Troubled Teens Resources

It is hard for the rebellious teen to see the down side of a good high. Boredom and alienation drove them into drug abuse and, for a very short time, drugs seem to offer all of the excitement and fulfillment an empty heart could need.
Until you need more. And then more. But what every drug addict will admit is that nothing will ever match the sensation of that first time. Drugs seduce the teenager into believing that they will always deliver nirvana. By the time a teenager realizes that the first thrill will never return, a great deal of damage to body and soul have occurred as the before and after pictures on this page demonstrate.

What a drug addict will state unequivocally is that freedom from drugs results from wanting to be free. And that is the hardest part of all. What can you say to an addicted teenager to make them want to live? Drug addiction is, after all, a long drawn out suicide, a dangerous dance with death.

That is why it is critical that a parent choose a boarding school, boot camp or wilderness program that employs tools and therapies that will help the troubled teenager find the value in who they are. When a teenager has the time and space to take the aborted journey of self-discovery, with sound guidance they will slowly discover their inherent skills and gifts that past pain, trauma or chaos in their lives prevented them from nurturing. When a boarding school’s treatment program can help a struggling teen to then start honing their natural gifts - be it music, writing, or mathematics or mechanics, the teen will grow to start protecting his new found inner wealth as passionately as they once protected their stash. It is much harder to destroy what you love and an addicted teenager is incapable of self love.

“My last rehabilitation was at the Wilderness Treatment Center in Montana. That program changed my life. I am forever grateful. I learned that I was responsible for myself and the direction of my life. The program gave me the ‘tools’ to deal with my drug addiction. The first 30 days were basic counseling sessions (group and individual), mixed in with outdoor recreation and ranch work. After 30 days at the ranch, a smaller group of 4 to 8 kids went into the mountains for 3 weeks of strenuous hiking. Later, when I was a wilderness instructor at the center, I saw more change in the kids during their 3 weeks in the woods than in any other aspect of their treatment. Kids sometimes would have a dramatic shift in their perception of the world. Twelve years later, I still regularly attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, as well as bringing Alcoholics Anonymous meetings into juvenile detention facilities and adult jails.”
(Source)

Recovery is often a long and arduous road, but there is hope for parents dedicated to saving their teenager from a life of addiction. Partnership for a Drug Free America has an excellent database of boarding schools, boot camps and drug treatment programs. Find one in your area.