Quick Links: Troubled Teens
Drug treatment programs with a primary focus on stopping substance abuse may not be the best treatment choice for a teen who also has a mental health disorder. In order for teens with a dual diagnosis to fully recover, the underlying mental health issues driving the drug abuse also need to be correctly identified and addressed.
There are three primary reasons why focusing only on treating the substance abuse disorder is not, in most cases, the best treatment approach for a teen with a dual diagnosis.
1) Drug treatment programs are usually very confrontational, insisting teens take responsibility for their drug use and the problems it is causing. Teens with certain mental health disorders, such as depression or anxiety, may not be emotionally strong enough to handle this tough approach. In some cases, this type of confrontation may make a teens' emotional problems even worse.
2) Drug treatment programs may stress that teens in recovery are not to use any type of mind-altering drug, which would include psychotropic medications used to treat certain mental disorders. This viewpoint can be stressful and confusing for teens who may benefit from medication to treat the symptoms of their mental health disorder.
3) Underlying problems may be the force that drives a teen to abuse drugs. Drug programs that focus primarily on lifestyle changes and relapse prevention may not delve deeply enough into the psychological and emotional issues driving a teens' urge to use drugs. If a mental health disorder is the primary reason for the use of drugs or alcohol, both of these problems need to be treated at the same time.
Usually, the specific symptoms of a mental health disorder begin to come into focus as teens go through detoxification and are forced to face reality without this crutch. When the mental health issues are effectively treated, substance abuse will be less appealing to most teens because the reasons they were using are addressed and alleviated.
Quick Links: Troubled Teens