If you are the parent of a teenager who is suffering from a mental health condition, it can sometimes feel quite difficult to know exactly where to turn. Whether they are suffering from a substance abuse disorder, depression, an eating disorder, PTSD, or anything else, it is important to know that there is still hope. When nothing else has worked, you may want to consider the possibility of a residential program for teenagers. Residential treatment centers (RTC) are unique in the sense that they are able to help your teenager focus on recovery in a way that many other programs are unable to do.

This article will discuss the different components of residential treatment centers and how to determine which RTC will ultimately be best for your teen. The modern concept of a residential treatment first began in the early 1900s with the concentrated work of Anna Freud (Sigmund Freud’s daughter). Since then, multiple waves of development have enabled psychologists to treat teenagers more effectively than ever before. Today, residential treatment centers offer a source of hope for both parents and teenagers who have nowhere else to turn.

Types of Disorders

Residential treatment centers will typically be used when a family has tried another option for recovery but was ultimately unsuccessful. With many mental health conditions, the recovery process can be incredibly difficult. The primary benefit of using an RTC is that, because your teenager will be actively living there, they will be in a unique position to not only make recovery their highest priority—it can be their only priority.

There are many different kinds of disorders that residential treatment centers can be utilized to directly address:

Depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder
Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and others
Patterns of self-harm and suicide ideation
Severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Substance abuse disorders
Any other disorders where traditional treatment models were attempted, but failed

With a residential treatment center, your teenager can be effectively removed from many of the things that may be complicating the recovery process. These things can include outside sources of influence such as their peers, the availability of harmful substances, and other common sources of stress. The best residential treatment centers for troubled youth are the ones that are able to create an environment of love, support, and guidance.

Types of Treatments

Though residential treatment centers typically have just one goal—helping guide residents to recovery in a way that will last—there are naturally many different ways to administer treatment. The type of treatment that is best for your teenager will ultimately depend on the condition(s) they are suffering from and their unique personality.

Here are just a few of the common treatment modalities that may be found at a typical RTC:

Individual, group, or family therapy (when appropriate)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Somatic Experiencing
Numerous other treatment models supported by research and evidence

Additionally, one new type of treatment that has recently become popular among residential treatment programs is known as experiential treatment. This type of treatment modality involves teenagers recovering through the use of positive experiences. Things such as art, music, writing, surfing, yoga, and hiking are examples of possible activities your teenager may benefit from engaging in.

The uses of the treatments mentioned above are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the best residential treatment centers for teens are often the ones that are able to effectively combine multiple different treatment types in a way that addresses your teenager’s unique situation.

Lengths of Stays

There is no single answer to the question “how long will my teenager need to stay before they are actually better?” Naturally, each individual circumstance will be much different than any other. However, there are a few different lengths of stay that are more common than others.

Short Term—staying for three days or less
Medium Term—staying for a few weeks
Long Term—staying for multiple months or more

The length of stay that will be most appropriate for your teenager will depend on the progress they are able to make, the effectiveness of different treatment models, and the recommendations of the staff. Figuring the right amount of time for a given person to stay can sometimes be a rather difficult task. Though the staff will certainly want the recovery to happen sooner rather than later, they may be hesitant to recommend a release before your teenager is fully recovered. The optimal RTCs will be the ones that are prudent about the recovery process, but are not pressuring departures to occur too soon.

Rehabilitative versus Psychiatric Treatment

Though rehabilitative treatment—particularly treatment for a substance abuse disorder—and psychiatric treatment are certainly very similar, there are still several important distinctions existing between them. Rehabilitative treatment focuses primarily on helping remove the individual from external sources of harm such as substances that could be abused, damaging relationships, and other potential triggers. On the other hand, psychiatric treatment seeks to reconcile internal processes through the use of various treatments.

Ultimately, rehabilitative programs and psychiatrics treatment programs often complement each other quite well. The residential treatment center that will be best for your teenager is likely the one that is able to most effectively provide both internal and external solutions.

Dual Diagnosis

Dual Diagnosis is a term that is used to describe a situation where an individual simultaneously has a mood disorder (such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, etc.) as well as a substance abuse disorder. Individuals who have been dually diagnosed often require a much more specific set of treatments that can directly address their needs.

Dual diagnosis is important because substance abuse disorders and mental health disorders are often found to reinforce one another. For example, individuals who suffer from various mood disorders are more likely to suffer from substance abuse. This is largely because substances may be used as a coping mechanism, but also because many mood disorders inflict an individual’s ability to choose long-term benefits over short-term releases.

On the other hand, substance abuse disorders can also potentially trigger mood disorders as well. In order to combat both of these issues at once, it is important to view an individual’s situation from a more comprehensive perspective.

Customizable Treatment Options

Ultimately, in addition to things such as price, location, and reputation, it seems the most important feature a residential treatment center can offer is the ability to create customized treatment models. Though your teenager is unlikely to be the first person to be suffering from a given condition (or even a combination of conditions), whatever situation they are in is still entirely unique.

With the ability to customize treatment, the clinical experts at a given RTC can continually adjust their approach as time goes on. Treatment models that have been proven to be working can continue and treatment models that have been ineffective can be adjusted and replaced with an alternative solution.

As a parent of a teenager who is suffering from a substance abuse disorder or other mental health issue, you are likely looking for a place you can turn. Even if it seems there is currently no hope, a residential treatment center be exactly what you are looking for. Most residential treatment centers offer flexible payment options and will happily discuss their approach to treatment with you. Though things may not be easy in the status quo, there is certainly reason for to believe they can get better.

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Things to Look for When Choosing Residential Treatment Programs for Troubled Youth