Ecstasy tablets. Makers of MDMA can add anything they want to the drug, so its purity is always in question.

Like other drugs, MDMA can be addictive for some people. That is, people continue to take the drug despite experiencing unpleasant physical side effects and other social, behavioral, and health consequences.

No one knows how many times a person can use a drug before becoming addicted or who's most vulnerable to addiction. A person’s genes, living environment, and other factors play a role in whether they are likely to become addicted to MDMA

In general, NIDA-supported research shows that abuse of any drug, including MDMA, can cause serious health problems and, in some instances, even death. Many drug abusers take combinations of drugs, including alcohol, which may further increase their risk.

MDMA users can also become dehydrated through vigorous activity in a hot environment. It may not seem like a big deal, but when MDMA interferes with the body's ability to regulate its temperature, it can cause dangerous overheating, called hyperthermia. This, in turn, can lead to serious heart and kidney problems—or, rarely, death. MDMA can be extremely dangerous in high doses or when multiple small doses are taken within a short time period to maintain the high. High levels of the drug in the blood stream can increase the risk of hyperthermia, seizures, and the ability of the heart to maintain its normal rhythms.

Cleabrook Treatment Centers have intense programs to help yourself or a loved one with a drug addiction to esctacy. Since 1972, the renowned Clearbrook Treatment Centers have been providing effective treatment programs for adults and adolescents who suffer from alcoholism and/or chemical dependency. Clearbrook’s rehabilitation program is based upon the belief that alcoholism and chemical dependency is a primary disease and that the suffering addict and his or her family members deserve immediate help.

Marijuana Use

Some people mistakenly believe that “everybody's doing it” and use that as an excuse to start using marijuana themselves. Well, they need to check the facts, because that’s just not true. According to a 2008 survey, called Monitoring the Future, about 6 percent of 8th-graders, 14 percent of 10th-graders, and 19 percent of 12th-graders had used marijuana in the month before the survey. In fact, marijuana use declined from the late 1990s through 2007, with a decrease in past-year use of more than 20 percent in all three grades combined from 2000 to 2007. Unfortunately, this trend appears to be slowing, and marijuana use remains at unacceptably high levels, as the most commonly used illegal drug.

While most marijuana smokers do not go on to use other drugs, long-term studies of high school students show that few young people use other illegal drugs without first trying marijuana. For example, the risk of using cocaine is much greater for those who have tried marijuana than for those who have never tried it. Using marijuana puts children and teens in contact with people who are users and sellers of other drugs. So, a marijuana user is more likely to be exposed to and urged to try other drugs. The effects of marijuana on the brain of adolescents—still a work in progress—may also affect their likelihood of using other drugs as they get older. Animal studies suggest this to be true, but it is not yet demonstrated in people.

Researchers are testing different ways to help marijuana users abstain from drug use. Currently, no medications exist for treating marijuana addiction. Treatment programs focus on behavioral therapies. A number of programs are designed specifically to help teenagers who are abusers.

Clearbrook Treatment Centers understand the difficulties people have with understanding marijuana drug abuse. Since 1972, the renowned Clearbrook Treatment Centers have been providing effective treatment programs for adults and adolescents who suffer from alcoholism and/or chemical dependency. Clearbrook’s rehabilitation program is based upon the belief that alcoholism and chemical dependency is a primary disease and that the suffering addict and his or her family members deserve immediate help.

Long-Term Effects of Stimulant Abuse

As with many other drugs of abuse, repeated stimulant abuse can cause addiction. That means that someone repeatedly seeks out and uses the drug despite its harmful effects. Repeated drug use changes the brain in ways that contribute to the drug craving and continued drug seeking and use that characterizes addiction. Other effects of long-term stimulant abuse can include paranoia, aggressiveness, extreme anorexia, thinking problems, visual and auditory hallucinations, delusions, and severe dental problems.

Repeated use of cocaine can lead to tolerance of its euphoric effects, causing the user to take higher doses or to use the drug more frequently (e.g., binge use) to get the same effects. Such use can lead to bizarre, erratic behavior. Some cocaine users experience panic attacks or episodes of full-blown paranoid psychosis, in which the individual loses touch with reality and hears sounds that aren’t there (auditory hallucinations). Different ways of using cocaine can produce different adverse effects. For example, regularly snorting cocaine can lead to hoarseness, loss of the sense of smell, nosebleeds, and a chronically runny nose. Cocaine taken orally can cause reduced blood flow, leading to bowel problems.

