Substance Abuse: Who Needs Treatment?
The process of recovery from addiction is difficult at any age, but it can be especially challenging during the teen years. The pressures that teenagers face – from friends, family, school – can easily become overwhelming.
Hanley Center’s Adolescent Outpatient Program works with teenagers between the ages of 13-17 who are struggling with drug and alcohol issues ranging from the early stages of potential substance abuse to full-fledged dependency.
At Hanley Center, outpatient treatment for adolescents is individualized depending upon which of three stages of substance abuse the teenager is in. Each teen will first meet with a counselor who will determine if the teen is misusing, abusing, or dependent on drugs or alcohol.
Misuse
If an adolescent is using alcohol or drugs infrequently or occasionally, he or she is misusing but may have the propensity to continue drinking or doing drugs. The teen may be at risk for substance abuse because of his or her family history, environment, and belief system about drugs and alcohol.
Abuse
Using alcohol or drugs becomes abusive when the adolescent uses often enough that it starts creating problems in his or her life. Some early signs of substance abuse in teenagers include:
- Changes in eating and sleeping habits
- Changes in friends and interests
- Problems with friends or family relationships
- Changes in performance at school
- Changes in behavior and personality
- Driving under the influence
Dependency
When an adolescent is addicted to drugs and alcohol, it means he or she is physically and physiologically dependent on the substance of abuse. Dependency usually becomes noticeable when the teen continues using alcohol and drugs despite multiple negative consequences.
Signs of chemical dependency include:
- Drastic changes in physical appearance such as red eyes, pale face, dark circles under eyes, significant weight loss or gain
- Increasing withdrawal and isolation from family, friends, and extra-curricular activities
- More time spent seeking out drugs
- Increased tolerance to the substance
- Unsuccessful attempts to quit
- Withdrawal symptoms during abstinence
