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Teen Substance Abuse and Eating Disorders: A Dangerous Connection
By Concerned Parents
Getting your teen help for substance abuse sooner, rather than later, may save them from eating disorders and related problems.
Parents of teens misusing drugs or alcohol often find themselves tempted to think that their child is just experimenting or going through a passing phase, but the stark reality is that most teens lack the emotional and life skills necessary to recognize the serious dangers of their behavior. Even more concerning, research from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) reveals that out of every ten teens dealing with substance abuse issues, three or four of them will also develop an eating disorder.
That means teens with eating disorders are as many as five times more likely to abuse alcohol and drugs (ranging from caffeine and smoking to life-threatening street drugs), while teens abusing alcohol or illicit drugs are, in turn, eleven times likelier to have an eating disorder. In other words, anorexia and bulimia are linked almost inextricably with smoking, drug and alcohol abuse.
It's not just a "girl problem"
Before you assume that teen girls are the only ones at risk for eating and other body-image disorders, however, consider the fact that a nationwide survey published in the August issue of Pediatrics magazine reveals body image is a major source of concern these days for both boys and girls. And teens of either sex struggling with body image are even more likely to resort to hormones and dietary supplements to lose weight or enhance their physique.
Shared Signs and Symptoms
According to CASA, eating disorders and substance abuse share many similar characteristics. Here's what you need to know:
- Both eating disorders and/or substance abuse problems
- Usually occur during times of stress or emotional transition
- Can stem from a family history or genetic pre-disposition
- Can be the result of low self-esteem, poor body image, anxiety or depression
- Can be triggered by physical or emotional abuse
- Can occur or escalate when parents fail to pay close attention to their child's activitiesCause secretive, obsessive and compulsive behaviors
- Have clear connections to other serious conditions and effects, including suicide
- Are notoriously hard to treat – sufferers can relapse easily
- CAN BE FATAL
- REQUIRE IMMEDIATE PROFESSIONAL HELP
Where to turn for help
First of all, remember that you cannot save your teen alone. Helping anyone with substance abuse problem or eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia requires the support of a team of caring, qualified professionals including doctors, counselors and mentors for both you and your child.
Second, there are a variety of places to obtain that help and support, including school counseling services and community health centers. However, enrolling your child in a therapeutic boarding school or a wilderness rehabilitation program is one of the most effective – and comprehensive – solutions to your child's problems. Focusing on wilderness and outdoor adventure experiences, wilderness rehabilitation programs are one of the fastest-growing and most popular forms of help for teens with substance or alcohol misuse issues. In fact, wilderness rehabilitation is so successful that programs like Utah's Turn About Ranch have even been featured on ABC television.
Like wilderness programs, therapeutic boarding schools also offer a safe, supportive team approach to helping teens build the confidence and skills necessary to overcome their substance or alcohol problems and establish a lifestyle that is both healthy and productive. Therapeutic boarding schools can make an excellent next-step for teens who have successfully completed a wilderness program, as they are designed to help students get back on track academically as well as emotionally.
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