Does Early Drinking Increase the Risk of Alcoholism Later in Life?

Among the dangers of early drinking behavior in young people is an increased risk of alcoholism later in life. In addition to seeking treatment for alcoholism in Fort Lauderdale for young people who are abusing alcohol as soon as possible, experts also recommend taking steps to discourage underage drinking before it begins to reduce the risk of alcoholism more effectively.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), people who begin to drink before age 14 have a 47% chance of developing alcoholism in adulthood, compare with 9% of people who being drinking after age 21. The younger people are when they begin drinking, the more likely they are to develop alcoholism, while having a family member who also struggles with alcohol abuse raises the risk even more. People who begin drinking at young age also develop alcohol dependency faster and are more likely to have chronic, relapsing alcoholism problems than people who start drinking later in life.

What Parents Can Do to Support the Addiction Recovery Process

When teens enter addiction treatments, parents play an enormous role in their success. Helping a teen enter rehab in Ft. Lauderdale is the first important step parents can take, but many remain unsure how they can be supportive after making that first call. Here are some things you can do to remain supporting of your teen throughout the addiction recovery process.

Get Informed

Most people don’t know anything about addiction until it happens to someone they love. By learning about addiction, you can get a better understanding of the disease your child is fighting and how the specific substances he or she abused may have affected him or her. In addition to helping them understand what to expect during rehab and recovery, many parents find that getting informed about addiction helps them to feel less resentment or anger about their teens’ behaviors and instead focus on healing.

Be Present

Rehab is always about healing relationships as well as the person, and this focus is especially important for teens. Most substance abuse treatment centers offer many opportunities for families to get counseling together so they can face the traumatic experiences that occurred during the addiction and begin to look forward to the future together. Take advantage of these resources to show your teen that you are committed to re-integrating him or her into your family and that you want to work together during this process.

Start Planning

The initial detox and rehab process is only the first step in recovery. For many people living with addiction, returning to life outside of treatment is extremely challenging. Work with the rehab center to make a plan for your teen’s transition back into your home. An important part of this conversation may be agreeing to a set of rules with your teen and setting out consequences for violating those rules, so that your teen a clear idea of your expectations. However, remember to be patient as well. Addiction recovery is a lengthy journey that frequently has ups and downs. Be prepared to embrace the entire process and to support your teen at each step.

Exploring the Reach of Heroin Addiction

Heroin addiction, once thought to be confined to the inner cities, has now reached every community and every walk of life. There is no typical person dealing with heroin addiction in Fort Lauderdale. Teens in particular, from all backgrounds, enter rehab to conquer their addiction to heroin.

Watch this video to see how heroin changed the lives of two young adults from suburban Minnesota. These two young people do not fit the mold of what most people envision when they imagine heroin addiction, but they are among the new, younger faces of drug abuse, and in particular, heroin use. Because of the highly addictive nature of heroin, trying the drug once is enough to lead to a pattern of abuse, and only intervention through rehab can help users learn to overcome the intense cravings they experience.

Exploring the Link Between Sexual Assault and Drug Abuse in Teens

Abuse, including sexual assaults, is strongly linked to addiction in both teens and adults. Teens who are the victims of sexual assaults have a higher risk of developing addictions as adults, and they may also turn to substance abuse as a coping mechanism when they are still teens. For teens who been victimized, it’s important to choose a substance abuse program that also offers family counseling or psychotherapy in Fort Lauderdale so that the underlying issues that contributed to the addiction.

Sexual Assault as a Trigger for Drug Use

Sexual abuse, including molestation in the home or assault by a stranger, can be a trigger for addiction for many teens. In order to cope with the repercussions of the abuse, teens may turn to alcohol or drugs. The National Institute on Drug Abuse recognizes being the victim of sexual violence as one of the risk factors for addiction in teens. Teens who were victimized as younger children may also turn to drugs or alcohol during their adolescence because of the impacts of those episodes. Parents who know that their children have been victimized may be able to reduce the risk of future drug abuse by getting therapy for their children when the incident occurs. Teens who enter rehab with histories of sexual assaults are sometimes diagnosed with and treated for post-traumatic stress disorder as a co-occurring condition along their addictions.

Drug Use as a Trigger for Sexual Assault

Teens who use abuse drugs or alcohol also have a higher risk of becoming the victims of sexual assault. The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence reports that alcohol is a factor in 40% of all violent crimes, and teens who are abusing drugs and alcohol may engage in sexually risky behaviors. Issues with consent are also possible. These incidences may further exacerbate the addition. Through psychotherapy and counseling, rehab centers can address these issues as part of the wider addiction recovery process.