Teen & Adolescent Substance Use Detox
What you will learn:
- What is medical detox for adolescents?
- Why is Guardian Recovery’s holistic treatment program unique?
- How does treatment address behavioral, emotional, and mental health concerns?
Teen & Adolescent Drug & Alcohol Addiction Medical Detox
For adolescents struggling with substance use and behavioral and mental health concerns, recovery is a multifaceted process that requires a comprehensive and compassionate approach. While the physical removal of substances from the body is a crucial first step, it’s equally important to address the underlying psychological, emotional, and social factors that contribute to substance use.
At Guardian Recovery, we provide a safe and structured environment where young individuals can receive the necessary support to manage withdrawal symptoms, develop coping mechanisms, and lay the foundation for long-term recovery. Our supportive team is committed to helping each adolescent achieve both physical and mental stabilization in a safe, medically supervised environment. Meanwhile, we take the first steps to prepare them for ongoing care and long-term recovery.
Ready to help your teen embark on a transformational journey? Reach out to us today. Discover how our adolescent drug and alcohol detox programs and holistic behavioral care can provide the support and guidance your child needs to find healing and wellness.
True transformation is within reach. Guardian Recovery can help.
What Is Teen & Adolescent Medical Detox?
Medical detox at Guardian Recovery is not merely about the physical removal of substances from the body. It’s a transformative process that addresses the unique needs and challenges faced by young individuals.
Once the body develops physical dependence on a substance, individuals typically experience withdrawal symptoms when use is suddenly stopped or significantly curtailed. With many substances, withdrawal symptoms can be extremely uncomfortable, often prompting teens to resume substance use to relieve discomfort. With some substances, however, withdrawal symptoms can be life-threatening if attempted without medical care and monitoring.
First and foremost, Guardian Recovery’s medically managed detox ensures that your child is safe, comfortable, and supported emotionally and physically during withdrawal. Medical and counseling staff monitor your teen 24/7, providing medications and supportive measures as necessary to alleviate withdrawal symptoms, prevent complications, and reduce cravings.
While teens can rest and relax as needed during medical detox, we encourage them to participate in group and individual therapy, which can smooth the transition from detox to residential or outpatient care. Plus, doing so allows them to begin to identify and address the causes of their substance use and behavioral concerns.
And since families are an integral part of the healing process at Guardian Recovery, we provide daily updates on your child’s progress during detox. Plus, we begin to schedule the next steps of family involvement, which include family therapy, parent support groups, workshops, and more.
As your child embarks on this transformative journey, they will discover that detox is not an end, but a beginning.
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Navigating the Challenges of Detoxification in Adolescents
Navigating the challenges of adolescent detox requires a comprehensive and sensitive approach due to the unique physiological and psychological aspects of this age group. Adolescents experiencing withdrawal face not only uncomfortable physical symptoms but also complex emotional and developmental issues. This delicate period demands an environment that ensures safety, understanding, and support.
Guardian Recovery offers a two-pronged approach to adolescent detox, pairing medical supervision, medications, and supportive measures to manage withdrawal symptoms and cravings with psychological support to begin to address underlying issues such as peer pressure, family dynamics, and mental health disorders. This dual approach provides the perfect balance of care for your teen and paves the way for ongoing treatment and long-term recovery.
Managing Withdrawal Symptoms in Medical Detox
Once dependence has developed and substance use is stopped or significantly curtailed, the body struggles to adjust to its absence. During this time, individuals typically experience a series of withdrawal symptoms.
The type and severity of withdrawal symptoms depends on a host of factors, including the type of substance used, the frequency of use, the duration of use, and various personal and individual characteristics.
Common Teen Withdrawal Symptoms
Given the myriad factors that can affect withdrawal symptoms, it’s impossible to provide a list of common withdrawal symptoms that applies to all teens. However, the following withdrawal symptoms can offer broad insights on what your teen might experience for common substances of misuse. But don’t be alarmed. While medical detox is imperative for your child’s mental and physical well-being, Guardian Recovery provides 24/7 care, monitoring, and support to ensure your teen is safe and comfortable during medical detox.
Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can include elevated blood pressure, sweating, dialated pupils, disorientation, anxiety, hallucinations, nausea, and seizures. Alcohol detox without medical supervision can sometimes lead to a potentially life-threatening condition known as delirium tremens, which is marked by severe withdrawal symptoms, including tremors, hallucinations, confusion, heart complications, and seizures.1
Opioid Withdrawal Symptoms
Opioids include illicit substances such as heroin and fentanyl as well as prescription drugs such as oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet) and hydrocodone (Vicodin). Almost all opioids are highly addictive and can lead to the development of an opioid use disorder. Opioid withdrawal symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, anxiety, increased body temperatures, sweating, chills, racing heart rate, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, and high blood pressure.2,3 While typically not life-threatening in and of themselves, opioid withdrawal symptoms are extremely uncomfortable and often lead to relapse to eliminate the discomfort.
Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Symptoms
Benzodiazepines are a type of central nervous system (CNS) depressant often used to treat anxiety, panic, muscle spasms, or seizures. Common examples of benzos include: alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), and lorazepam (Ativan). Benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms can include insomnia, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, hallucinations, psychomotor agitation, hand tremors, seizures, and involuntary nervous system hyperactivity. Seizures and delirium tremens are possible with benzo withdrawal, so medical supervision during withdrawal is recommended.4
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Supervision & Monitoring in Teen Medical Detox
Due to the unpredictable nature of withdrawal symptoms, Guardian Recovery provides constant oversight by medical professionals skilled in adolescent care. Along with 24/7 monitoring, our compassionate care team provides emotional support as well as supportive measures and medications as needed to ensure safety and minimize symptoms and cravings.
Unlike most rehabs, however, our medical detox for adolescents extends beyond physical care, as we offer emotional and psychological support to help teens navigate the complexities of detoxification.
Our homelike haven for healing is designed to be secure yet comforting, fostering a sense of safety and trust. Additionally, the detox process is often integrated with counseling sessions and educational programs that can begin to equip young clients with the knowledge and coping mechanisms necessary for post-detox life. This comprehensive approach ensures that the detoxification phase is medically sound, and it empowers your teen to begin to address the underlying causes of behavioral issues.
What Is the Detox Process for Teen Substance Use Disorder (SUD)?
The detox process begins with an in-depth review of your child’s medical and mental health history. Our professionals speak with you and your teen to gather vital information that then helps us carefully tailor your teen’s treatment plan, including suggested duration, supportive measures, treatment medications, and more.
Once your teen enters our care, we enact that plan, carefully monitor your child’s comfort and emotional health, and adjust treatment as needed. And of course, we keep parents or guardians informed and updated along the way.
Throughout Guardian Recovery’s medical detox we also offer teens the opportunity to participate in individual and group therapy. Compassionate counselors and staff strive to engage teens and help them to start to identify and address the underlying issues driving their behavioral, mental health, and substance use concerns. In the meantime, this education and interaction paves the way for ongoing treatment and long-term recovery.
Substances That Require Medical Detox
Experts regularly recommend medical detox for alcohol, benzodiazepines, stimulants, and opioids, as withdrawal symptoms related to these substances can be life-threatening and/or extremely uncomfortable if detox is attempted without medical care and monitoring. However, withdrawal symptoms for all substances are unpredictable. Plus, polysubstance use (i.e., the use of more than one substance concurrently) can complicate withdrawal. Thus, it’s important to seek medical advice before attempting any type of substance withdrawal independently.
Commonly Used Medications for Teen Substance Use Detox
Guardian Recovery employs various prescription medications and supportive measures (e.g., hydration, over-the-counter remedies, anti-diarrheals, nausea medications, etc.) to ensure comfort and safety during withdrawal.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved several drugs for the treatment of withdrawal and substance use disorders. Some of the more common pharmaceuticals include:1,5
- Benzodiazepines (e.g., diazepam, lorazepam)
- Buprenorphine
- Methadone
- Suboxone (i.e., buprenorphine/naloxone)
- Naltrexone
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