Implications for Treatment Programs

While adults in alcohol treatment are free to make geographical and personal changes in their environment by relocating and choosing either solitude or different significant others to reside with, adolescents do not have this freedom to choose their alcoholism treatment centre.

Because of this, if there is family dysfunction - either alcohol addiction or mental health issues - it is much harder for alcoholism recovery teen has to stay clean from narcotics and/or sober. Effective treatment requires that family members must also be helped to achieve health. If this does not happen, an alternative home environment must be found for the youth.

Successful adolescent alcohol treatment programs must not only address substance use but help an adolescent navigate the normal. Development tasks of identity formation that are often neglected while using chemicals through alcoholism counseling. This means that:

• Effective problem solving and social skills need to be learned in order to build self-esteem. Basic trust Must be built or rebuilt. Often this is done through the use of physical exercise such as navigating Ropes or falling backwards into the arms of a peer.
• Verbal skills also need to be learned, such as how to ask for help. Basic feelings must be identified and a language of emotional communications must be established. Many substance abusing teens cannot name Three different feelings.

The importance of a quality and accessible aftercare system cannot be overemphasized. Such a program must be within Easy travel from home. If a teen is dependent upon a parent's driving, or has a long mass transit commute, the Likelihood of alcoholism treatment being continued is small.

Without such support through the creation of a new peer group, the return to substance-abusing friendships is inevitable. Adolescents present a unique challenge to alcoholism treatment professionals. Creative and effective strategies must be developed within the context of limited Insurance-based alcohol treatment and ever decreasing government support for alcohol treatment. We have no choice but to rise to the challenge.