Teen Drug Use & Mental Health: Why Boys Are More Vulnerable & How To Help

While tobacco has faded from the forefront of youth substance use, many adolescents and teenagers across America are still using drugs and other illicit substances. Moreover, twice as many boys engage in problematic substance use compared to girls. Luckily, this has given rise to many rehab centers that offer spaces exclusively to boys, allowing them to overcome their addiction in a place where they are not judged.

Why Teenage Boys Are More At Risk

At such an important developmental juncture of their lives, teenagers are susceptible to substance abuse, as hormonal changes during this life stage may make them more likely to engage in risky behaviors spurred by peer pressure; this is especially true for teens with a family history of substance abuse, a mental or behavioral health condition like depression or ADHD, a history of trauma, or low self-esteem.

Statistically, studies have found that boys are more likely to engage in problematic substance use, with 11.5% of males over 12 having a substance use disorder compared to 6.4% of females in the same age range. Researchers believe that biological differences related to hormone production and average body size and composition are some of the key factors that lead boys and girls to engage with illegal substances differently, creating the discrepancy.

Mental Health & Substance Abuse

Mental health disorders are often precursors to substance abuse in youth, and more than half of adolescents with an untreated mental illness will develop an addiction.

Treatment centers like Clearfork Academy acknowledge this, which is why they integrate mental and behavioral health treatments into their drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs. These programs are designed to provide struggling teenagers - or in Clearfork Academy’s case, struggling teenage boys - with a therapeutic environment where they can find structure and support for their addiction and mental health challenges - an ideal place for recovery.

What Treatment Looks Like

Typically, residential treatment centers will provide 24-hour care to patients suffering from an addiction, with most programs beginning with a supervised clinical detox. During the process, a team of trained medical professionals will monitor the patient’s vitals as they reduce their intake of the substance they are addicted to, ensuring that withdrawal symptoms and cravings are managed with medications that can reduce discomfort. Once the detox has been completed, the patient will begin therapy to address the root causes of their addictive behaviors, as well as any co-occurring mental health disorders that exacerbated the addiction.

To treat conditions like depression, bipolar disorder, oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and ADHD, many rehab centers will also offer evidence-based modalities such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and trust-based relational intervention (TBRI), which are provided during individual and group therapy sessions. Some will even offer family counseling to encourage family involvement in recovery, teaching the patient and their parents and siblings about proper communication, active listening, accountability, and respect.

Certain residential rehab centers will also provide patients with on-site and virtual academic support to ensure they don’t fall behind in school during their recovery, as well as the opportunity to take part in sports and other recreational activities to help with self-expression and engagement with peers.

Finally, some can even provide faith-based treatments, which can help patients cope with their addiction through spirituality.

Clearfork Academy
City: Fort Worth
Address: 7820 Hanger Cutoff Road
Website: https://clearforkacademy.com/
Phone: +1-888-430-5149
Email: info@clearforkacademy.com