Adolescent Drug Treatment in Marin

Last night I spoke at a 12-step meeting at Visions adolescent treatment center and it really reminded me of how grateful I am for my recovery and how far I’ve actually come. When it was first proposed to me that I go into drug treatment as a teenager, I was extremely angry and fearful. I tried to bargain with my parents and the rehab to either get out early or not go at all. I tried to downplay my using and accused my parents of overreacting to my drug use. The fact of the matter was that I was desperately out of control but was terrified of change. I felt like my parents had betrayed me and I was so mean to them. Thankfully my parents didn’t back down and I was left to figure it out in adolescent drug treatment. Being in treatment didn’t make all of my problems go away, but it did give me tools to help face my problems effectively, rather than let them destroy me. When I came back home after rehab, my parents were still suspicious of me. At first I was deeply offended that no one believed me or trusted me. I was clean! I talked about it with my sponsor and at outpatient treatment program. If I could really get honest with myself and take personal responsibility for the way my actions had affected my family, I had to give them a break. I would have to show them they could trust me. My word wasn’t very reliable after all that I’d put them through.
Even after having a few years clean, we still run into conflict occasionally, but who doesn’t? Sometimes when I am having a hard time, I feel like my parents still worry about me. I have to remember that only I know what is going on in my head, and their worrying about me is only because they care. Ultimately, the trust and open communication that has been reestablished between me and my parents is awesome. It all stemmed from that first gesture of me reluctantly attending treatment. I put in the work to get better, and my parents took advantage of family groups to help on their end. Every year my family and I celebrate my sobriety together. While I can’t take back what happened when I was younger, I can remain clean and give back to them. After all, by making me go into adolescent residential treatment, as hard as that decision was, they ultimately helped save my life, and that’s a reason to celebrate.

If you are from Marin or another northern California area and worried that your teen has a drug or alcohol problem, please don’t hesitate to contact us. As difficult as it is now, the future can be amazing. please click here my parents helped save my life.