It’s challenging to watch your adolescent boy go through addiction recovery, but it’s vital for their happiness and health. As a parent, family member, friend or caregiver, there are likely so many hopes and expectations that you have for them and you want to make sure they get through this safe and sound. When we talk about addiction recovery success, it’s important to consider what that means to you – because that will ultimately impact the connection you have with your teen. Let’s explore some of the general elements that should be taken into consideration when building up your own idea of what recovery “success” should look like.
A 2018 study published in the journal Addiction Research & Theory spoke with administration professionals and practitioners in the addiction recovery field to see what they generally consider a success for successful adolescent recovery. These were part of their responses:
Factors Demonstrating Success
- An adolescent being able to create a life they really want and being able to look in the mirror and love themselves
- Staying productive in school and/or work
- Sobriety
- Learning and using life skills
- Staying engaged in the recovery process
- Becoming emotionally healthy
Progress Towards Success
- Length of time sober and cognitive functioning improvements because of this
- The ability to learn from mistakes in a supported environment
How do you define “recovery”? What can you do to foster the outcomes that you want? As a family member, it’s important to note that these wishes you have for your teen need to be uplifted and supported by you through your words and actions. Practitioners from the previously mentioned study did note that family involvement was a key factor to enabling recovery success and you can do this becoming actively engaged in their recovery as well as supporting them when they take steps or leaps of progress.
If your teen is ready to begin their journey to recovery, speak with a professional from Cumberland Heights today.
Adolescent Recovery of Cumberland Heights (ARCH) originally began in 1985 when there were few other adolescent programs like it in the country. In 2019, we’re expanding our continuum of services with ARCH Academy, a unique program that offers 60 days to 6 months of residential care to adolescent boys ages 14-18 who are struggling with alcohol and/or drug addiction. This new program stems from Cumberland Heights, which has been around since 1966 and is located in Kingston Springs, Tennessee. The adolescent age is a critical time for development, making this a crucial time of positive influence. For more information, call us today at 1-800-646-9998.
