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Intervention 101
Take Control of Teen Drug Use
By Shel Franco
If you find that your teen resists your efforts to see a counselor, Rusche says withdrawal of privileges such as driving and allowances just might be your ticket to a scheduled meeting. In this situation, parents need to focus on the goal of ending drug use; this is not the place for reasonable negotiations, but a time to take control. "The parent has to be a parent, has to step in and say, 'We are no longer going to put up with this. It is time for us to get some advice and help,'" Rusche says.
Karen Hawkins of Bridgton, Maine, knows a little something about taking control, even in the face of resistance. When her teenage son began to use drugs, Hawkins issued an ultimatum. "I gave my son the option of going to a drug rehab facility or leaving our home," Hawkins says. "He chose the rehab, but not happily."
Another means of helping a teen drug user is an intervention. An intervention is particularly useful when alcohol is the substance of choice. These group meetings can take place with or without the presence of the teen. By assembling family and friends, without your teen present, you can first compare notes. Oftentimes, the bits and pieces that you gather from each individual will help you get a better perspective on the actual scope and frequency of the drug or alcohol use. If the thought of an intervention seems a bit daunting, a counselor can coach you through the details and even be present for the group meeting.
Regardless of the scope of drug use, the goal is to get the teen to be drug-free. Even if you determine that the drug use was mnimal, it is important to get help and follow through with swift action. "All of the research tells us that the longer we can delay the onset of use of any illicit drugs, alcohol and tobacco – the better chances we have of producing a healthy adult, one who will almost always never become addicted to anything," Rusche says.
