Teen Drug Addictions Part 3

Writen by Maureen Staiano

Teen drug addictions can often be difficult to recover from. This is one of those times when being young is more of a hindrance than a help. Teenagers are programmed to think they are invincible, nothing “bad” could possibly happen to them. They are just getting started in life. The idea of having to give anything up for good is often a foreign concept.

In the inner cities where life can be particularly rough teenagers often subscribe to the credo “live hard and fast for tomorrow we may be dead.” It’s often hard for teenagers in these circumstances to see the value of living a life without drugs.

With that being said the outpatient facilities and inpatient rehabilitation facilities are full of teenagers trying to do just that. Live a life without drugs or alcohol. Staying abstinent from drugs and alcohol is challenging especially in the beginning. What I have included here is a very useful strategy in recovering from teen drug addictions.

In many twelve step programs they will speak often to newly recovering people about H.A.L.T. This stands for hungry, angry, lonely, and tired. Keeping a watchful eye on any one of these cropping up during the day can go along way to maintaining abstinence. They can be your best ally in recovering from teen drug addictions.

Hungry- Letting yourself get hungry or regularly skipping meals leads to drops in blood sugar. It also leads to irritability which can often lead to a teenage addict wanting to pick up their drug of choice for relief. Eating regularly, even small balanced meals or snacks can help of the symptoms or hunger. A protein bar or a pack of trail mix is some good choices because they are not as sugar laden. They are also small and easy to throw in a backpack or car glove compartment.

Angry- Being angry and being a teenager often seem to go hand in hand. The teenage years are a rough time with lots of change and stress. Having someone or a group of trusted individuals to talk with can help keep anger at bay. Also regular exercise and even participation in team sports can go a long way towards blowing off steam and reducing anger. Anger that is sustained often begs for relief which can come in the form of drugs. If the previous suggestions do not help alleviate the symptom of anger do not hesitate to seek professional help.

Lonely- As mentioned before teenage years are tough. We have all heard of teens feeling lonely or as though they don’t fit in. If you are a teen trying to recover from drug addiction and maintain abstinence, loneliness can be exaggerated. At this crucial time it is important that the teenager has a supportive group of people to spend time with. While it is true that some of the most supportive people will be the teenager’s family, it is just as important that they find a peer group they can identify with. Twelve step programs or even outpatient programs designed for teaching recovering teens living skills may be able to fill this need by providing a group the teenager can identify with. Isolation in a recovering addict is a red flag that they may be in trouble, so don’t take it lightly.

Tired- Teenagers as a whole often keep crazy hours. It is a time of life when they often feel they have boundless energy and a need to cram too many activities into too few hours. This is often followed by the need for extra sleep when they crash, leading to a general imbalance that can affect their overall mood. Irritability is often present when the recovering teenager has been getting too little sleep. That in turn can precipitate an urge to use to quell the irritability. A balanced sleep schedule can be invaluable to a teenager trying to recover from drug addiction. Though they may not often see the need for regular sleep times and adequate hours of sleep, you may be able to gently bring it to their attention if you see them acting out of sorts when lacking in the sleep department.

Excessive sleep can leave the teenager feeling hung over and sluggish which can be an uncomfortable feeling as well. Excessive sleep is also a sign of isolation or depression, as a parent it is wise to keep an eye on your recovering teenager’s sleep schedule. The aim is for balance.

Recovering from teen drug addictions can be a challenge. Keeping an eye out for H.A.L.T. and not allowing anyone of those get out of hand, can go a long way to helping a recovering teenager stick with their resolve to be clean of drugs and alcohol.

Maureen Staiano is a Life Coach specializing in working with women and the unique challenges, opportunities and transitions we face in our lives. Maureen has worked with people recovering from addiction for over six years. Please visit Maureen at: http://www.achieveyourdreamcoaching.com

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Anger Management: Is It Finally Time To Forgive?

Writen by Charlie Badenhop

In order to free ourselves from the pain of anger and resentment we need to be able to forgive our self and others. The longer we dwell on hurtful situations from the past, the longer we keep our self from living fully in the present. Forgiveness is an act of kindness. An act of kindness to your self, as it leads to a sense of personal freedom.

Recently I had a client who had a lot of resentment towards her mother for many things that she had done to her in the past.
“I don’t want to forgive my mother for what she did in the past.” my client said. “What she did is wrong, and she has never apologized.”
I hear this very same statement from many clients who are living with resentment, whether it be towards their parents, their spouse, or their boss.

I asked my client if she felt that anyone other than herself, was responsible for, and capable of, making her happy. After a rather long and convoluted discussion, she said that when it was all said and done, she realized that she was indeed the only one that could make herself happy.

We sat there together for a while, and then I took a deep breath and suggested that my client do so as well. Here is an idea, I said. “What if as a totally selfish act, done simply for your own personal happiness, you decided to go ahead and let go of the resentment you had towards your mom, so that you would no longer need to have resentment clouding your life. What would that be like?” “You would not be saying that what was done to you was OK. You would simply be letting go of the resentment so that your own life would be happier. Would you want to let go of your resentment if it meant you would feel greater happiness?”

We sat there together for a while and my client’s face softened. She said that if she was able to let go of her resentment, it would be like lifting a weight from her shoulders, and removing a dark cloud from her heart.

“With all you have been through,” I said. “With all of the pain you have suffered, wouldn’t it be a wonderful gift to yourself if you could lift this weight from your shoulders and remove the dark cloud from your heart? Would it not be wonderful to be freed from your hurt and resentment?”

She sat there for a while, as tears formed, and she said very softly “Yes, I want to feel good. I want to feel love. I want to feel free.”

“So” I said, “In order to free yourself from pain and open your heart to love, you would be willing to go so far as to forgive your mother if this is what you felt was necessary for your own personal happiness?”
She was somewhat hesitant, but said “Yes.”
“Remember” I said, “I am suggesting that you do this purely for selfish reasons. Not because you want to actually forgive your mom at this point in time, but because you want to free yourself to live a happier life.”
My client said “Yes, when it is said like this, I have the resolve to forgive my mother, in order to free myself to live a happier life.”
“Good I said. “Hold these thoughts and feelings in your heart for a while and then we can talk about how to actually accomplish your forgiving.”

How about you? Are you holding onto any resentment? Are you ready to recapture your happiness? Would you be willing to undertake the radical act of forgiveness in order to free yourself? I certainly hope so.

And if not today, maybe tomorrow.

Charlie Badenhop is the originator of Seishindo, an Aikido instructor, NLP trainer, and Ericksonian Hypnotherapist. Benefit from his thought-provoking ideas and a new self-help Practice every two weeks, by subscribing to his free newsletter about the importance of Mindfulness in our lives. If you want to learn more about anger
management or become involved in Practices that can help you to feel calm and centered, Seishindo is a great choice. Find out more about Seishindo
Anger Management theories and practices by reading the Seishindo Newsletter issue entitled “Coming to terms with anger.”

© Charlie Badenhop, 2005. You have permission to publish this article electronically free of charge, as long as the bylines with the active links are included and you don’t sell the article to others.

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