Alcohol and Drug Abuse

This is one of the more common reasons for bringing a teenager in for treatment. Substance abuse includes a wide array of issues,from getting caught smoking pot in the basement to arrests and school expulsions for possession. Alcohol intoxication can lead to serious and life threatening medical problems. The most important task at this point is a thorough medical and psychosocial assessment. The severity of a teen's substance abuse problem will determine the type of treatment approaches to recommend. The least intrusive would be a series of individual and family meetings to develop healthier lifestyle choices. The more severe situations would involve intensive drug treatment programs, monitoring possible relapse with random drug screens, and regular AA/NA attendance.

Parent Education, Understanding Teen Addiction Parts 1 and 2