Dealing with alcohol treatment in teen recovery programs is uniquely challenging. Drug addicts often have a quick descent into misery and depression, and in a brief period of time, they have plenty of evidence to suggest there is a problem.
An alcoholic gets to this point, too, but a lot of the time, this takes longer than drug addiction. While this may take more time that does not mean that it is less detrimental. It can, in fact, be far worse for the alcoholic because of the gradual changes in his or her life. As time goes on, and the drop-off is not as drastic, its impacts are not felt as heavily.
So what do we do with a young person who is in need of an alcohol treatment program? Alcoholism and addiction do not discriminate based on age. At a time when parents are the go-to perceived source of a teen’s problems, how do you prove to a teen that the problem is not the parents, teachers, society, or whatever? How do you show that it is addiction and alcoholism that are the real problem?
Whoever can find a working, one-size-fits-all solution to that question will do the world a huge service, but we are not holding our breath. The truth is that no such solution exists for everyone.
Much effort is being placed on alcohol treatment for teen recovery programs.
That is why teen recovery programs are so important. It is harder to deny evidence that is staring back at you, that sounds similar to you, and mirrors your experiences.
As we have mentioned before, alcoholism and addiction are not based upon consequences or what a person loses—it is about how it affects a person internally and in his or her daily life.
Regardless of what we like to think, as teens, the opinions of friends and other peers become more highly valued than parents or other perceived authority figures. It is a natural progression and part of growing up.
The reality, though, is that the majority of younger people have easier access to drugs than to alcohol, and as such, there tend to be far more young people that identify as addicts than alcoholics, despite the fact that they all suffer from the same illness.
So what is better? For teen alcoholics to be in groups of older people who suffer from alcoholism or to be with people their own age?
Again, there is no one-size-fits-all, but as more and more addicts and alcoholics come in at younger and younger ages, teen recovery programs have become equally more effective. They have proven to be a valuable part of alcohol treatment programs across the nation, and the path they take is going to be as unique as the individual.
The real key is to treat the problem before it gets to the grand, colossal scale that it can—and will—become. When we need help, we need help, regardless of what the substance is or how old we are, and any type of alcohol treatment is better than no treatment for an alcoholic.