As parents, we don’t anticipate addiction
And that’s fairly normal.
A dozen or so years ago when that new pink baby was placed in your arms you never imagined you would be looking for therapeutic boarding schools to help your child overcome addiction. No parent ever starts off thinking their child will be struggling with substance abuse and/or mental health issues. But, here you are scouring the internet for advice and hope. Moms, dads, it is really going to be okay. Hope is available.
The first step
Any road to recovery starts with acknowledging a problem exists.
Some parents and teens never make it this far, so be thankful you have been able to step back and look objectively at your teen’s issues. It is a huge step. You made it this far mom and dad, but know the journey to your teen’s wellness is going to be long and complicated. If it were easy there would be no need for therapeutic intervention. And, try to remember this: your teen’s recovery is a journey not a destination.
What’s next?
Now that you have taken this crucial first step, please understand you are not going to be able to solve all your teen’s issues all by yourself. You need reinforcements. Once your teen’s issues have been identified you need to begin finding the right help.
However, before you embark on that journey you need to take care of yourself. This journey is going to test your resolve in a multitude of ways. Next to actually finding the right therapeutic intervention for your troubled teen you also need to make sure you are up for the task.
Make a list of things you can do to relax so in moments of teen rebellion you can find a little peace. Perhaps, under the circumstances, that sounds impossible but you need to keep your physical and emotional strength up to be able to parent your way through this. Besides, you still have the rest of your life to attend to and this journey can suck your time and energy if you let it.
The stakes are high
When your teen has reached the point of you thinking about therapeutic intervention, you already know their issues are not going away without some drastic changes. However there is one alarming trend about troubled teens which does not get enough attention: Parents often stop short of getting their troubled teens the help they need.
Unfortunately, one of the biggest reasons troubled teens do not get help is because their parents do not follow through. Teens who end up missing out on the follow through can go on to lead lives complicated by substance abuse and emotional issues.
The best parent in the world cannot handle all of these issues on their own and yet too many parents avoid seeking help for their troubled teens. The lack of follow-through often means troubled teens miss out on learning valuable coping strategies to help them manage their issues.
Furthermore,without treatment, the issues remain and can be passed through generations. Troubled teens who do not receive therapy for their issues are almost certainly doomed adults.
Applying appropriate consequences
Troubled teens who are abusing drugs or alcohol are not going to stop just by being grounded or having their electronics taken away. If anything those sorts of consequences are more likely to breed additional rebellion.
On the other hand, the right therapeutic boarding school can help them address those issues in a positive fashion. Teens who are struggling with mental health issues from depression to behavior disorders need in-depth counseling as well. Mental health treatment is complex for adults but teens generally respond favorably to counseling.
Teens who do not receive treatment, however, are at risk for bipolar disorder later on. For a teen with mental issues and/or substance abuse problems therapeutic boarding school is a natural consequence. Placing your teen in a therapeutic boarding school is an incredibly uncomfortable parenting moment…BUT parental comfort should never be part of the decision to help teens receive the proper treatment for their issues in the first place.
And let’s be honest: Parenting is hard
Fortunately, there is so much help available for troubled teens along the way if you will reach out and accept it. Parenting perfection is a trap for the parent and quicksand for troubled teens. No parent is ever going to get everything right. Teenagers are going to make bad choices and some make so many we start calling them troubled…it happens.
Having a troubled teen is not always a result of poor parenting skills but even if it is there is still help for troubled teens and their parents. Troubled teens and their families can recover through the right interventions.
Therapeutic boarding schools for troubled teens questions
Do you have a teenager at home who is displaying some worrying behaviors? Are you thinking about sending them off to a therapeutic boarding school in order to help them recover from addiction? We welcome your questions and concerns in the comments section below and try to provide a personal answer as soon as possible. If we don’t know the answer to your questions, we will gladly refer you to professionals who can help.
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