Teen & Young Adult Drug Intervention Done Right – 760 439-2087

 

 

Teens & young adults who struggle with addiction have special challenges but, when handled correctly, interventions can lead even the most extreme cases to the path of recovery.

Anyone who has ever had to watch an out-of-control youth struggling with drug addiction has known the helpless despair that many parents feel nationwide. Such teens often behave in bewildering ways—including deception, theft, outbursts of rage, and reckless self-endangerment. Here are some key statistics from the 2013 CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance relating to teen addiction:

  • The United States represents 5% of the world’s population and 75% of prescription drugs taken. 60% of teens who abuse prescription drugs get them free from friends and relatives.
  • Nationwide, 23.4% of students had used marijuana one or more times during the 30 days before the survey (i.e., current marijuana use) (Table 51).
  • Nationwide, 5.5% of students had used any form of cocaine (e.g., powder, crack,*** or freebase†††) one or more times during their life (i.e., ever used cocaine) (Table 53).
  • During the 12 months before the survey, 29.9% of students nationwide had felt so sad or hopeless almost every day for 2 or more weeks in a row that they stopped doing some usual activities (Table 23)
  • Nationwide, 8.0% of students had attempted suicide one or more times during the 12 months before the survey (Table 27)

Youth who struggle with drug addictions are extremely vulnerable to suffer from long-term psychological and chemical effects. The brains of adolescents, teens, and young adults are constantly developing and their limbic system—the part of the brain which controls decision-making—is still being formed. The hallmark of addiction is a weakening of dopamine transmitters which decimates limbic system functionality. As the limbic system of youths are dramatically underdeveloped compared their older counterparts, their brains could potentially face permanent stagnation and maladaptation resulting in chronically poor decision-making for decades. Also, the teens & young adults struggling with addiction tend to exhibit more reckless and unpredictable behavior due to the extra punch of hormonal flux.

It the goal of interventionists everywhere to get youths to face the symptoms of their addictions quickly and decisively. Given that the stakes are incredibly high for self-harm or criminal activity; it is important that an interventionist team take a strong stance when outlining the problem. Teens are often evasive, restless, and unwilling to listen. Strong means can be undertaken to get the teen to realize the impact of their destructive behavior. Most people think that for an intervention to be successful, individuals must be in a calm environment and in a cognizant state of mind. At TAPS we perform drug extractions to rescue teens from drug houses and the control of negative parties (ie: friends, gangs, or enablers). Our experienced team is well-versed in the proper techniques to safely extract teens out of a chaotic environment so that an effective intervention can be conducted.

When coming face-to-face with teens, it is always best to provide tangible evidence of their addictive symptoms. Photographs, videos, and sound recordings help the addicted individuals contextualize the scope of their problem and acknowledge the reality of their condition. Family and loved-ones may be brought in to reinforce how their behavior is leading to destruction. It is imperative that the individual comes to grip with the severity of their addiction and that they be presented with a viable treatment alternative. At TAPS, our interventionists are knowledgeable about the various forms of treatment options across the nation and would recommend a solution that is most appropriate for the needs of young people.

Drug addiction is a harrowing experience for people of all ages but we at TAPS believe there is a way out even in the most extreme situations. Our compassionate, effective, and experienced interventionists are committed to seeing individuals through the recovery process. The dangers of teen drug addiction are high but hopelessness does not need to be the standard point of view. TAPS will keep hope alive.

 

If you know a teen struggling with drug addiction, do not delay and contact TAPS – 760 439-2087.