Do you think your teen is on Drugs? part 5: Tips for Recovery and Prevention
It would be great to think that once your teen has completed a recovery program discussed in the last post, that they were never going to abuse drugs again, but this is usually not the case. The recovery or return to the original state of sobriety is fragile and must be tended to on a minute-by-minute basis to truly endure temptation and this takes practice and work. Also the process of recovery is a continuous cycle of falling on and off the wagon until they get it right.
Using substances is a coping skill and unless replacement skills are practiced, any stressful situation is going to find your teen thinking about using drugs or alcohol unless they have the tools to give it a second thought and refuse to use. Things that have helped teens stay in the state of recovery are listed below.
Recovery
1. Friends. An important part of maintaining sobriety is being friends who are NON users, people who do not use drugs. The temptation is too great when teens in recovery associate with their old “using friends.”
2. Activity. Keep busy with sports, exercise, volunteering or art for example. There should be some activity that calms while allowing them to experience joy that can distract them from the cravings of wanting to use drugs or alcohol.
3. Triggers. There are many things that could potentially trigger someone, a scene in a movie where someone is using drugs or is high, driving by an old haunt where they purchased drugs or got high, going to an ATM machine where they would get money to purchase drugs or listening to a certain type of music. This includes the alcohol and drugs if any at home. Although you may not have a problem with drugs or alcohol for the sake of your teen you must act as if you do and throw away old precriptions, alcohol and other potential drugs of abuse from the home. Medications that must be taken should be locked away. Because your teen may not know what their response would be, it is important to have a practiced plan like calling their sponsor when the trigger presents itself so they can cope with the stimulated craving.
4. Support. Meetings and the support they provide is essential to success. The saying goes, “thirty meetings in thirty days” illustrating the importance of immediate support required after any type of recovery program. As important is the support for the family through individual therapy or al-anon or alateen type services.
5. Communicate. Teens in recovery should talk about their feelings instead of denying or numbing them with drugs. This is done through meetings, individual therapy or their relationship with family and friends.
Prevention
1. Friends. Know who your teen’s friends are. The best way to do this is asking them about their friends and having those friends over to socialize at your house. If you have the opportunity to chauffer your teen with their friends, seize it! This is a chance to listen and get a feel for what kind of people their friends are. When they are no longer associating with a friend ask them about it. “Why aren’t you hangin’ out with Jason anymore? Did you two have a disagreement?”
2. Activity. “Idle hands do the devil’s work.” This is very important when it comes to teens. They can get very creative when left to sit idle. Use them to serve their community, participate in a sport, help tutor younger kids or get a job. These are hidden opportunities for them to discover their own talents, find mentors and possibly a future passion. It is also a great opportunity to develop a skill and in doing so build self-confidence and self-esteem.
3. Support. Support comes in many forms for teens: parents, older siblings, relatives, teachers, bosses, etc. It truly takes the individual talents of the community to help look out for our teens. Use them so that you enrich your teen’s learning process.
4. Communicate. It is so very important to keep the lines of communication open and to open these lines early. What a gift to a teen to be able to come to you and tell you honestly what is bothering them without fear of judgment or criticism. This is by far the best way to keep your teen safe.
Please notice how similar the list to maintain recovery and prevent drug or alcohol use is. Whether you chose to practice these tips before any crisis or after, it is clear these skills are important to maintain a state of well-being for your teen. Why not learn the tips to maintain recovery as tips to prevent drug or alcohol use and spare the emotional challenges of seeing your teen succumb to the power of addiction?
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