Greenleaf Hospital provides effective treatment for men & women struggling with alcohol addiction. At Greenleaf, you can learn how to achieve lasting sobriety
Treatment for Teen Alcohol Addiction
Understanding Treatment for Teen Alcohol Addiction
Despite being normalized in some scenarios, teenage alcohol addiction is not a normal part of coming of age. Young people who engage in binge drinking run the risk of becoming dependent on the substance during this critical developmental stage, risking long-term physical and emotional health consequences, and a damaging impact on brain functioning.
Teens who drink alcohol can face legal consequences in the United States, and will be more likely to experience an interruption in the ability to function to their full potential in school and in all other aspects of life. Alcohol-dependent adolescents may have trouble engaging in healthy social relationships due to a tendency to withdraw from friends and family in an attempt to mask their addiction. Furthermore, alcohol addiction can have fatal consequences for teens who experience blackouts and alcohol poisoning. Toxic levels of alcohol can compromise the body’s ability to filter the substance, and can make an individual more likely to engage in risky behaviors that may lead to harm when inhibitions are lowered.
As the leading teen alcohol addiction treatment center in Valdosta, we are committed to helping adolescents and families who have been impacted by the abuse of alcohol. Our comprehensive services are designed with a keen awareness of the specific needs of this targeted age group, and we provide personalized plans of care for teens from all types of backgrounds.
Helping Your Teen
Helping a Loved One or Family Member Get Treatment
Witnessing a teen you care about struggle with an alcohol addiction is most certainly a trying, emotional experience. You may want nothing more than to see your teen flourish in his or her young life, but you may be unsure of how to help him or her meet that goal. Fortunately, help exists for teens who struggle with chemical dependence in addition to co-occurring mental health conditions. When you are prepared to help your teen access treatment, consider the following:
- Work on educating yourself about alcohol dependence so that you can better understand the disease your teen is grappling with.
- Seek out treatment centers who advertise programs which are specifically designed for teens, as opposed to adults. Research options that offer services and supports that would be a good fit for your teen.
- When you begin discussing treatment, be prepared to keep a calm, compassionate stance. Your teen may seem unwilling to enter a treatment center, especially if asked to leave the home environment. Throughout this process, reassure your teen that you will be there in each step of the journey.
- When you have selected a treatment program, call them to gather more specific information about their offerings, and to begin the assessment and admissions processes.
Throughout this time, be mindful of your own wellness. Watching someone you care about go through a battle with substance abuse can take its toll, and it is imperative that you engage in healthy modes of self-care during this stage. In doing so, you will be better equipped to help your teen.
Why Choose Us
Why Consider Treatment at Greenleaf Behavioral Health Hospital
Once alcohol addiction takes hold of a young person, he or she will spiral further into the cycle of addiction without the proper help. And while there are many treatment services for young people across the country, those teens who do not access professional care will likely see their condition worsen over time.
Addiction is a progressive disease, and alcohol addiction can be especially harmful to young people who depend on adults to help them stay healthy and safe. By connecting a young person you care about with professional treatment center for chemical dependence, you can help him or her reclaim his or her life.
Types of Adolescent Treatment
Types of Treatment Offered at Greenleaf Behavioral Health Hospital
Licensed to operate 113 beds, our teen treatment center offers mental health and alcohol addiction treatment for people of all ages. Situated in Valdosta, Georgia, this world class hospital is where individuals, young and old, can access the resources and support they need to heal from mental health concerns and substance abuse issues.
Included in our broad range of services is a high quality adolescent inpatient program that offers treatment for mental disorders and substance use problems for teens between the ages of 12 and 17. Within this invaluable program, young people work with an incredible staff of professionals who are highly trained and compassionate when working with young people who are battling such issues. This program also only uses time-tested treatment protocols so that each parent or guardian who entrusts his or her child’s care to us can rest assured that he or she will be receiving excellent treatment.
After a youth’s needs are assessed during the streamlined admissions process, a personalized treatment plan is created that will outline the interventions and methods of care needed to treat the concerns that are plaguing the young person most. This high level of customization ensures that any and all treatment goals established will not only be reached, but exceeded while a teen is at Greenleaf. Among the types of interventions offered, the following are those that can be included in a teen’s plan of care:
Detoxification services: Because some substances of abuse must be cleared from an individual’s body before engaging in therapeutic treatment, our center offers detoxification services, or detox. Young people who come to us dependent on alcohol or another substance may be recommended for detox services so that they can engage in our other treatment options with clearer mindsets and healthier bodies.
