How to Get My Teen Son or Daughter into Rehab
One of the most challenging decisions that parents would ever have to face is sending their adolescent to a teen drug rehabilitation center, and asking themselves how to get their teen into rehab. As a parent, once you realize your adolescent has a teen drug addiction, you need to take action. However, young people tend to be more resistant to treatment of this kind, but as guardians, you know it’s the best thing for them. Our teens’ sobriety should be our primary goal. But how can you get your son or daughter into rehab?
Is the Problem Indeed Addiction?
When deciding the best way on “how to get my teen into rehab”, the first step in providing help to your children is identifying the problem and looking out for signs your child is using drugs. Drug addiction and mental health issues’ symptoms often overlap. Many people assume that their loved ones are using drugs due to changes in mood and behavior. However, this sudden personality change may happen due to depression and anxiety due to other reasons.
Forcing your children into teen drug rehab when there are no addiction issues could be problematic. Despite your genuine concern for your teens’ health, your actions may cause significant harm to your relationship with them. You should always seek help from a professional before making this decision and consider having a teen intervention.
Relationship between Mental Health Disorders and Drug Abuse
Mental health disorders may lead your teens to addiction and the other way around. These two things commonly occur together. That’s why you should continue monitoring your children when they possess any mental health disorder symptoms. Over half of the people who have serious mental health problems are affected by substance addiction. According to the American Medical Association Journal, roughly 40% of alcoholics and 50% drug addicts have at least one severe mental health issue.
Mentally ill people tend to resort to drugs to address their addiction symptoms. They rely on the euphoria or high feeling that illegal drugs are giving to relieve themselves from the discomforts of their condition. Some people use drugs for self-medication. Unfortunately, this is not a solution. It will usually lead to addiction and more complications in the brain, causing more severe damages to the nervous system. We at Key Healthcare provide the best mental health disorders treatment in Los Angeles which can prevent your child mental disorders.
Initiating Conversations with Your Teen about Drug Addiction
Since talks about drugs are a sensitive topic, many parents do not have the opportunity to educate their teens about the hazards of drug use. “Change talk” is where you should start the conversation with your teen. Whenever they express the desire for a more decent job, going back to school, or getting into rehab, you should help them connect the dots. Change Talk is an effective method for parents deciding how to get their teen into rehab.
Be more objective and straightforward. When teens talk about getting a decent job, you can respond to them like, “You want to get a decent job, but it seems like your drug use is getting in the way.” It would help if you let them know that drugs are not beneficial to them and their future. Being open-minded and calm is a must during these situations. Here are the techniques that can help you in inviting a dialogue rather than lecturing and criticizing your teen:
Speak in a Non-Judgmental Tone
Do not criticize or judge your children while talking to them. Dismissing them during conversations about their drug use might lead to arguments and even violence. Being aggressive and judgmental will only lessen the chances of their approval. Like the example dialogue earlier, the parent pointed out addiction as the reason for the teen’s unemployment without any sign of judgment.
Work With Open-Ended Questions
Open-ended questions cannot be answered by a simple yes or no. Your goal in your conversation is to let them speak and interact with you. They could raise questions or tell you about their worries and concerns regarding their rehab facility admission.
Provide Them Other Options
In deciding for your loved ones, it is better to get their opinion about their condition. You can give your teen some options. Teens might prefer to find a job or go back to school first and decide later whether they still need to get into a rehab center or not. However, both of you should have an agreement to admit them into a center when the plant is not successful.
Wait For The Right Time
A conversation about drugs should be initiated by somebody, sooner than later. Yet, it is not ideal for you to talk to your teens when they are under the influence, tired, driving, or visibly upset.
Convincing Your Teen into Attending a Drug Rehab Center
We are very fortunate how the government responds to drugs in the United States. In 2020, we spent 2.18 billion to control drugs. And we are not done yet. Even private rehabilitation centers are doing their very best to address this seemingly intractable problem among teens. Without efforts from parents to convince their teens to get into a recovery facility, the government’s efforts are a waste.
Sometimes teenagers might only be smoking weed, so look for the signs of marijuana use in teens. Smoking weed can be problematic for their future if their adolescent is smoking weed, despite weed being legal in Los Angeles and gaining traction across the country. Learn about our Los Angeles teen marijuana treatment program
Incentives or Leverage
The most common and straightforward option in this list, incentives, is a very accessible movie to get your teens into drug rehab. You can tie any agreement to rehab admission with your child. Here are some sample statements you can tell your child to persuade them into recovery:
- If you get admitted into a rehab facility, we will settle all your dues to your dealer.
- As long as you stay sober, we will gradually increase your allowance for extracurricular activities.
However, you should note that it is not advisable to use incentives when your teen has a moderate and severe addiction. Addiction is a disease that we should treat with proper medications and therapies.
Teen Intervention
Although you can get your teens into rehab by force, it is still better to let them decide on their own. Substance addiction can break even the strongest family ties, creating a dangerous situation.
An intervention involves gathering teen drug users’ loved ones to communicate their concerns and plans in a single place. The meeting should be well-planned beforehand, with each of the members preparing their emotions and thoughts. Ensure that there is already a consensus between the concerned family members so nobody will contradict the plan.
Teen Intervention can be very intense and emotional. Being calm and non-judgmental is a must! Before materializing the plan, do your research on the different teen treatment programs nearby and across the country. We are based in Los Angeles, and provide Teen Outpatient Treatment for adolescents in Los Angeles struggling with severe drug addiction, mental health issues, and behavior problems.
Setting Rules and Boundaries
As a part of preventing the spread of drug abuse within the family, you should seek to create rules inside and outside the home for your family members. You should expressly state your negation towards drugs. Here are some rules you can consider:
- Intake of drugs and alcohol is prohibited inside and outside the home
- Remind your teens that you will not make excuses for them if they are caught by school and police authorities doing drugs and alcohol.
- Stealing money to buy drugs and other purposes is not allowed
- Remind your teens that you will not bail them out when they get into prison due to substance abuse
Force Admission with the Help of the Law
It is high time for parents to act for their minor children to initiate their recovery from drug addiction. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reported that almost 24 million people need assistance for substance abuse, but only 11 percent received treatment and medications.
If parents, in any way possible, cannot persuade their teens to voluntarily enter into a rehab center, admitting them with the force of law is also an option. It is not uncommon for teens to refuse and deny their plans for them. And if they pose a danger inside the family, this would be a great move.
The good news for everyone in Los Angeles, California, has an involuntary commitment law. Parents will only need to petition the courts and pass specific requirements to approve the involuntary admission.
Here is the condition needed to be proven for the courts to administer the admission:
- Danger to self: If your teen is suicidal or constantly harming themselves, they wish to die early. The patients should have planned their lives and not just a simple thought of wishing to die.
- Danger to others: Addiction leads to violence, and if it becomes visible outside or inside the home, it will fall under this category.
Contact us today to have a free and confidential conversation with a teen treatment expert.
