Considerations To Make About Detox For Teens

Even though drug abuse is prevalent amongst teens and young adults, it can be very difficult for parents to discover that their child has an addiction and needs treatment. With teens being under the legal age, it often falls to their parents or legal guardian to make decisions on their treatment. When it comes to detox for teens, many parents will have multiple options to deal with. When you call 800-996-6135(Who Answers?) to discuss the treatment options for your teen, please keep in mind the following considerations about detox that you may need to make.

Time

Your teen will likely need to miss school for a prolonged period during detox.

Detox or detoxification is defined by the National Institute on Drug Abuse as the process where the body rids itself of an addictive substance.

Depending on how long a person has been using, how much of the drug was taken at the last dosage, and how long ago the last dosage was, the detox process can take a considerable amount of time.

In some cases, the process can last for several days and can be incredibly difficult for a person to go through. Additional time is usually required for the body to recover from the extra stress that detox puts on it.

With detox for teens, this may mean that they will have to miss school for several days, if not over a week. As a parent, this may mean you will need to take off time from work and have a plan in place for the entirety of your teen’s detoxification.

Health

Drugs have a nasty habit of wreaking all sorts of havoc on a person’s body. As a result, a person’s health that is damaged by their addiction may be compromised or worsened by the strain of detox.

This can be a major issue as many teens are still growing and developing. When the issue of a person’s health is brought into question, the detox process can become all the more complicated.

Medical assistance may be necessary, either through

• hospitalization
• inpatient treatment
• or by having medical personnel on standby in case of emergency

Before beginning the detox process—which should not, under any circumstances, be used as the only form of treatment—a full assessment of the person’s health should be done in order to establish what needs to be addressed during treatment.

Any health issues or additional complications that can arise during detox will often be identified during the assessment and a plan of action will usually be established.

Medication

In some cases, there may be specific treatment for the withdrawal symptoms of certain drugs. For example, many the withdrawal symptoms of many opioid-based drugs can be managed with medications.

According to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration, maintenance medications like methadone and buprenorphine are common examples of medication-assisted treatment for opioids and are usually combined with other forms of treatment.

Medication assisted treatment is the most effective intervention for opioid abuse. The medications used for withdrawal treatment are designed to help ease the process, and prevent any serious damage from being caused.

If you or a loved one is struggling with an addiction, please call 800-996-6135(Who Answers?) for help. You will be able to speak with one of our caring specialists about what treatment options are available for you.

Sources

1. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2017). Frequently Asked Questions: What is Detoxification, or “Detox”?
2. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2015). Medication and Counseling Treatment.
3. The Pew Charitable Trusts. (2016). Medication-Assisted Treatment Improves Outcomes for Patients With Opioid Use Disorder.