Medication management services: Teens who begin treatment at our rehab center in order to overcome an alcohol addiction will be assessed to determine if there is a need for medication in order to treat the symptoms of an existing mental health concern. When indicated, the youth will then meet with our staff psychiatrist to decide the type of medication that is needed, and then our mental health team will monitor the effectiveness of any medication given for the duration of the young person’s care.
Individual therapy: An addiction to alcohol can cause a person to detach from his or her emotions. For this reason, our rehab we make available to young people includes individual therapy sessions on an as-needed basis. These sessions can serve as a time to process feelings, emotions, past experiences, and goals for the future so that the continued abuse of alcohol or other substances can be avoided.
Group therapy: At our teen rehab center, we firmly believe that the teens we care for can benefit greatly from being able to offer and receive support from one another. Group therapy sessions, which are offered multiple times per day, are the forums for this type of interaction, allowing teens to heal and recover from alcohol addiction alongside others who may also be struggling with similar concerns. Among the topics covered during these sessions, the following are those that teens can discuss with other youth under the supervision of our staff:
- Effectively expressing emotions
- Addictive behaviors and triggers
- Stress management
- Communication skills
- Anger management
- Life skills
Experiential therapy: Much can be gained when a person is able to heal in both mind and body while working to overcome an addiction to alcohol and/or other harmful substances. At Greenleaf Behavioral Health Hospital, we offer teens the opportunity to partake in physical fitness activities so that they can reap the benefits of being active while engaging in other forms of therapeutic care. Additionally, we also provide supervised art projects that are designed to help young people tap into their creative side and express themselves via an alternative medium.
Family therapy: So as to help teens and their families heal, we are pleased to include family therapy sessions on an as-needed basis so that the young people we treat and those closest to them can become a united front against alcohol addiction. These sessions are led by members of our dedicated staff, and can be a time to process what has been happening within the family unit and grow as a supportive, collective whole that will further empower teens to avoid the use of alcohol going forward.
Family education: Understanding what caused one’s teen to turn to the use of alcohol can be difficult for some parents and legal guardians. In addition, it can also be confusing to determine how one can help a youth refrain from the ongoing use of alcohol even after treatment is sought. For these reasons, our teen alcohol addiction treatment center provides families with education opportunities during which they can:
- Gain an education on substance abuse, including its impact on behavior, emotions, and brain chemistry
- Become aware of the best means of support that can be used to help with their child’s recovery
- Receive the resources needed to help their teen avoid further alcohol use
Discharge planning: For the duration of a teen’s care at our rehab center, we aim to instill the skills, confidence, and hope needed for remaining alcohol-free. However, regardless of this mission, we realize that those we care for need to have tangible resources and services available to them after leaving our hospital in order for them to continue their treatment success. Because of this, we begin planning for each young person’s discharge from the moment they are admitted, and we formulate thorough aftercare plans that are designed to help teens continue their healing journeys. Much like our treatment planning process, we consider the needs of each youth and devise a plan of action that will support an alcohol-free future through recommendations for additional resources and services.
In choosing Greenleaf Behavioral Health Hospital as the place to help your child break free from an alcohol addiction problem, you and your teen will become part of our healing community and gain the care, support, and resources needed to help your child become well again. As was previously mentioned, we create detailed discharge plans for those who come to Greenleaf Behavioral Health Hospital for treatment so that they are able to thrive once they return home. Part of these plans can include our own partial hospitalization program (PHP) or intensive outpatient program (IOP) as the follow-up services that will benefit teens who have completed inpatient programming with us.
If your son, daughter, or other close loved one is in need of superior care to defeat an alcohol problem, look no further than Greenleaf Behavioral Health Hospital in Valdosta, Georgia. Our staff of highly trained professionals is ready to help your teen realize a better life, and we look forward to helping you access the resources needed to help your family heal.
At our teen rehab center, a healthier tomorrow can begin today.