When seeking Teen Drug Addiction Treatment, it’s important to keep in mind that it’s very common for addiction to exist as a Co-Occurring Disorder, in combination with a mental health condition or disorder, such as Depression or Anxiety. It may also exist in combination with a learning challenge such as ADD, which leads to anxiety and stress, and can eventually lead teens to “self-medicate” by abusing substances. Unfortunately, it’s also common for these Teen Co-Occurring disorders to go undiagnosed, if therapists are only concentrating and treating the outward behaviors.
As our research and understanding of the mental health world continues to expand, we see how common it is for one issue (such as stress) to lead to an imbalance in another area (Depression). In the particular case of teens, who are already going through a substantial shift in hormones as well as social and family changes, a significant imbalance in neurotransmitter levels may not take much additional provoking. For instance, it’s common that we see teens have trouble in the classroom, perhaps because of an undiagnosed learning challenge. This stress can become significant, especially as it overlaps the teen’s family and social worlds, and may cause the teen to lose confidence and become overwhelmed, eventually leading to teen anxiety treatment and symptoms of depression. These symptoms can then cause teens to withdraw even more from peers and family, as well as activities that they may have at one time found enjoyable. This “downward spiral” can continue to grow more serious, as teens keep trying to make themselves feel better, by now finding relief in drugs. Because teens’ brains are developing so quickly and significantly during these years, they can be very vulnerable to forming an addiction, and now the teens are now facing the challenge of overcoming the addiction and getting sober, in addition to their underlying struggles.
We mention this fairly common type of progression because it illustrates how, if a teen in this situation was to then only get Teen Drug Addiction Treatment to get off the drugs, the vast majority of causes that led to the use are left completely unaddressed. Therefore, even if the teens stop using now, they’re going to have all the same triggers and stressors in place in their lives that led them to use in the first place. However, in a more holistic treatment in which the teens are addressed from a number of different perspectives – especially, in this exemplary case, academic support, which served as an initial trigger- the teens have the opportunity to overcome all of the aforementioned stressors. When this type of treatment is provided, we have not only help get a teen off drugs, but we have helped teach them how to face struggles, ask for help, take care of themselves, and overcome obstacles. We wholeheartedly believe that this is when teen treatment is at its best.
About the author – Robert Hunt is a recovering addict of 20 years. He has devoted his life to helping others suffering from chemical addictions as well as mental health challenges. Robert maintains many blogs on drug addiction, eating disorders and depression. He is a sober coach and wellness advocate and a prominent figure in the recovery community.
Follow me on Twitter @RecoveryRobert
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