Troubled Teens Resources

There are many sites available to help families working through the challenges associated with raising a troubled teen.  There is a new site that may be helpful for parents to check out.  It is called OnLine-Family-Help there are products featured there that can assist virtually every member of your family. There are baby products, educational toys, and specialty products to assist parents struggling with a troubled and defiant teenager.

The site also offers helpful hints on how to do many little things that can help parents.  Parenting skills are discussed and suggestions on how to not only parent a troubled teen but get closer to them are highlighted.  If you are having trouble with a teenager or are having your first baby Online-Family-Help may be able to offer you some practical advice. Having a baby can be a traumatic experience for a young couple.  The stress of caring for the child is made more complicated by the lack of sleep that usually accompanies the new arrival.  If there are two parents it is easier but definitely an adjustment for all involved.  The new parents may have some extended family to assist.  The help of a loving Grandma at this critical time can be a life saver for the new parents.  Many hospitals offer new parent training, but there are many websites and resources available online that can help. 

The new baby will change the dynamics of the family for the remainder of the parent’s lives.  They will need to learn how to find time to still nurture their relationship.  It is easy for a new mom to become so consumed with the new arrival that she neglects or forgets her husband.  It is also common for the new father to spend more time away from home rather than trying to assist with the new added responsibilities.  Both parents will need to increase their level of commitment to make the relationship survive.

That drug abuse among troubled teens is rampant and an ongoing problem certainly isn’t news though it still has the simple power to stun. You wonder when and if it will ever end. How can any one person staunch the flow of pain and loss that stems from addiction and teenage drug abuse?

One program and one person at a time.
One teenager at a time.
All that we can do is what is before us.

Parents can look out over at their own small circle of neighbors and family. Engage in conversations with your at-risk teenager’s friends. Be genuinely interested in their lives. You may, sad as it is, be the only adult to recognize them, to acknowledge them.

An individual with clear, uncomplicated concern and simple well spoken advice can, and often does, make an impact on a troubled teen’s life.

Influencing a teenager’s life and helping them navigate a path away from drug abuse can be likened to the efforts of a tug boat nudging a huge ship into safe harbor. It is not accomplished in one sweeping maneuver but in a combination of several strategic nudges. Your touching an at-risk teen’s life constitutes such a nudge.

Read below about a single gentleman who has spent his career providing passage to safe harbor for at-risk teens, one teen at a time.

“Sit up. Look me in the eye. I’m going to tell you where you’re headed if you don’t straighten out and make better choices.

Those words, or a close proximity, come from Mike Force, Lake Saint Louis police chief.

Three or four times a year he speaks them to a young man, typically 14 or 15, brought to the police station by a parent.
Usually it’s a single mom. Sometimes it’s a father. Recently, it was a grandfather doing his best to raise a grandson.

The problem might be fistfights at school, a bag of marijuana under the bed or money missing from mom’s purse.

Parents come to see Force because they’ve glimpsed the future, or at least one version of it, and as a result lie awake at night.

When they arrive, they are led to Force’s office in the inner sanctum of the Police Station/City Hall.

Why Force? There’s no listing in the Yellow Pages.

Parents come because he’s been holding these meetings since he started as chief 15 years ago. Word gets around.

He does it because he believes it’s important; because he knows how easily his own life could have turned out differently; and because helping people is at the core of law enforcement.

Here’s what happens.
…continue reading at The Suburban Journal

There are many variables for a parent to discuss with their troubled teen’s therapist before making a decision on the right combination of therapies, treatment programs and academics they hope to see when choosing which boarding school or boot camp best meets the needs of their out of control teen.

Much depends on the troubled teen’s stage of addiction along with evidence of possible severe emotional disorders or possible physical ailments The age and maturity  of the troubled teen, family finances, and location of the preferred teen boarding school are some of the myriad  factors that come into play.

MSN.com provides a page of guidelines for parents struggling with this difficult decision process.

Appropriate treatment for level of use

• If your teen has started experimenting with alcohol, cigarettes, inhalants, or drugs, education about the harmful effects of substances through a school or community program may be all that is needed. Some schools have programs for students with alcohol and drug use problems that provide support and drug education. At this level of substance use, encouraging your teen to be involved in healthy activities (such as sports, hobbies, or church), spend time with the family, and participate in a healthy peer group may help him or her develop the skills to avoid substance abuse.
• If your teen is abusing a substance regularly (at least weekly), some form of treatment is usually needed. At this level of substance use, it is important to pay close attention to your teen’s concerns, which may be related to emotional or self-esteem problems. Finding activities that your teen can substitute for substance use is important for him or her to be able to remain alcohol- and drug-free. Treatment in an adolescent outpatient or hospital program is recommended. The focus of treatment should be on helping the teen gain skills to refuse drugs in the future. Since substance abuse problems affect the whole family, family counseling also should be a part of treatment.
• If your teen is dependent on alcohol or drugs, he or she will need treatment in a structured program and may need medical attention for withdrawal symptoms. For example, if your child is addicted to heroin or another opiate, he or she may be referred to a methadone treatment program. These programs use the medication methadone to help people cope with the withdrawal symptoms caused by opiate use. In addition, a teen needs to learn coping skills to deal with the anger, frustration, sadness, and disappointment that are often associated with substance abuse and recovery. Again, family involvement is important to your teen’s success in remaining substance-free.
• If your teen is dependent on cigarettes or other tobacco products, he or she needs to quit to prevent serious health problems. For more information, see the topic Quitting Tobacco Use.

Types of programs

There are several types of teen substance abuse treatment programs.

Inpatient programs are highly structured, closely supervised programs located within a hospital or treatment facility. The teen stays day and night during treatment, which normally lasts about 4 weeks. These programs usually have an aftercare program that provides support and encouragement after treatment.

• Inpatient programs provide education and individual, family, and group counseling. They are often based on the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.
• Another type of inpatient program is the therapeutic community, which is not based in a hospital. In a therapeutic community program, the teen accomplishes a series of tasks with constant feedback from his or her peers. Therapeutic community programs may last as long as 2 years, and some teens choose to stay and work in the program after treatment.
• Outpatient programs range from very structured programs with psychotherapy and family therapy to drop-in centers.
• Outpatient day treatment programs require that the teen spend 8 hours or more during the day at the facility, but the teen is home at night. Day treatment programs usually have the same components (individual, group, and family counseling) as inpatient programs, but day treatment normally costs less.
• Less intensive outpatient programs are designed for young people who do not need residential, hospitalization, or intensive day treatment. Treatment includes individual or group counseling and family therapy, and some settings use 12-step programs. Programs vary in how many days and hours per week are required.
• Wilderness challenge programs are also considered outpatient programs. These programs combine a wilderness experience and some form of treatment to help troubled teens communicate better with their family, control their anger, and build healthy relationships. A variety of programs are available, and their quality varies greatly. Talk with a health professional if you are considering sending your teen to a wilderness program.

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