If your teen is struggling with alcohol addiction, you may have trouble helping them cease their addictive behaviours. However, this may be due to underlying relationships between their behaviours and their thoughts. Often, teens begin to use drugs to anesthetize certain symptoms of mental illness. The teen years are a time that is rife with hormonal changes. Sometimes this can lead to the discovery of mental health issues, which may appear for the first time as teens navigate their growth. Drug and alcohol treatment is a way to help your teen ease into better self-care and understanding of their symptoms. With Venture Academy, you can guide them out of addiction toward more productive coping mechanisms.
At Venture Academy, our drug and alcohol treatment programs provide the support that some people need to begin their road to recovery. If your teen may benefit from these programs, contact our team today by calling 866.762.2211 or completing our online form. Our team can show them the connection between alcohol and mental health.
Alcohol and Mental Health
Alcohol and mental health have a close relationship. Over time, alcohol use has been shown to worsen the effects of certain types of mental illness and even cause symptoms that mimic mental illness. However, the inverse can also be true. Sometimes, individuals will use alcohol or drugs to lessen the effects of worsening mental health issues. During the teen years, mental illness often appears for the first time. If a teen is not well-equipped with robust coping strategies, these emotional and behavioural changes can cause serious financial, legal, and health repercussions. If your loved one is struggling with alcohol and mental health problems, it is best to find them caring professional treatment. Venture Academy offers programs that are individualized to help care for your teen’s health concerns.
Co-Occurring Disorders
One of the problems with ending the cycle of alcohol addiction is that often alcohol addiction coexists with other co-occurring disorders. This means that even when someone stops drinking, they may still require some type of medication for symptoms of underlying mental health issues. Suppose these symptoms are not adequately addressed through proper care with experienced therapeutic professionals. In that case, they are likely to lead an individual back to drinking when they face new stressors in daily life. Alcohol and mental health tend to affect each other. Because of this, alcohol and drugs will exacerbate untreated illness. This is how addiction can grow to become too much for your loved one to overcome on their own.
Symptoms of Co-Occurring Disorders
The symptoms of co-occurring disorders can depend on a specific diagnosis as well as how long alcohol is consumed. However, the range of symptoms of alcohol and mental health do carry some warning signs, such as:
- Changes in appetite
- Isolation
- Irritability
- Anxiety
- Difficulty concentrating
- Low energy
- Loss of motivation
- Neglecting responsibilities
These behavioural signs may indicate that your teen is struggling with alcohol and mental health. If they are struggling with co-occurring disorders, chances are they face a lot of stigma among their peers. This feeling of shame can sometimes be a reason that individuals do not seek help. If you recognize these signs, you can help your teen by discussing mental health openly and reaching out to Venture Academy when your teen’s struggles become too much for them to handle on their own.
Help Your Teen Overcome Alcohol Addiction Today at Venture Academy
At Venture Academy, our comprehensive drug and alcohol treatment can help your teen make the connection between alcohol and mental health. Co-occurring disorders can be confusing, but our experienced team understands the complexity of this problem. Our caring professionals will guide your teen to better understand any underlying diagnoses so that they can make better decisions for themselves. Call us today at 866.762.2211 or complete our online form to learn more about our 30-day assessment and intervention program and behaviour treatment. Help your teen find success with Venture Academy.