Family-based interventions for teenagers can be effective for a number of reasons.
For starters, they put the people who care the most about the teen in the position of providing influence and encouragement. This can be a highly effective form of treatment, because not only can the family influence the teenager’s drug use, but many other areas of life, too. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, family-based drug intervention often tackles such issues as family communication and conflict, additional behavioral or mental health problems, learning disorders, problems with school or work attendance, friend networks and more.
Family-based interventions work by not only addressing the drug use head on, but by focusing on the whole family and the myriad reasons why teenagers experiment with drugs. Family-based intervention often can address many of these at once — sometimes, family issues can even contribute to drug-abuse problems, and getting family involved in intervention can help unwind those causes.
“The health of a family can play a major role in the success of recovery.” —Eric Patterson
Second, there’s the practical influence of the rules. When teens are living under the roof — and under the strictures — of their parents, having mom and/or dad involved in the intervention process can be all the more effective.
Consider the example of drug testing and accountability. Bostec provides a couple different methods for testing whether a teenager has been using drugs. A portable home-test kit can be used in situations where the parents feel most comfortable keeping their teenager accountable without getting others involved. Bostec also provides in-office testing for those situations where the parents feel that a little more structure would be beneficial. Each method works well; which to choose depends on the individual situation.
If you’ve wondered how to help kids stop using drugs, you’re already part of the solution. DIY kits for at-home drug testing can help verify the problem so you and your family can take steps to address it.
If you’re interested in talking more about drug interventions, reach out to Bostec. Our team has years of experience conducting and monitoring drug tests in Whatcom County and throughout the Pacific Northwest, and we can provide needed accountability to help guide your family on the road to recovery. Drugs absolutely can be overcome! Bostec can help.