Florida Drug Rehab Hopes to Educate Parents

Below is helpful information not only for adolescents but adults as well. Preparing for the Confrontation The purpose of direct confrontation is to convince adolescents of the effects of their destructive behavior and insist that they agree to enter treatment. During the confrontation, adolescents are told of the harmful effects of their behavior on themselves and on the people close to them. They are told of the consequences of continuing their drug-abusing lifestyle, and offered a way to avoid the consequences -- treatment.A family prepares for a confrontation by taking six steps: (1) consulting a professional, (2) choosing members of the team, (3) choosing the confrontation data, (4) choosing its time, (5) holding a practice confrontation, and (6) investigating treatment options. 1.    Consult a professional. Every intervention team should have a drug abuse counselor or an addictionist to supervise the preparation and direct the actual confrontation. This should not be a difficult step since contact was made during the assessment phase. 2.    Choose members of the team. Families should select members of the team on the basis of their close relationships with the adolescent and their willingness to participate in a confrontation. Team members may be family members, friends, school teachers or counselors, and anyone who can play a positive role in the confrontation. Individuals who should be excluded include those whose psychological state is too fragile to withstand the emotional impact of the confrontation, anyone likely to berate the adolescent or preach moralistically, and family members too full of hate to perceive that drug addiction is an illness and that the drug addicted person is in need of help. 3.    Choose the data. With the help of the professional, each team member selects two or three examples of the adolescent's inappropriate behavior that has impacted negatively on them. These should be as detailed and as current as possible. It is imperative that team members focus on facts and observations rather than feelings and judgments. They should not use their information to try to humiliate the adolescent but to help him or her see the seriousness of the addictive behaviors. Angry, hostile remarks will only activate the adolescent's defense mechanisms. 4.    Choose the time. A time for the confrontation should be chosen that is as convenient as possible for all members of the team. It should be when the adolescent is expected to be free of drugs, at least temporarily. If the adolescent is intoxicated at the scheduled confrontation time, it should be postponed. For some adolescents, the confrontation will have to be done in the morning before drug use begins. 5.    Hold a practice confrontation. Members of the team should meet at least once, and preferably twice, to rehearse the confrontation. During these meetings, the professional plays the role of the adolescent, and team members practice giving their evidence in a detached, nonjudgmental manner. They should also practice how they will respond to the adolescent's manipulation, evasion, or anger. 6.    Investigate treatment options. The last step is to investigate both inpatient and outpatient treatment options and the costs of each. Financial matters, such as insurance clearance, should be taken care of in advance so that, should the intervention be successful, there will not be a delay in getting the adolescent into treatment. 1 1 H. Thomas Milhorn, Drug and Alcohol Abuse The Authoritative Guide for Parents, Teachers, and Counselors (Cambridge, MA: Perseus Publishing, 1994) 121, Questia, 11 Feb. 2009 . To speak to someone and gain more information on how you can help someone you love get off drugs and alcohol, please call today 866-211-5538 or visit Transformations Treatment Center's website and fill out a contact form. http://www.transformationstreatment.com 2 Cheryl Wetzstein, "SSI Reforms Drive Drug Users, Drunks to Faith-Based Welfare," Insight on the News 26 Jan. 1998, Questia, 11 Feb. 2009 .


# # #

I invite you to Transformations Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center.You can change your life. You deserve it. Call 866-211-5538 or visit us online http://www.transformationstreatment.com.

Name*:
E-mail*:
Captcha*:
Text*: