How to Raise Drug-Free Kids in College and Beyond

Young adulthood is a challenging time. Teenagers are starting to discover the interests and hobbies that will follow them into adulthood, and they are also searching for new experiences. All these things help shape them into the person they will eventually become, but sometimes, pushing boundaries can create unsafe situations.

It’s common for college students to experiment with drugs and alcohol. When they start using these substances, they can quickly develop a dependence and discover they cannot quit on their own. Parental involvement can be incredibly influential in helping keep kids away from drugs and preventing the heartbreak of addiction.

Tips for Raising a Drug-Free Teen

Clear boundaries and open lines of communication are two excellent ways to keep young adults safe and healthy. Here are some suggestions for getting started.

1. Establish Rules and Consequences of Breaking Them

Defined rules around drug use can provide your teen with much-needed structure during a formative period in their life. At the same time, you need to create realistic consequences of what will happen if they stray from the path you’ve set, and stick to them. If your college-aged child knows you are a pushover when it comes to enforcing the rules, it’s likely they will test you.

2. Schedule a Conversation About Drug and Alcohol Use

Bringing up a heavy topic like drug and alcohol use seemingly out of the blue can put young adults on the defensive. It’s smart to give your child advance notice that you’d like to chat with them about drug use and drinking. Reassure them that you aren’t going to discipline them, but that you are trying to be proactive and make sure everyone is on the same page.

You can use this conversation as an opportunity to lay ground rules like:

• Avoid parties where alcohol or drugs might be present.
• Always use prescription drugs exactly as directed, and never take someone else’s prescription medication or share your prescriptions with others.
• Do not get in the car with a driver who is under the influence.
• If someone offers you alcohol or drugs, tell an adult authority figure about it.

3. Take an Active Role in Your Child’s Life

Though you may find your college-aged child begins to pull away from you as they establish greater and greater independence, spending time together is essential at this age. Meet their friends, and ask them what they are learning about in school. If they get involved in sports, attend their games.

Always be aware of what your teenager is up to. If they go out on the weekend, ask them which friends they’ll be spending time with and what they will be doing. You’re not being nosy if you do this — you’re expressing care for their well-being.

4. Help Your Teen Learn to Make Goals

Goal-setting is an essential part of college life. You should work with your college-aged child to teach them how to set realistic short- and long-term goals for things they hope to achieve, both in their academic and personal lives. Ask them to share their ambitions and aspirations with you. Then, make sure they understand how misusing alcohol and drugs can derail their hopes for the future.

If You Suspect a Problem, Confront It Immediately

If your college-aged child’s behavior has changed markedly, and you have reason to believe it is because of drug or alcohol abuse, don’t wait to intervene. Though some people outgrow this experimental phase, others continue down a self-destructive path and end up with an addiction. Don’t let this tragedy happen to your family. Contact us at Hope Academy to learn more about the difference we can make in your child’s life.

Sending a Young Person to a Rehab Center

As a parent, you want your child to have all the best opportunities in life. It can be heartbreaking to discover your son or daughter is using drugs or alcohol, but you have options to get them into treatment and encourage them to make a full recovery.

Young adults often lack impulse control and good decision-making skills because their brains are not fully developed until the age of about 25. As a parent, the responsibility to make decisions on your child’s behalf rests with you. If your child is 17 or younger, you can legally have them enter a residential treatment facility without their consent. It may be one of the most difficult decisions you ever have to make, but if substance abuse is endangering your teen’s life, getting them into treatment is the right thing to do.

Is Your Child Addicted?

The first step to helping your child is making sure their problem is indeed addiction. Sending a young person to a rehab facility if they do not have a genuine drug or alcohol misuse disorder can put severe strain on the foundational trust of your relationship with your teenager.

If you suspect your child is abusing drugs or alcohol, make note of warning signs such as:

• Sudden disinterest in school, sports and other previously enjoyable activities
• Acting withdrawn and secretive
• Having a new group of friends
• Ignoring good grooming and hygiene habits
• Staying out late
• Sleeping too much or not at all

Some of these issues can be manifestations of mental illnesses such as depression or anxiety, while others are a normal part of going through adolescence for some teenagers. However, if you see several of these symptoms at the same time, your child may have a drug abuse problem. It can help to familiarize yourself with the abuse symptoms associated with different types of drugs.

When to Consider an Intervention

Though you can put an underage teen into rehab without their approval, it’s a much healthier approach to convince them to make that choice on their own. A family intervention can be a successful way to get loved ones into treatment if they show no inclination of pursuing the option themselves. If you’re worried an intervention may become too emotional, or that your teen will react with hostility, consider hiring a professional interventionist to help you manage the meeting and keep it on track.

