Social pressures. A changing body. Grappling with the world and trying to find your place in it.

Change is never comfortable, and adolescence is a period of life defined by change, maybe more so than any other. For many teens, being faced with so much change for the first time in their lives leads to trouble adjusting to the transition to adulthood. With so many pitfalls riddling the road of adolescence, the fear of succumbing to them leaves many teens developing mental disorders, such as addiction, depression and/or anxiety. In fact, in 2020 alone, 5.6 million teens were diagnosed with anxiety, while 2.4 million were diagnosed with depression.

Here are some warning signs that you can identify in your teen:

• Tiredness and loss of energy  
• Infrequent sleeping patterns 
• Changes in appetite  
• Agitation or restlessness  
• Social isolation 
• Angry outbursts  
• Self-harm  
• Substance use exploration 

Left untreated, these mental disorders leave teens desperate to find relief, and silence the negative voices in their head. To many the answer is staring them right in the face. Movies, social media, and the advent of reality TV have brought with them the normalization of underage drug and alcohol use. At such an impressionable time in their lives, many teens gravitate towards the glorified portrayal of substance abuse and begin to experiment for themselves.

Underdeveloped brains and a lack of experience regulating their emotions leave teens particularly susceptible to Substance-Use Disorder (SUD). Developing an addiction at a young age can lead to decline in academic performance, deteriorating mental and physical health, and poses the risk of legal trouble. With many changes occurring in their children, parents often miss the signs that their child has fallen victim to SUD.

The following signs are potential indicators that your child is suffering from SUD:

• Declining performance in school
• Poor hygiene
• Loss of interest in activities or hobbies
• Secretive behavior
• Change in appetite
• Change of friend group

At Dilworth Center, we understand that navigating the uncertainties of parenting a child with Substance-Use Disorder is difficult, particularly when a co-occurring diagnosis can complicate the treatment and recovery process. That’s why we’re committed to providing holistic and comprehensive treatment for addiction and any co-occurring mental health disorders.

Our services include programs for adolescents, young adults, adults, families, and professionals. Additionally, we offer post-treatment relapse prevention to give our patients the tools and community to navigate mental health and recovery.

Our initial assessment guarantees that we tailor recovery programs to the needs of every individual with our treatment philosophy centering around clear and transparent communication.

We provide the tools for teens suffering from Substance-Use Disorder to recover. Dilworth Center alumni maintain an industry-leading 80% sobriety rate after two years, because we don’t just give our patients the ability to survive without drugs and alcohol. We give them the resources to thrive without drugs and alcohol.