Repeated use of methamphetamine can cause violent behavior, mood disturbances, and psychosis, which can include paranoia, auditory hallucinations, and delusions (e.g., the sensation of insects creeping on the skin, called “formication”). The paranoia can result in homicidal and suicidal thoughts. Methamphetamine can increase a person’s sex drive and is linked to risky sexual behaviors and the transmission of infectious diseases, such as HIV. However, research also indicates that long-term methamphetamine use may be associated with decreased sexual function, at least in men.

Cleabrook Treatment Centers know the long-term consequences of drug abuse and have developed many programs that ultimately may save lives. Since 1972, the renowned Clearbrook Treatment Centers have been providing effective treatment programs for adults and adolescents who suffer from alcoholism and/or chemical dependency. Clearbrook’s rehabilitation program is based upon the belief that alcoholism and chemical dependency is a primary disease and that the suffering addict and his or her family members deserve immediate help.

Help Prevent Alcohol Abuse with Your Teen

Just a few of the many dangerous effects of alcohol use in teens include the following:

Alcohol decreases teens' ability to pay attention.

The younger a person is when they begin drinking, the more likely they are to develop a problem with alcohol.

Each year, almost 2000 people under the age of 21 years died in car crashes in which underage drinking is involved. Alcohol is involved in nearly half of all violent deaths involving teens.

More than three times the number of eighth-grade girls who drink heavily said they have attempted suicide compared to girls in that grade who do not drink.

Teens that drink are more likely to engage in sexual activity, have unprotected sex, or have sex with a stranger.

Excess alcohol use can cause or mask other emotional problems, like anxiety or depression.

Drinking in excess can lead to the use of other drugs, like marijuana, cocaine, or heroin.

What you can do:

Clear communication by parents about the negative effects of alcohol, as well as about their expectations regarding drug use, have been found to significantly decrease alcohol use in teens. Adequate parental supervision has also been found to be a deterrent to alcohol use in youth. Alcohol, and other drug use, has been found to occur most often between the hours of 3 and 6 p.m., immediately after school and prior to parents' arrival at home from work.

Teen participation in extracurricular activities has therefore been revealed to be an important measure in preventing use of alcohol in this age group. Parents can also help educate teens about appropriate coping and stress-management strategies. For example, 15- to 16-year-olds who use religion to cope with stress tend to use drugs significantly less often and have less problems as a result of drinking than their peers who do not use religion to cope.

Cleabrook Treatment Centers understand how difficult it is for teenagers to avoid alcohol. Thus, they have opened the Clearbrook Lodge, a place for specifically designed for teens who are chemically dependent. Established specifically for adolescents, this 46-bed inpatient rehabilitation center is the beginning of what must be a continued effort to maintain a lifestyle and lifetime of sobriety. The 12 steps of Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous are an integral part of the patient community’s daily activities and efforts.


Teens and Alcohol

It’s not enough to tell your young teen that he or she should avoid alcohol—you also need to help your child figure out how. What can your daughter say when she goes to a party and a friend offers her a beer? Or what should your son do if he finds himself in a home where kids are passing around a bottle of wine and parents are nowhere in sight? What should their response be if they are offered a ride home with an older friend who has been drinking?

Brainstorm with your teen for ways that he or she might handle these and other difficult situations, and make clear how you are willing to support your child. An example: “If you find yourself at a home where kids are drinking, call me and I’ll pick you up—and there will be no scolding or punishment.” The more prepared your child is, the better able he or she will be to handle high-pressure situations that involve drinking.

At some point, your child will be offered alcohol. To resist such pressure, teens say they prefer quick “one-liners” that allow them to dodge a drink without making a big scene. It will probably work best for your teen to take the lead in thinking up comebacks to drink offers so that he or she will feel comfortable saying them.

Cleabrook Treatment Centers understand the difficulty your teen may have with avoiding alcohol. For this reason, they have established the Cleabrook Lodge, a sanctuary for teenagers who are chemically dependent. Established specifically for adolescents, this 46-bed inpatient rehabilitation center is the beginning of what must be a continued effort to maintain a lifestyle and lifetime of sobriety. The 12 steps of Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous are an integral part of the patient community’s daily activities and efforts.


Help Prevent Your Teen From Using Drugs

Every parent wants what's best for their kids and when it comes to the topic of drug abuse you can never be too cautious. There's no way you can watch what your children are doing 24 hours a day but with a little bit of work and by making a few strategic moves there are ten proven ways you can prevent your teen from taking drugs.

Be there for your teen when they need help getting out of a tough situation. If your teenager faces a tough situation such as winding up at a party where drugs or alcohol are available, be the one who will pick them up without being too harsh or making repercussions.

