Youth Intervention

Addiction is a horrible thing for a family to experience no matter who the addicted family member is.  It is particularly painful when the addict is a teenager.  It seems like one moment your child is engaged in typical youthful activity such as afterschool sports or recreational clubs.  Before long, your child is associating with a new group of friends and spends less time with the family.  Perhaps you notice a decline in grades or disinterest in school altogether.  Are these signs of typical adolescence or is something deeper going on?

As a parent, it is important to take a proactive role in your child's development.  If you do notice a marked change in behavior, look for some of the warning signs of drug/alcohol abuse:

• Have you noticed sudden changes in mood or behavior?
• Are you receiving reports from school regarding unexcused absences, declining grades and lack of effort and interest in school activities?
• Is there something different about your child's appearance?  
• Have you discovered drugs or alcohol in his room or car?
• Have you discovered drug paraphernalia in his room or car?
• Does your child continually request money, and, when asked, is unable to account for where it is spent?

It is important to understand that affirmative responses to the above questions do not necessarily confirm that drug/alcohol use, abuse or addiction is present.  At a minimum, however, it should warrant further investigation.  You might speak with school teachers, a therapist or your family physician to determine if your child's behavior is a case of adolescence or addiction.

If your child is engaged in drug or alcohol activity, a youth intervention is an excellent method to approach the problem.  A youth intervention is presented with love, compassion and respect.  Perhaps the greatest mistake parents make when they intervene on their own is when they use a dictatorial approach.  Angry lectures laced with frustration and disdain do nothing to help the child.  A professional interventionist will be able to help you organize an intervention team, prepare the team for what will be said during the intervention and assist you in finding the right treatment facilty for your child.

For more information regarding youth interventions visit www.stevenlodgeinterventions.com 

Affordable Interventions By keeping my fees reasonable, I'm able to reach more families, help more addicts and direct their expenses toward treatment rather than the intervention.