Addiction doesn’t discriminate between teens and adults. Adolescents who experiment with drugs and alcohol can fall victim to the power of addiction just like their adult counterparts. However, there are 5 differences between teen and adult rehab.
5 Differences Between Teen and Adult Rehab
Treating addiction in teens and adults looks a little different. Rehab programs for teenagers have to take into account the unique traits of teens, including their dependency on parents or guardians and their developing brains. Here are 5 primary differences between teen and adult rehab.
- Family involvement is especially critical for teen rehab. While it is important to involve the family in every rehab treatment, it is particularly important to involve the family in teen rehab. Addiction recovery extends beyond the initial detox and rehab. For long-term success, additional resources are needed. Due to teenagers’ dependency on family for money and transportation, keeping the family involved in the rehab process increases the likelihood of follow-through.
- Outpatient rehab programs for teenagers are common. The idea of going to a residential facility can seem very frightening to teenagers, who may view it more as a punishing confinement. Therefore, intensive outpatient rehab programs, which allow teens to stay at home and surrounded by family during rehab are quite common. Moreover, outpatient rehab allows teens to continue to attend school and see appropriate friends, while residential rehab makes those tasks more difficult.
- Teens are more comfortable in residential treatment programs that separate teens and adults. Teens enjoy the company of other teens and tend to see adults as authority figures whom they can’t easily relate to. Additionally, they may not feel comfortable with sharing their experiences in the company of a fair number of adults. Rehab programs designed specifically for teenagers give them a safe space in which to open up and share their experiences.
- The teenage brain requires information to be presented in a different way. Teens don’t always make logical decisions, and there’s a reason for that: the teenage brain is still in development, and information is processed in a different way. Emotional reasoning works better than logical reasoning in rehab programs for teenagers. It is critical to present the information in a way that the teen will be receptive to.
- Teens need to know that caregivers actually care. Teenagers tend to not trust many people in authority. As a result, they can be reluctant to open up to a stranger, so rehab specialists have to be seen as a mentor or friend in order for teens to dedicate themselves to the rehab process.
Get Treatment Today
If you need to get treatment for your teen, call our caring staff members. We offer a variety of addiction treatment programs, such as:
- Alcohol addiction treatment
- Heroin addiction treatment
- Cocaine addiction treatment
- Meth addiction treatment
- Benzo addiction treatment
Additionally, we also offer several addiction therapies, including:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Dialectical behavioral therapy
- Fitness therapy
- Family therapy
- Trauma therapy
To learn more about our programs, call our staff members at 17135283709. At Right Step, we can help you overcome your addiction and get you onto the path of recovery.
