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Teens & Alcohol

Teenagers Prefer Alcohol Over Drugs

As surprising as it may be troubled teens actually use alcohol more often than all other drug combined. This is particularly alarming when considering that troubled teens typically are already lacking in judgment and alcohol has a very powerful effect on altering the mind and disengaging inhibitions altogether.

Parents sometimes rationalize the use of alcohol when compared to other "hard core" drugs.  When in actuality alcohol alone is the main cause of troubled teen car crash deaths; and troubled teens who struggle with alcohol are also more likely to become sexually active.

Troubled teens who use alcohol are also are the major contributors to increases in teenage violence.  Not only do troubled teens become more prone to violence during alcohol consumption, but they also become more susceptible to violent acts such as rape and assault.  A troubled teen using alcohol literally heightens his or her chance of becoming a victim.

Typically troubled teens that are regularly using alcohol or even just experimenting, will very shortly experiment with other illicit drugs like methamphetamines, marijuana, and LSD.

What can we glean from a troubled teen using alcohol?  Alcohol use in troubled teens is the beginning of a major warning sign.  Alcohol and marijuana are the "gateway drugs," and WILL lead to harder drugs.

Troubled teens and alcohol don't mix!

Prevention is the key.  If your troubled teen is using alcohol it is a sign of low self esteem and most often peer pressure.  Meet your teenager's friends.  Always know where they are going, how long they will be there, what they will be doing while they are there, and who will be there.  Talk to your teen about the effects of alcohol use.  Never treat alcohol use among troubled teens as a minor infraction as it is only the beginning of a long lonely self abusing road.

 

How does Answers For Parents help Parents of troubled Teens and Young Adults?

Answers For Parents is committed to helping troubled teens change their lives and once again become integral members of their families and communities. Although there is no greater resource than parents communicating and strengthening their troubled teens, sometimes intervention is required, and this is where Answers For Parents can help. Answers For Parents can help you in helping your teen. Please call us today for a free and confidential consultation at 877-242-6793. You can view our 24/7 Parent Help Line by clicking here.

Crisis Intervention

When Families approach a Crisis with their Troubled Teen or Young Adult....Intervention is Needed.

The family is the perfect unit and medication for troubled teens who are struggling with life. While Answers For Parents prescribes family as the first means of treatment for a struggling teen, intervention at times becomes necessary. Answers For Parents is an advocate for both better parenting and intervention programs for troubled teens.

When the family unit has exhausted all resources to help their troubled teen overcome the problems they are dealing with, there are several effective programs that can intervene. Crisis Intervention programs typically come in the shape of either a residential treatment center or a wilderness therapy program. Both treatment program models are extremely effective.

A good treatment program intervening on behalf of parents in their troubled teen's lives keeps the parents actively involved in the treatment of their teen. Typically this active role comes in the form of parent therapeutic phone calls or parent visits to the facility. Often times intervention programs will allow for the troubled teen to have therapeutic visits at home while they are in the program to test the effectiveness of the treatment in the very environment where they originally had fallen into bad behavior.

Intervention after a family has exhausted all resources can put a troubled teen on the fast track to long lasting behavioral changes quickly. This is crucial in a teenagers transition into adulthood. Typically troubled teens who are given the opportunity to change in a treatment program will rebound quickly (8-12 months in a residential treatment program and/or 3-6 months in a wilderness therapy program) and then once again become integral members of their family and community. The success rate for many programs Answers For Parents places troubled teens in is in the high 80 percentile and sometimes 98 percentile. This means that except for extreme cases the majority of troubled teens that undergo a treatment program successfully change their lives long term.

Troubled teens who are not given the opportunity for treatment often extend what should have been teenage years (12-18) well into their adult years and often do not rebound or get a clue so to speak until they are in their mid 20's. This causes severe damage not only in families moral and finances, but also on our society as a whole. Troubled teens who don't or are not willing to become and act like adults until they are in their mid 20's have a much less likelihood of finding good gainful employment. The list of the effects of those lost years spent being a troubled teen is very lengthy and often involves criminal activities, jail, and most often addictions to drugs and/or alcohol or other forms of self abuse.

If you and your family have exhausted all resources to help your struggling teen, then intervention is necessary and is a positive "answer for parents." Intervention after a family has done all it can is not the result of failed parenting. In actuality parents who love their children enough to seek intervention in a treatment program are providing their troubled child with an invaluable opportunity to grow and develop behaviorally before transitioning into adulthood.

Intervention treatment programs offer troubled teens a safe haven from the world where they can refocus and dedicate themselves. Where they can re-establish self worth and goals for their future without the distraction of negative peers and culture. Remember, good intervention programs for troubled teens also include a family involvement component where parents contribute and experience the growth of their child so that when the healthy teen transitions back into the home and community parents already know what to expect.

How does Answers For Parents help parents of troubled teens and young adults?