Get to know your teen's friends and their parents (on a first name basis). When you know who your teen is hanging out with it will help you to know what they are doing.

Explain the dangers and consequences of drug abuse to your teen. Talk about how people who are using drugs often say or do things that they normally would not do. Set clear limits about what would happen if your teen uses drugs and follow through with those rules if they are broken.

Stay connected with your teen after they return from school. Establish a routine for your teen to keep them busy after school hours and try to remain connected with them. If you can't be home with your teen leave them notes, call them or have another adult supervise them. You can also sign your teen up for an after school program that can keep them out of harm's way.

Drop any baggage you may be carrying about the mistakes you made as a teenager. Try not to let your past influence your teen in a negative way. Tap into the mature adult you have become and let go of the past.

Talk to your teen often about drugs. By having frequent conversations (not lectures) with your teen about drugs, they are less likely to use. Use an ice breaker to make yourself more comfortable if you must, such as taking a message from a television or radio show.


Cleabrook Treatment Centers are there for you if your child or teen ever turns to drug use or abuse. To combat this issue, they have established the Cleabrook Lodge, designed specifically for adolescents. Established specifically for adolescents, this 46-bed inpatient rehabilitation center is the beginning of what must be a continued effort to maintain a lifestyle and lifetime of sobriety. The 12 steps of Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous are an integral part of the patient community’s daily activities and efforts.

Gay Teens and Drug Abuse

Though overall usage rates have decreased in recent years, drug and alcohol abuse among teenagers remains a cause for concern in the United States. The problem is particularly acute among certain high-risk demographic groups – one of which is comprised of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) teens.

A study by Dr. Michael P. Marshal of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center revealed that LGBT teens are 190 percent more likely to use drugs and alcohol than are heterosexual teens, and that the usage rate is even higher among certain subgroups. For example, Marshal’s study, which was published in the April 2008 edition of the journal Addiction, documented that the prevalence of drug or alcohol use among bisexual youth is 340 percent greater than the rate among straight teens. Among lesbian youth, the number rises to 400 percent.

LAMBDA, an advocacy association dedicated to improving the quality of life of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth, says the effects of pressure and discrimination are not limited to alcohol and drug use. In the Youth Outreach section of its website, LAMBDA reports the following:

•A 1999 study sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth are two to three times more likely to attempt suicide than are heterosexual teens.
•According to this same DHHS study, 30 percent of successful teen suicides are by gay, lesbian, or bisexual youths.
•An estimated 40 percent of street kids – many of whom turn to prostitution or other abusive situations after running away or being thrown out of their homes – are gay, lesbian, or bisexual.
•Researchers have reported that more than one in four LGBT youth have severe drug or alcohol problems.

Cleabrook Treatment Centers understand the increased social pressure gay teens may face, especially when it come to drug and alcohol abuse. Clearbrook Treatment Centers established the Clearbrook Lodge to help combat adolescent drug use and abuse. Established specifically for adolescents, this 46-bed inpatient rehabilitation center is the beginning of what must be a continued effort to maintain a lifestyle and lifetime of sobriety. The 12 steps of Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous are an integral part of the patient community’s daily activities and efforts.

When to Seek Help if Your Child is Using

The earlier one seeks help for their teen's behavioral or drug problems, the better. How is a parent to know if their teen is experimenting with or moving more deeply into the drug culture? Above all, a parent must be a good and careful observer, particularly of the little details that make up a teen's life. Overall signs of dramatic change in appearance, friends, or physical health may be signs of trouble. If a parent believes his or her child may be drinking or using drugs, here are some things to watch for:

Physical evidence of drugs and drug paraphernalia
•Behavior problems and poor grades in school
•Emotional distancing, isolation, depression, or fatigue
•Change in friendships or extreme influence by peers
•Hostility, irritability, or change in level of cooperation around the house
•Lying or increased evasiveness about after school or weekend whereabouts
•Decrease in interest in personal appearance
•Physical changes such as bloodshot eyes, runny nose, frequent sore throats, rapid weight loss
•Changes in mood, eating, or sleeping patterns
•Dizziness and memory problems

Cleabrook Treatment Centers can help you determine if your child is in need of recovery. Because of the high-risk of adolescents using drugs, Cleabrook Treatment Centers have established the Clearbrook Lodge, designed to specifically deal with the issue of teen drug abuse. Established specifically for adolescents, this 46-bed inpatient rehabilitation center is the beginning of what must be a continued effort to maintain a lifestyle and lifetime of sobriety. The 12 steps of Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous are an integral part of the patient community’s daily activities and efforts.