Divorce And Drug Addiction: Stop Your Out-Of-Control Teen From Drinking And Driving
by Timmothy Miles
If one of your teens abuses alcohol and drives intoxicated as a way to cope with your divorce, you may wonder how you can help them overcome their addiction before they harm other people or themselves. Teen alcohol abuse and addiction can be a devastating problem for families to overcome, especially during and after a divorce. If your loved one causes an accident on the road, the legal ramifications may also make things worse for them and your family. Here's what you should know about alcohol addiction and what you can do to help your loved one get through it.
What's Alcohol Addiction?
According to sources, 60 percent of teen deaths occur from alcohol-related car accidents. If your teen chooses to drive while intoxicated, not only do they place themselves at risk, but they also endanger innocent drivers and their passengers. One of the biggest steps you can take to protect everyone on the road is to seek chemical dependency treatment for your loved one.
Chemical dependency treatment addresses a number of things, including the causes of your loved one's alcohol addiction. One thing you should understand is that alcohol addiction is much different from alcohol abuse. Alcohol abusers tend to consume alcohol heavily during certain times of their lives, such as when they go out or attend parties. The abusers can go without alcohol for extended periods of time. However, people who are addicted to alcohol drink all the time, even when they know they need to stop.
Addicted individuals use beer, wine and liquor as a way to cope with their emotional and physical pain. If your teen consumes alcohol daily, they're most likely addicted to it. However, your teen may not see that they have an addiction and may continue to drink and drive. Even if you take your teen's car keys away, they may borrow a friend's vehicle or take yours.
Taking steps now to help your loved one overcome their addiction and emotional pain may save their life and the lives of others.
How Can You Help Your Teen?
Getting your teen help at a chemical dependency treatment may be one of the only ways to help them stop drinking. Your loved one's treatment may involve attending private and group counseling sessions. Counseling allows your teen to express how they feel about your divorce and how it affects them. Your teen may not have the ability to talk to you about the divorce because they're angry about the separation of their family unit.
Your loved one's treatment may also involve a detoxification program. The program gradually allows the alcohol to leave your teen's body so that it can heal. Alcohol can eventually cause many health problems for your loved one in future, including liver and heart disease. Treatment helps protect your teen now and as an adult.
For more information about chemical dependency treatment for teens, contact a center today at http://www.olalla.org.
Share
About Me
Counseling can be a great help with many aspects of your life. Whether you are struggling with your work life, personal life or love life, talking with someone who can help you wrap your head around the way that you are feeling can help you find balance and create a better way of life for yourself. Our blog will show you several ways that a counselor can help you with the different areas of your life. You will also learn a few tips that can help you improve things on your own and information to help you know what to expect when you go to a counselor for the first time.