Treating Teen Addicts Dealing with Trauma

Teens who come from unstable home situations or who have been the victims of bullying can be at a high risk for drug and alcohol abuse.

Teens are always at risk for drug and alcohol abuse and to end up in an addiction treatment program. There are several reasons for this including the heightened level of peer pressure and the fact that adolescents’ brains are still developing and are more prone to addictive behavior. One of the most common causes for prescription drug abuse and other common addiction problems with teens is if they have gone through a traumatic experience in the past.

The types of traumas which can lead to a teen ending up in drug rehabilitation can vary. Teens who dealt with physical, mental or sexual abuse are at a great risk for using drugs and alcohol. Other forms of an unstable home life can also put teens at risk for drug and alcohol addiction including coming from a broken home or having had their parents go through an ugly divorce. Teens who have dealt with the death of a parent, sibling or close friend in the past can also be at risk for addiction, along with teens who have been bullied or dealt with other forms of harassment at school.

One of the most significant obstacles in dealing with teens in an addiction program is the fact that their traumas are often very recent. This means that their pain is fresher and sometimes more deeply felt than addicts who are adults. This can also mean that teen addicts feel as though they have to drink or do more drugs in order to blunt the hurtful feelings that these traumas cause.

Even with the trauma having possibly been recent, many teens are unwilling to deal with their traumas in an addiction center. This is why it is so important for teens to explore various forms of therapy during their time in rehab. Traditional forms of therapy such as talk therapy can be used in conjunction with new therapy models such as experiential treatment and art therapy. These forms of treatment can provide teen addicts with indirect, less threatening ways of dealing with their past traumas.

Some forms of trauma, such as child abuse, might be buried deep inside a teen’s subconscious — especially if it occurred before the child could speak or fully comprehend what is happening. This is why it is so important for drug rehab centers to have specialists who are specifically trained to deal with early childhood trauma.