The teenage years are fundamental for establishing the foundations that you’ll need to journey through adulthood. Most teens and young adults, however, go through tumultuous periods of development. Combined with self-doubt, peer pressure and a lack of resources to help them cope, these individuals may experiment with or become addicted to drugs. Boise long term addiction support through Idaho rehab centers helps empower teens and young adults to move forward with confidence, ease, and sobriety.
Why Do Teens Need Long Term Addiction Support?
The human brain continues to develop throughout the teenage years. The brain doesn’t fully develop until about age 30. Even after that, you can rewire the brain through therapy and experience. But this pruning of the neural circuits happens much faster when you’re 14 compared to 45.
Drug use interferes with brain development. It can impair memory and damage regions of the brain that you use when you’re learning.
Addictive substances also interfere with the way that the brain processes rewards. In individuals who don’t use drugs, the brain naturally produces feel-good chemicals in response to certain behaviors. Through this network, you learn to continue doing things that feel good and stop activities that feel bad or are harmful.
Drugs make this circuitry go haywire. When teens and young adults use substances, they may only feel happiness or relaxation when the drugs are in their system. This can make it extremely difficult for them to regulate their emotions, which are already vulnerable during these years. Long term addiction support helps build strong, healthy neural pathways that young people can rely on for the rest of their lives.
Long Term Addiction Support Involves More Than Detox
Getting the drugs out of your system is one important step toward recovery. Once your body has a chance to explore its natural state, you can begin to work toward regulating your mood, emotions, and cravings. However, most people go through a number of stages between detox and successful recovery.
Drugs’ effects take over the healthy functioning of the brain. They may make teens and young adults believe that they don’t need sleep, support from their families, friendships, or healthy nutrition. Even after the chemicals have left your system, you could continue to harbor these limiting beliefs that were established while you were using drugs.
Moreover, teens and young adults experience positive and negative emotions more strongly than adults do. The thought patterns that drugs create can establish a cycle that’s hard to get out of. It takes time and long term addiction support to change harmful thought processes into healthy ones.
Long Term Addiction Support Doesn’t Happen Alone
The family is an integral part of long term addiction support. Adolescents can’t thrive if they don’t know that they’re safe and supported. But many parents don’t know how to manage addiction in their teen or young adult.
Our Boise long term addiction support center promotes family involvement in our therapeutic approach to treatment. Even when they’ve completed their treatment program, teens and young adults continue to experience significant changes in their lives.
Getting the family involved allows everyone to work together to encourage sobriety even when life feels immensely challenging. It also gives teens and young adults to establish their independence healthily.
How Boise Long Term Addiction Support Can Help
Many Idaho addiction treatment centers have a wide focus. Zelus is different. We cater to teens and young adults only. Our maximum age is 25. Therefore, we offer targeted therapy that delivers exactly what this age group needs, including Boise long term addiction support.
We offer a variety of care options, such as:
Long term addiction support should not be difficult for teens and young adults to access. If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction and wants to learn more about Zelus Recovery, contact us at 208.518.0797.