Programs to Help your Troubled Teen

Today's teens face a frightening number of problems including eating disorders, drug and alcohol addiction, depression, self-harm, criminal activity, dangerous friends and more. As a loving and concerned parent you want your teen safe from these dangerous practices. You may feel powerless to help especially when your child is in serious trouble.

Fortunately there are many types of programs which offer practical and long-lasting help for your teen. The main goal of all such programs is to break the addiction or association with that which is bad and harmful. These programs aim to turn around the life of their charges and make a lasting difference to the life of these young people.

There are five main institutions offering help for troubles teens and the programs are provided at

- Boarding schools
- Boot camps
- Wilderness camps
- Military schools
- Residential treatment centers

The task for you as the parent is to discover the exact nature of your teen's problem - there are big differences between depression, alcohol and drug addiction and running around with criminal gangs. Then having clearly ascertained the nature and extent of your teen's troubles, you need to match their need with the programs on offer.

A boot camp is a tough environment run along military methods and relatively short being only for a few months or even weeks. A boarding school could be home to your teen for a year or more. So each program is different.

Now finding out the problem and the programs on offer is possibly a long and difficult task. You could do most of the legwork yourself even if that means working online and using the telephone. Or you could go to a group which deals with parents looking for help for their teen; a group which has the experience and knowledge to put you on the right course. It could save you a lot of time and energy.

In summary the programs are as follows:

A boot camp offers a short and sharp discipline regime for those who have difficulty in accepting authority. The teens may be failing in their grades and slacking off. No amount of encouragement or threat from their parents is having an effect so a boot camp may do the trick.

A wilderness program is set in a rural environment and encourages teens to be involved in all manner of outdoor activities. The program may only last a few weeks and will push the communing with nature rather than the communing with text books. A teen who is depressed and lacking sparkle can have their batteries recharged in a beautiful outdoor location.

A military school is now a highly disciplined high school with great emphasis on academic and sporting prowess. They make an excellent foundation for a career in the military and they do not take rebellious teens.

Boarding schools are another disciplined form of secondary education but the teen is removed from the bad influences they had in their local high school.

Residential care centers are for seriously troubled teens with such problems as drug and alcohol addiction. They offer 24/7 high care facilities.

Remember that there are many programs available to help you and your troubled teen and the secret to success is finding the right one.