Clearing the Haze: Helping Families Face Teen Addiction [Hardcover]

The mixed messages parents and kids are getting today about addiction is a serious threat to public health. Clearing the Haze is a book whose time has come. Every parent, youth  and policy maker  should memorize it.Clearing the Haze shows parents the warning signs of teen addiction, and offers information about prevention methods and treatment options. Offering firsthand accounts from former addicts, parents, and professionals, this work highlights the problems of teen addiction and provides guidance for those affected.Often it is difficult for parents to recognize when their child is abusing alcohol, using illegal drugs, or in trouble with other substances that are hazardous to their health, safety, and wellbeing. Clearing the Haze is a guide designed to help parents determine whether their child may have a substance problem and, if so, how to begin to address it. The book includes the voices and insight of experts in substance abuse counseling, young people in recovery, and parents who have lived the nightmare of adolescent addiction. The book moves readers through an overview of adolescent brain development, the warning signs of drug use and addiction, treatment options, what families should expect of therapy, the basics of productive communication, and the difficulties of dealing lovingly with addicted teens. The authors encourage families entering the 12th step of giving back to consider advocacy for smarter public policies surrounding drug access and addiction treatment. They also provide a list of resources parents may find useful. A necessary resource for every community, this book will help parents, teachers, friends, and others help kids who need help.Foreword: Patrick Kennedy1: Why adolescent substance use is a big deal2: How to know if there is a problem and what to do about it/Communication monitoring3: How to react when you learn your child is using drugs4: When to seek treatment and what to look for in it5: Specific family objectives during treatmlóV