While teen drug use in the United States may be on the decline, the isolation and fear of Covid-19 and what the future holds may make those numbers soar once again.
While every parent feels the need to protect their children from addiction, whether it’s your own or your teen’s, you can’t hide your head in the sand and pretend it doesn’t exist. Alcohol and drug abuse among teens is very real, and many teens enter drug and alcohol rehab on a daily basis. If your teen has an addiction problem, then you might not be quite sure how to get them into a center that will be able to help them. Read on below for a few tips on getting your addicted teen into a proper rehab center for help.
Confront Them
While it might be one of the hardest things you’ve ever had to do, if you suspect your teen of having an addiction, you have to confront them with it. Using a calm attitude and voice, let your child know that you’re concerned about the changes you’ve seen in their grades, attitude, and friends. If you get angry or start yelling, it’s not going to help them at all. If you want your child to go into a drug and alcohol rehab center willingly, then you have to be calm about the situation when confronting them.
Stress the Need for Them to Be an Individual
Peer pressure is a very real thing and it hasn’t changed since you were a teen yourself. You need to stress the need for individuality to your teen. They may think that just because another of their friends is drinking and smoking, that it should be okay for them to do so as well. You need to stress how important it is for them to make their own decisions, and not take drugs or drink alcohol just because someone else is doing it.
It’s also a good idea to stress that just because his friend smokes pot constantly and doesn’t get addicted, doesn’t mean that he won’t. Everyone’s tolerance and addiction levels are different. Make sure to tell them that even if they commit to quitting drugs and alcohol, it’s still best to get professional help in order to get them through their recovery phase. During this, you need to be calm but firm and don’t take no for an answer.
Ask Why They Don’t Want to Go
After being told that they need to go to rehab, many teens will refuse, and say that they don’t need rehab and that they can quit on their own. Ask them why they don’t want to go and wait patiently for them to give you an answer. Rather than getting into an argument over them not wanting to go, ask them to give you three detailed reasons that they don’t want to go into a rehab center. Once they’ve listed their concerns, talk to your child by working through them together. They will be much more willing to go if their concerns are met and their questions answered.
Take Control
It’s important for your child to know that you’re the one in control of this situation. While you care what they think and want them to be happy, your main concern is getting them the help they need. Let them know that you’ll answer their questions and concerns, but at the end of the day, the decision has been made.
These are just a few tips for helping you get your teen into a drug rehab center to battle their addiction. Remember: love, patience, and firm control of the situation are key.