Substance Abuse Treatment Programs for Troubled Girls from Elk Plain, WA

Why do teens use or misuse drugs?

Many potential circumstances can cause a teenage girl from Elk Plain, WA to turn to drugs and alcohol -- namely, to self-medicate underlying, mental health-related issues. 

However, before full-blown addiction occurs, teens from Elk Plain, WA typically dabble or experiment with "lesser" but more common drugs such as alcohol and tobacco use. 

This is why behavioral experts refer to such drugs (as well as others, including marijuana) as gateway drugs. However, if left untreated, experimenting with these "starter kit" narcotics and alcohol can often lead to more severe consequences, such as extreme behaviors and eventual, full-blown addiction.  

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Addiction is not the only risk that faces teenage girls from Elk Plain, WA who experiment with drugs and alcohol. For example, drinking alcohol in excess gives users an unrealistic perception of 'feeling invincible.' Thus, when a teen -- whose brain's frontal lobe, in charge of decision-making, etc.-- decides to drink alcohol to excess, they are at extreme risk of acting on behaviors and actions that may lead to serious, if not grave, consequences.  

Other Risk Factors that May Lead to Teen Drug Abuse

While there is no one or even a select few risk factors that may lead to teen drug and alcohol abuse, there is a myriad of potential risk factors parents from Elk Plain, WA can look out for: 

• A family history of drug or alcohol abuse
• An emotional or behavioral malady, such as depression, anxiety, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Impulsive or risk-taking behavior
• A history of traumatic events, such as experiencing a car accident or being a victim of abuse
• Low self-esteem or feelings of social rejection

Substance Abuse Treatment Programs for Troubled Girls from Elk Plain, WA Should Provide Top-tier Mental Health-Related Treatments

Teenage girls from Elk Plain, WA often abuse drugs and alcohol to mask inner pain that they do not have the emotional intelligence to deal with proactively or healthily. That said, when searching a substance abuse treatment program, parents from the Elk Plain, WA area need to look for programs that provide intensive, reputable, and most importantly, individualized mental health treatment for teenage girls. 

Substance abuse treatment programs also provide regular therapies that include: 

• CBT 
• DBT
• Behavioral Therapy
• Reality/Choice
• Existential
• Trauma Interventions
• Psychosocial
• Family Systems