Before staging an intervention, it’s essential to find an accredited facility first. You will need to notify the center ahead of time so the staff can be ready to admit your child immediately after they agree to treatment. That way, you minimize the chances that your teen will have a change of heart and refuse to get help. Taking the addicted person to rehab as soon as possible after the intervention is much more effective than waiting to find a treatment center afterward.

Your Family’s Healing Journey Starts Here

At Hope Academy, we provide a residential recovery program designed specifically for young adults who are struggling with drug and alcohol abuse. If you are looking for a qualified treatment center for your son or daughter, we are here to help. We have all the resources available to help people with substance misuse issues manage withdrawal symptoms safely and comfortably before transitioning into the next phases of drug and alcohol treatment. Contact us today to learn more about our California young adult rehab facility and learn if treatment is the right fit for your family.

6 Ways to Support Your Loved One in Recovery

The road to recovery is difficult for both the individual suffering from a substance use disorder and his or her loved ones. In fact, addiction is often called a family disease; family support is crucial for lasting sobriety. 

That said, it’s not always easy knowing what steps to take to show your support and help your loved one have a shot at a successful recovery. 

Here’s help: 

• Educate yourself. Learning as much as you can about addiction will help prevent you from blaming your loved one and will help you better understand what your loved one will go through during treatment. 
• Consider therapy. Both individual and family therapy can help you address your own emotions, including the challenges of loving someone struggling with addiction. Plus, participating in family therapy shows your loved one that you want to be involved in their recovery.
• Seek support. Attending support groups for loved ones of addicts in recovery is an excellent way to combat any feeling of isolation you may be experiencing. Talking openly about your experiences and challenges with others who “get it” is the perfect remedy to prevent loneliness.
• Practice self-care. The better you feel, the better you’ll be able to care for your loved one. Do your best to prioritize your own health and wellbeing. This means getting plenty of sleep, eating well, exercising and doing things you enjoy.
• Prepare a relapse prevention plan. Family members also need a plan in case their loved one relapses. Family therapy is often a safe space to figure out what to do and how to respond if relapse occurs. 
• Be patient. Recovery is a lifelong journey that requires patience (from you and your loved one) as you both navigate the ups and downs and highs and lows of sober life. 

Family Support at Hope Academy 

We know the importance of family involvement and healing in addiction recovery. That’s why we help the parents of our young adults heal themselves as they learn to better support their child. If your son or daughter has a substance abuse problem, act now. Call today: 866-930-4673.

Support Rehab with Letters from Home

As the parent of a young adult in rehab, you have probably been through the emotional wringer. In the weeks and days before your child entered the treatment program, you lived in a rapidly changing emotional state that you were unable to control or change.

Now that your adult child has entered residential rehab, you, too, have embarked on a healing recovery journey. You are educating yourself about addiction, following your child’s rehab activities, and discovering how to build a relationship with the new, responsible person your child is learning to be.

Write for Your Child and for Yourself
Recovery therapists stress how important family support is for young people in addiction treatment. However, the strain and estrangement that addiction creates in relationships can be difficult to bridge. One way to cross this gulf is to write a letter. Writing about your thoughts and feelings can be cathartic for you and enlightening for your child. Writing helps both of you see life and your relationship from a less emotional, more objective perspective. It provides a means for building a new relationship.

Share the Recovery Journey with Your Young Adult
You and your child are probably experiencing many of the same emotions: shame, guilt, fear, and even anger. Your young adult child in rehab is learning how to make life choices that will change his attitudes, activities, and reactions to his life. If you are in a support group, you are learning about ways to cope with your emotional triggers and enabling behaviors. Why not share the healing journey with your child?

Here are a few pointers to guide you as you learn and share recovery thoughts and lessons in letters to your child:

• Stay positive
• Be consistent with her recovery program
• Support healthy living choices
• Relate thoughts & happenings that show positive growth and enlightenment in you
• Share anecdotes from your life that show common ground and understanding
• Ask your adult child for input, opinions, and examples that might help you, too
• Stay in the present; do not relive the past
• Keep in mind that your relationship should be evolving as your child is becoming a self-actualized adult
• Express your love and encouragement for this new, sober person

Young Adult Residential Rehab in CA
When a young adult child is caught in addictive behavior, isolation and hopelessness take over. Hope Academy’s residential rehab can change this with treatment and opportunities for schooling and sober living. If you are the parent of a young adult in addiction, dial 866.930.4673 to begin the admissions process and start your young adult on the pathway to a sober future.