Few would argue that the teenage years are easy. The reality is that young adults struggle with a number of things, from mental illness and behavioral issues to substance use disorders. The good news is that even though raising an adolescent isn’t always easy and comes with challenges, there are people who can help. If your child is struggling with a mental health disorder or is dealing with substance abuse, there are therapists, group rehabilitation centers, and more who can help. To find out ways a residential treatment center could help, read on.
Family Therapy and Supportive Environments
Many people have misconceptions about residential facilities for teens. Parents often worry that these facilities won’t be able to help their child, think they seem too extreme, or wonder if their teen needs an in-patient level of care at all. The reality is that residential mental health facilities for teenagers are highly successful in helping teenagers to stabilize their moods, deal with symptoms of anxiety and depression, learn social skills, increase self-esteem, and even serve as anchors for ongoing support.
Most residential mental health centers for teenagers include treatment teams capable of treating co-occurring disorders and substance abuse issues with compassion. They use a combination of group and intensive individual therapy to help teenagers tackle whatever they are facing. In most cases, they also offer family therapy, adolescent psychiatry, experiential therapy, an aftercare plan, and tools for teens as they begin their healing journey. Not only that, but they provide a safe and supportive environment for teenagers struggling with just about any issue.
Behavioral Issues and Tools
Most people understand that behavioral issues are common for teenagers. However, there is a difference between a teen who struggles with low self-esteem and mild symptoms of depression and a teenager who has a more severe diagnosis with specific needs. If your child is suffering from something like oppositional defiant disorder, substance abuse, extreme OCD, anxiety disorder, borderline personality disorder, or another diagnosis like bipolar disorder, it might be worth looking into a treatment center.
Teens in these centers learn life skills to help them through challenges. They also become connected to resources to help them with things like drug addiction, psychiatric issues, and even the stigma often associated with mental illness.
Medications and Group Supports
For some teens, group therapy is the best way to get help in a center. While encouragement from family and friends or a therapist is nice, teenagers are naturally peer-focused. By attending group therapy with other teenagers going through similar issues, your teen will know they are not alone.
Other teens thrive in treatment centers because they can work directly with a psychiatrist for comprehensive care including medication. Even if your teen needs to go to rehab for medical detox, they’ll get the treatment plan and assessment they need to deal with the complex issues that led to drug abuse in the first place. This can not only speed up the healing process but also mean better long-term outcomes for nearly any mental health condition.
In the end, no residential treatment facility can promise full recovery. However, by placing your child in a supportive treatment environment, you’ll be giving them a chance to understand the root causes of their issues so they have a better chance at sustainable healing. They will also pick up life skills and coping skills, and come out with higher self-esteem. Armed with ongoing support and an individual treatment plan for aftercare, a teen rehab can give you hope. When considering a treatment facility for your child, be sure to get help for you, too. Your teen is depending on you.
