It is our pleasure to announce that 449Recovery has opened a new, dedicated teen recovery program to its group therapy treatments for addiction. It’s called the 417 Teen Program.
Before now, 449Recovery offered teen recovery programs that were one-on-one with our outstanding counselors, or integrated into our general therapy groups with an emphasis on teen recovery for that one person separately from the group. Now, we are offering a teen-only outpatient program, in which the group therapy sessions consist only of teens, in addition to our current adult outpatient program.
This is something that we have wanted to offer young addicts and alcoholics for a while. As an organization that just recently celebrated its first anniversary, this new program was one we knew we had to offer as soon as we could, but one that we had to do right. Fortunately, that time came a lot sooner than many would expect.
Teen recovery programs are built through commitment
We knew that our teen recovery program had to be something that we committed to in full—otherwise, we would be doing a disservice to our clients instead of a service. We accept nothing less than the highest level of care possible, because we know that lives are at stake both today and in the future if we do not.
Much of our experience was gained through working in teen recovery programs</a, and some of us even got sober ourselves at that age. It is an idea that is very close to our hearts. Yet, we know all too well that for young people to find long-term recovery, they have to be able to identify with others in their age group.
One of the most important aspects of recovery is that we have a life worth living— one that is full of enjoyment. If we did not, the allure of drugs and alcohol would quickly take out even the most dedicated amongst us. However, this can prove to be a real challenge for younger alcoholics and addicts when they alone bring the average age of a group therapy session down by 15 years. In other words, it is hard enough to relate for many people even when their peers are their age, let alone several generations older than they are.
The thing is, a person does not need to lose a house, a car, a spouse, a job, or anything external in order to be an addict or alcoholic. All they need is an inability to control and enjoy their drinking and using, and a desire to stop.
As addicts and alcoholics find themselves unable to escape from addiction at increasingly younger ages, so too do we find more and more young people coming into recovery. Our experience has shown us that these young alcoholics and addicts—if they achieve long-term sobriety and clean time—can avoid the years of misery that older alcoholics and addicts go through.