Teen opiate addiction in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta : What Not To Do If Your Teen Is Using Drugs – Alcohol and Drug Addictions – Options Okanagan Treatment Centers in Kelowna, British Columbia treating drug opiate, fentanyl, heroin and alcohol addiction and addiction recovery programs.
Finding out your child/teen has been using drugs can be heartbreaking. Some people are more likely to scream, cry, break down, or even pretend you didn’t see it. While you may be furious inside, your reaction towards the person could make a whole lot of difference in the teen’s life and future. You also don’t need to get too judgmental or think your child cannot take drugs. Any teen is vulnerable and can give in to peer pressure, hence start experimenting with drugs. While you should be ready for anything, you also need to know how to handle the situation when the need arises. Here are a few tips how.
1. Don’t ignore it: Some parents will want to pretend they didn’t see the drugs by burying their heads in the sand. As much as you want to wish it weren’t true, ignoring the fact that your child is using drugs won’t make him/her quit using. Although teens will want to experiment with almost everything, you need to let him/her know the effects of drugs and how they will affect his/her life and future. Let them know they are headed down a dangerous path and offer to help them recover from this.
2. Wait until they are sober to talk to them: Never try engaging with the teen when they are high. Drugs can alter a person’s way of thinking and reaction, meaning you won’t have a rational conversation when they are high. Some of them will get violent, storm out, or even hurt someone when confronted. Wait until the teen is sober to talk to them. If possible, let him or her sleep or rest before you can talk.
3. Don’t lecture, shout, scold, or scream: Parenting instincts will probably be overwhelming causing you to want to scold or lecture the teen. Berating a teen, and especially after engaging in drugs will only push them farther from you. This won’t help deal with the situation. What you need to do at this point is start a serious but rational conversation with him/her. Let him tell you what and how it happened, and what they want to achieve from using. It is ok to tell them how stupid the idea of using drugs is, and what you expect next from their actions.
4. Don’t just punish them: Teens expect to be punished each time they are on the wrong. Punishment can be in many forms; you could take their video games and smartphone away, or even ground them for a month. Punishment alone may not work or even convey the gravity of the issue. Consider taking another route, such as talking about the consequences of using drugs, setting boundaries, and even telling them you will be monitoring their every move and action. Let him/her work towards gaining your trust.
5. Consider professional help: It is never too early/late to let your teen get professional help. Don’t just assume he/she doesn’t need it. Get to learn of the reasons why he/she got into drugs in the first place to gauge the seriousness of the matter. While this may be due to peer pressure, the extent to which he is engaged will determine if you should seek professional help or not. Be sure to seek help if they seem to be struggling with mental health issues or addiction. Therapy or counseling can be of great help to these helpless kids.
The thought of seeing your child hooked to drugs can be a scary one. Intervening before the teen is too deep into drug use can always save his future and choices. Just be cautious when talking to him/her, set boundaries, consequences, and expectations. Getting them professional help can also help them recover from this too.
Options Okanagan Opiate and Alcohol Treatment Centers in Kelowna, Salmon Arm and Vancouver, British Columbia – Men and Women are recovering and healing from Alcohol and Drug Abuse at our treatment center here in the Okanagan right now.
Our unique and distinctive Opiate Drug and Alcohol treatment program allows men and women to come in from Calgary as well as Edmonton as we offer airport pickup.
Numerous clients come to us from Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton and other locations in Alberta and even other provinces for Opiate addiction treatment, heroin drug treatment, many other drug and alcohol addictions for rehabilitation because of the uniqueness of our treatment center.
Our Treatment Location:
Options Okanagan Drug and Opiate Treatment Center
551 Sherrydale Crescent, Kelowna, British Columbia, V1V 2E6
Toll Free Phone Number : 1-855-335-0331