Aired: July 14, 2008 – 11:00 AM PST
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TITLE: The Challenge of Treating Teens Addicted to Drugs and Alcohol
SPECIAL GUEST: John Lieberman, Director of Operation of Visions Adolescent Treatment Center
John Lieberman has been an expert contributor to: US News and World Report, The Today Show and Teen Vogue. If you are an educational consultant, psychologist, school counselor or parent of a teen.
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The effective treatment of adolescents with substance abuse and behavioral disorders requires an approach that includes attention to every aspect of a young person’s life. We see every individual as a whole being. In addition to fully understanding the emotional, developmental, physical, psychological, familial, social and cultural factors, there must be appropriate resources in place to address these issues.
Every young person entering our Malibu CA drug rehab program will be treated as a unique individual with separate needs and problems. We create an addiction treatment plan that is tailored to the specific needs of each individual. While the primary focus is on the need to achieve sobriety, other issues such as mental health, behavioral problems, eating disorders, cross-addictions, low self-esteem, anger management and family dysfunction will be assessed and addressed for the greatest success of our residents and their families.
Adolescent substance abusers differ from adults in many ways. Their drug and alcohol use often stems from different causes, and they have even more trouble projecting the consequences of their use into the future. In addiction treatment, adolescents must be approached differently than adults because of their unique developmental issues, differences in their values and belief systems, and environmental considerations (e.g., strong peer influences). The use of substances may also compromise an adolescent’s mental and emotional development from youth to adulthood because substance use interferes with how people approach and experience interactions.
