Teen drug addictions can often be difficult to recover from. This is one of those times when being young is more of a hindrance than a help. Teenagers are programmed to think they are invincible, nothing “bad" could possibly happen to them. They are just getting started in life. The idea of having to give anything up for good is often a foreign concept.
In the inner cities where life can be particularly rough teenagers often subscribe to the credo “live hard and fast for tomorrow we may be dead.” It’s often hard for teenagers in these circumstances to see the value of living a life without drugs.
With that being said the outpatient facilities and inpatient rehabilitation facilities are full of teenagers trying to do just that. Live a life without drugs or alcohol. Staying abstinent from drugs and alcohol is challenging especially in the beginning. What I have included here is a very useful strategy in recovering from teen drug addictions.
In many twelve step programs they will speak often to newly recovering people about H.A.L.T. This stands for hungry, angry, lonely, and tired. Keeping a watchful eye on any one of these cropping up during the day can go along way to maintaining abstinence. They can be your best ally in recovering from teen drug addictions.
Hungry- Letting yourself get hungry or regularly skipping meals leads to drops in blood sugar. It also leads to irritability which can often lead to a teenage addict wanting to pick up their drug of choice for relief. Eating regularly, even small balanced meals or snacks can help of the symptoms or hunger. A protein bar or a pack of trail mix is some good choices because they are not as sugar laden. They are also small and easy to throw in a backpack or car glove compartment.
Angry- Being angry and being a teenager often seem to go hand in hand. The teenage years are a rough time with lots of change and stress. Having someone or a group of trusted individuals to talk with can help keep anger at bay. Also regular exercise and even participation in team sports can go a long way towards blowing off steam and reducing anger. Anger that is sustained often begs for relief which can come in the form of drugs. If the previous suggestions do not help alleviate the symptom of anger do not hesitate to seek professional help.
Lonely- As mentioned before teenage years are tough. We have all heard of teens feeling lonely or as though they don’t fit in. If you are a teen trying to recover from drug addiction and maintain abstinence, loneliness can be exaggerated. At this crucial time it is important that the teenager has a supportive group of people to spend time with. While it is true that some of the most supportive people will be the teenager’s family, it is just as important that they find a peer group they can identify with. Twelve step programs or even outpatient programs designed for teaching recovering teens living skills may be able to fill this need by providing a group the teenager can identify with. Isolation in a recovering addict is a red flag that they may be in trouble, so don’t take it lightly.
Tired- Teenagers as a whole often keep crazy hours. It is a time of life when they often feel they have boundless energy and a need to cram too many activities into too few hours. This is often followed by the need for extra sleep when they crash, leading to a general imbalance that can affect their overall mood. Irritability is often present when the recovering teenager has been getting too little sleep. That in turn can precipitate an urge to use to quell the irritability. A balanced sleep schedule can be invaluable to a teenager trying to recover from drug addiction. Though they may not often see the need for regular sleep times and adequate hours of sleep, you may be able to gently bring it to their attention if you see them acting out of sorts when lacking in the sleep department.
Excessive sleep can leave the teenager feeling hung over and sluggish which can be an uncomfortable feeling as well. Excessive sleep is also a sign of isolation or depression, as a parent it is wise to keep an eye on your recovering teenager’s sleep schedule. The aim is for balance.
Recovering from teen drug addictions can be a challenge. Keeping an eye out for H.A.L.T. and not allowing anyone of those get out of hand, can go a long way to helping a recovering teenager stick with their resolve to be clean of drugs and alcohol.
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