Teenagers and Substance Abuse

No child thinks that they will become addicted to drugs while they go through their teenage years. No parent wants to think that their kids might become addicted to something when they reach that age either. In fact, most parents who care about their children see their kids growing up to become decent members of society who will hopefully be happy and successful in their life. The sad truth is that many teenagers do become involved in things they should not, such as drugs. It could be alcohol, it could be a prescription drug or it could be a street drug. What it is does not matter; what does matter is what encourages these kids to start taking such things in their bodies. Some do it because they like the high and they keep taking it because they can’t stop, others do it because they are trying to hide from a world they have no control over.

Many teens will often turn to substance abuse because they feel it is the way to deal with the stresses and/or abuse they are suffering at home. It could be both, or just one or the other, but both play a significant role in pushing teens toward substance abuse. The sad part in all this is that in many cases this could have been avoided. It starts with the parents communicating with their child. Parents should be talking to their kids and taking part in educating the child in what is and isn’t a good idea. Parents should be encouraging their kids, supporting them and ensuring that if things are going wrong the child knows that their parent is there for them to talk to. A breaking up of a family, such as divorce, can make this communication difficult, but it is up to the parent to try and explain what is happening and help the child to understand that it is not their fault and that they are still loved and supported. Unfortunately, there are many families out there who are not great at communicating with their children and it only gets worse as the children become teenagers. During this age, when the child is going through changes, they could really use the support of their parents, but if the relationship between them and their parents is not healthy and they don’t feel they can get the help they need from their parents, they may look to something else that can.

Online therapy can go a long way in helping a family take a moment to look at their situation and the current relationships they have within the family unit. Online counseling can help the parents and the children to calm down, set aside their differences and work on developing a healthier relationship. The online therapist can give advice and suggestions to the family that can help the family in dealing with issues that might be driving a wedge in between the parents and the children. When these issues are dealt with, bonds can be created and trust can eventually be developed. A stronger bond and understanding between the children and their parents will improve the communication between them and hopefully encourage the children to go to their parents for help and support. If further therapy is required for the child, the online counselor can help as well. All this can work to make the family unit healthier and to possibly help avoid the child from making future mistakes that can make their lives extremely difficult.

If you or anyone that you know would like more information regarding this post, feel free to visit http://www.completecounselingsolutions.com or email jennifer@completecounselingsolutions.com