Answers For Parents is committed to helping parents help their troubled teens change their lives and once again become integral members of their families and communities. Although there is no greater resource than parents communicating and strengthening their child, sometimes intervention is required outside of the family unit and this is where Answers For Parents steps in. Answers For Parents offers free expert treatment program Consulting and Admissions Services for troubled teens and young adults. Please call us today for a free and confidential consultation at 877-242-6793. 

 

START NOW - take the first step in getting your Child back: 1) Call 1-877-242-6793 and speak with one of our Professionals; or 2)  Take our 20 Question Pre-Assessment; or 3) Complete the Request Help Form  ... and get help TODAY!

Shocking Teen Statistics

Current Statistics on Teenagers

Answers For Parents strives to be the leading authority on troubled teens and the resources available to Parents for helping their troubled teens.

In recent years, believe it or not, there has actually been an improvement in the number of "troubled teens" that have committed violent crimes; but statistically the number of troubled teens committing violent crimes compared to every other age group is still the highest.

The following information is from the Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) and was released in 2004:
  • Approximately one in five troubled teens (18 percent), or 4.3 million troubled teens nationally, report abusing Vicodin®; one in 10 teenagers (10 percent), or 2.3 million teenagers nationally, report abusing OxyContin®. (Both are prescription painkillers.)
  • One in 10 troubled teens (10 percent), or 2.3 million young people, has tried prescription stimulants Ritalin® and/or Adderall® without a doctor’s order.
  • One in 11 troubled teens (9 percent), or 2.2 million young people, has abused OTC cough medications intentionally to get high. Such products contain the active ingredient dextromethorphan.
  • Troubled teens abuse of prescription and OTC medications is higher or on par with troubled teens abuse of a variety of illicit drugs – i.e., cocaine / crack (9 percent), Ecstasy (9 percent), methamphetamine (8 percent), LSD (6 percent), ketamine (5 percent), heroin (4 percent) and GHB (4 percent).
  • Abuse of medications has penetrated troubled teens culture: 37 percent of troubled teens say they have close friends who have abused prescription painkillers like Vicodin®, OxyContin® and Tylox®. Some 29 percent say the same about prescription stimulants Ritalin® and Adderall®. Troubled teens often overstate friends’ use; however, this measure underscores awareness and normalization of this type of substance abuse among teenagers.
  • Troubled teens who abuse or have abused an Rx or OTC medication are, more often than not, likely to report having abused drugs such asEcstasy and marijuana

The number of sexual relationships outside of marriage has risen and continues to plague troubled teens. Each year in the United States, 800,000 to 980,000 troubled teens become pregnant.

How does Answers For Parents help Parents of troubled Teens and Young Adults?

Answers For Parents is committed to helping troubled teens change their lives and once again become integral members of their families and communities. Although there is no greater resource than parents communicating and strengthening their troubled teens, sometimes intervention is required outside of the family unit and this is where Answers For Parents can help. Answers For Parents offers free expert treatment program Admissions Services for troubled teens and young adults. Please call us today for a free and confidential consultation at 877-242-6793. You can view our 24/7 Parent Help Line by clicking here.

About Us - "The Details"

 

Parents – We are here for you; and the following will explain WHO we are – WHAT we do – and HOW we can help you.

 

- WHO we are – We are a source of valuable information sponsored by some of the top Youth Development Programs in the world…and due to their generous support ANSWERS FOR PARENTS (AFP) is a FREE professional service, that ensures Parents have the knowledge they need to make an informed decision about the type of intervention they are considering for their Child. AFP Counselors work with families that have a struggling Teen (and pre-teen) or Young Adult. The AFP Counselors are a Team of professionals who have helped thousands of Parents find the appropriate help for their Child.

- WHAT we do – We help Parents find the most appropriate help for their Teen (or pre-teen) or Young Adult. AFP (Answers For Parents) has sorted through the over-whelming maze of information and programs available to help you find the most appropriate treatment program(s). Each Program is unique in the services they offer, ranging from in-home programs to very traditional boarding school type to more specialized for more specific needs. Our Goal at Answers For Parents is to HELP you help your Teen or Young Adult in the most effective, cost efficient, and timely way possible.

- HOW we do it – AFP Admissions Counselors assist Parents in determining Why, When, and How to intervene on behalf of their Child; and if necessary, in getting their child enrolled in the most appropriate program possible. Questions we are often asked – "How do I know which program is best for my Child?" "How do I know which programs are the good ones, and which are the bad ones?" We have already done the research and we continue to update it regularly, and we look forward to sharing it with you. We do not make the decision for you; we simply help make the decision easier, and more timely and appropriate. AND, our service is FREE! 

AND Finally – Why do we provide this valuable resource? Very simple, our philosophy is very clear, and our Goal is always the same: "Help Parents help their families in the most appropriate way possible." With thousands of programs available, we know how difficult, yet how important it is to choose the best program for long term behavior change in a struggling Teen or Young Adult. We are honored to be able to use our expertise to be of service to Parents in this important life-saving cause.

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Take Action Now to get your Child back: 1) Call 1-877-242-6793 and speak with one of our Professionals; or 2)  Take our 20 Question Pre-Assessment; or 3) Complete the Request Help Form  ... and get help TODAY!