A relapse is defined by the frequency and strength of the addictive behavior. If your teen falls back into substance use and cannot stop the behavior, they have relapsed. Going through a relapse doesn’t mean they have failed or cannot be helped. It is a good indication that they need more support to prevent such an occurrence from again.
Reaching out to teen sobriety services that specialize in teen relapse prevention is an excellent first step in getting help for teen drug addiction. By doing so, you will give your teen effective and implementable tools to overcome this scary and confusing time in their life.
Having a relapse should help to strengthen your teen and help them understand how powerful addiction can be. Teen relapse prevention must be intentional, and you must have a plan in place to get them back on track.
What to Expect
When you enlist the help of a teen sobriety service, part of the focus will be on the triggers your child has that may set them up for a relapse. Triggers vary from person to person, but recognizing them is a powerful tool to add to your teen’s knowledge bank.
Knowing what triggers, they have will make identifying a situation that may result in a relapse easier and a quick reaction to remove themselves from such situations. Some common triggers are:
Boredom
Certain people and places
Old habits
Anger
Stress
Relationship problems
Certain smells or sights
Money problems
School problems
Signs Your Teen May be Going Through a Relapse
Being able to recognize signs of relapse is crucial in teen relapse prevention. If you suspect that your teen is experiencing a relapse, encouraging them to get further treatment while remaining patient, supportive, and compassionate is extremely important.
Some signs of relapse are:
Spending time with friends who take drugs.
Change in appetite, eating a lot more or a lot less.
Withdrawing from social events and activities they were enjoying.
Is angry or irritable a lot of the time.
Change in sleeping habits, sleeping a lot more or a lot less.
If your teen is showing signs of a relapse it is important to get them to help quickly.
Does Your Teen Need Help After They Have Had a Relapse?
Yes, they absolutely do!
After reaching out to a teen sobriety service, you could consider enrolling your teen in a mentorship and accountability program. These are great options to help teens with addictions. Mentorship programs help teens feel like they have a connection and a community.
Such programs provide your teen with a mentor who holds them accountable for their actions and choices. This is crucial for teens as it encourages them to realize the importance of good habits and a healthy lifestyle in preventing a relapse.
Parents, it is important to understand that a relapse doesn’t mean your teen failed. It is a discussion that needs to happen with them. Whether the discussion is with you or a mentor, relapse can happen at any point during recovery and is very common. Remember, recovery is a lifelong process.
If you have a teen addicted to drugs and struggling not to relapse, you need to act quickly and contact a teen sobriety service. Higher Grounds Management has a teen addiction specialist waiting to help on your journey to get your child back and get your teen on the road to recovery. Contact us today!