Home
For troubled teens.com is a resource for all things related to teens in crisis. Everything from wilderness camps to residential treatment centers is covered within this site. What are the rules, guidelines, and expectations when considering a treatment program? When you do choose a treatment option how do you know you’re choosing the best one available?
As a parent, your child’s welfare and safety are the most important aspects of parenting. But that’s the easy part, what about ‘how’. How do you know your doing the best thing for everyone involved?
There are five principles of recovery that should be part of any plan:
Trust – Without trust there is no meaningful relationships. As a parent trusting your teen is the most important step. On the flip-side a teens ability to trust their parents is equally important. Finally, trusting a program to help a troubled teen must also be present.
Communication – Open, honest communication sets the path for long term growth.
Freedom of Choice – Knowing that every choice has a consequence is part of life. In the exuberance of youth this truth is sometimes forgotten. Protecting a child from bad consequence from making bad decisions is just as bad as preventing them from making any choices in the first place.
Respect - Its been said that you can not truly love someone you do not respect. Beyond relationships with other people the idea applies to the individual and the relationship we have with ourselves. Can a person truly love themselves if they don’t respect themselves? Building respect for oneself and others is critical for long term change.
Love – Simple, sincere love for your teen needs to be communicated everyday. Love is the single most important aspect of your relationship. Getting to the point where this love is common knowledge takes time and effort.