Is Johnny Drinking? Signs Your Teenage Boy Needs Treatment

August 23, 2016 – Treatment – 0 Comments

The teen years are notoriously tumultuous and have their fair share of ups and downs. Drinking and drug use and experimentation are often a part of these struggles, and many parents worry constantly that their son may fall into negative and destructive patterns of drinking. If you suspect that your son may be drinking or have a problem with drinking, it’s important to address it right away and to take the appropriate action.

Signs Your Teenage Boy May Be Drinking

While many teens may experiment or occasionally drink without your knowledge, problem drinking isn’t something that can be concealed for long. You may suspect there is a problem, but be unsure whether or not you should intervene or enlist the help of a professional. One thing to keep in mind is that it’s never too early to address the problem and get help. Here are some signs to look out for. These are red flags that indicate a problem that won’t just go away on its own.

• You have witnessed your son coming home intoxicated or smelling of alcohol on multiple occasions.
• Your son is getting in trouble at school, skipping classes, or his grades are dropping.
• His behavior at home is escalating; he may be especially angry, combative, and aggressive toward family members.
• Isolation from family members. For example, he stays out late and goes straight to his room. He refuses to acknowledge his behavior or talk about it with you or anyone else.
• He is not remembering incidents, such as fights or other behavior.
• He is engaging in unsafe activities, such as driving drunk or getting in the car with drunk drivers.
• He is hiding or “stashing” alcohol, stealing alcohol, or stealing money to pay for alcohol.

While some teen boys may go through difficult stages, most of these issues are quickly resolved with talking, consequences, and other solutions. Alcohol abuse escalates and progresses. Things get worse. It’s important to realize that while some teens may try alcohol or occasionally drink, the above red flags are not a part of normal behavior. If your son is acting out, getting so drunk he is making unsafe choices, or blacking out, then there is a serious problem that must be addressed.

Getting Treatment For Your Teenage Son

Parents are often reluctant to enlist professional help for their son’s drinking problem. They may punish, plead, and bargain with their son to get him to change his behavior. They may try strategies such as sending him to live with a relative to get him away from the “bad crowd” he is hanging out with. Unfortunately, if your son has a problem with alcohol abuse, these strategies will not work, at least not for long.

How An Alcohol Treatment Center Can Help

While alcohol treatment may seem to be an extreme action, it is often the best solution. Most treatment centers have a duration of 30 to 90 days. In some cases, a longer program is necessary. Treatment isn’t a punishment, it’s help. Your son will have the opportunity to recover from alcohol abuse in a supportive, safe, and non-judgmental environment that will promote impulse-control, problem-solving skills, and will teach coping skills and strategies that will benefit him in real-life situations.

Most teen alcohol treatment centers include individual and group counseling, education, activities that build self-discipline and self-confidence, and that also offer your son the opportunity to learn how to have fun without drinking.

The social aspect of recovery is an important one. Teens frequently fall into the trap of believing that they must drink in order to have fun. Until they learn otherwise, they will likely continue to drink. It’s important that they learn healthier ways to have fun and be social.

Treatment also addresses underlying issues such as low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety. These are often contributing factors to problem drinking.

It’s never too early to get help for your son. In fact, getting help early on can avoid further damage, suffering, and consequences of problem drinking. It offers your teen a fresh start and hope for a healthy, successful, and happy life.

His House Rehab offers industry-leading Teen Drug Rehab Programs. We were founded in 1994 and we base our Drug and Alcohol Treatment programs on five key principles: commitment, honesty, integrity, respect, and service. These five principles guide us in all that we do and all the care we provide. Contact us today to see how we can help you or your loved one.