Teens are likely to abuse alcohol if they see their parents drunk.
According to The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, 65 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds consume alcohol monthly and report becoming drunk once a month. Teens might go on with this behavior not knowing the health risks they are increasing. They also might be unaware of ways to stop if they feel they are addicted. There are several treatments and methods available to encourage teens to stop drinking.
Making a List
Teens with alcohol problems might not want to change their drinking habits overnight because the road to recovery is a paced process. To get started, they will need to acknowledge that they have a drinking problem. Encourage them to think about it by having them write down the benefits of drinking and the effects of drinking. They might find reason to quit after seeing drinking's effects outweigh the benefits.
Making Lifestyle Changes
Your teen might begin the road to recovery by making small lifestyle changes. These changes might include the following: staying away from places that sell alcoholic beverages; not attending parties that serve alcohol; and distancing himself from friends who drink and who might not be supportive of him quitting.
Outside Support
Recovering from alcohol abuse is a process. There are programs that can help a teen throughout her recovering process such as rehab or counseling. Talking to people from faith communities, school counselors or family and friends can also help. Attending an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting can be help your teen. In an AA meeting, the teen will have a sponsor who is a former alcoholic with experience in temptations but maintains his sobriety. A sponsor understands what the teen is going through, and he can provide support in resisting temptation.
Detox Safely
Teens who regularly abuse alcohol will be physically dependent on alcohol. Teens who stop drinking might go through withdraw. If they do, they can experience symptoms such as headaches, shaking, vomiting, anxiety, insomnia and stomach cramps. In rare cases, they might experience delirium tremens --- a serious withdrawal case. If the teen is experiencing symptoms of severe vomiting, fever, seizures or convulsions, seek medical attention.
Tags: abuse alcohol, drinking effects, road recovery, stop drinking, Substance Abuse