About 3.4% of US teenagers struggle with alcohol use, and at least 36.8% of teenagers have misused drugs by 12th grade. Teens are overly exposed to alcohol and drugs during their teen years, so implementing prevention techniques and discussing the dangers of underage drinking and the dangers of drug use is crucial. If you have a teen who is struggling with alcohol addiction, substance abuse, or the temptation of alcohol, this blog will provide some resources and tools to fight the pull of drugs and alcohol.

What Parents Can Do To Help With Underage Drinking

Parents and guardians are the first line of defense when it comes to drug use and alcohol consumption. Teenagers are often pressured by their peers or irresponsible adults, so it is crucial that you are a person they can trust. Parents should be a safe space for teens to discuss their concerns or ask questions about new challenges they will face. 

One of the best ways to help prevent teen alcohol addiction or lower the risk of teens trying illicit drugs is to model healthy behavior. If your teen sees excessive drinking at social events or turning to alcohol for every stressful situation, they will probably make similar choices. Modeling healthy coping skills and promoting other ways to have fun in social settings is a great way to reduce underage drinking. 

Offering practical help can be helpful when preventing teenagers from spiraling into unhealthy habits or trying to fit into a new group of friends. While parents shouldn’t encourage underage drinking, they can offer to be a sober driver if teenagers do become intoxicated, or allow them to reach out if they are in a dangerous situation. 

Signs Of Teenage Drinking

Looking for signs of underage drinking or substance abuse is the best way to stop it before it escalates. If your teen exhibits multiple signs, it could be a sign of teen alcohol addiction. These are common signs of changes in your teenager’s behavior and consumption.

• Changes in sleep patterns
• Neglecting responsibilities, chores, or obligations
• Frequent mood shifts
• Loss of interest in hobbies and interests
• Unexplained tremors and nausea
• Decrease in school performance
• Changes in social circles or dropping friends

Talking to your teen about challenges in their lives, your concerns about alcohol, and how this can impact their health is a good place to start if you want to prevent further addiction. 

Discussing The Health Risks Of Alcohol Addiction

Teens need to know how alcohol and drugs affect their brains and bodies. Discussing these risks with them early on in their teen years can help them understand how damaging these substances can be when they abuse them. Underage drinking can stunt the growth of an adolescent’s brain and can cause several physical ailments in the future. 

Alcohol can impair your judgement, making it hard for teens to excel in school, sports, or communicate effectively. Not only can alcohol affect their growth and development, but it can also stunt their emotional growth and prevent them from achieving their goals. Drinking and driving, missing school or sports practices, or having drunk texting conversations can all have negative effects on what a teen is trying to achieve.

Treatment Or Rehabilitation Options

While a teenager can attend a rehab center or treatment facility, this may not be the best option for them. If your teen has taken up frequent drinking or is struggling with substance abuse, you will need to take action to limit temptation and stop the addiction from spiraling further. 

Therapy or group discussions can be an effective treatment for someone who is struggling. Worsening mental illness or emotional turmoil is often common when someone struggles with an alcohol addiction, so having someone to discuss with can help improve emotional regulation and promote coping strategies. 

Inpatient and outpatient programs help provide a more stable environment for teens struggling with addiction. These programs either house teens or allow them to live at home while going through treatment to stop addictive tendencies. These programs will limit temptation, provide therapy, and provide support while a teen is navigating a challenging world. 

Finding Support As A Parent, Teacher, Or Guardian

There are many online forums to support parents or other adults helping a teen with addiction. Learning as much as you can about substance abuse and teen addiction will help you find the best treatment options for your teen. 

Some other resources you can go to for support include:

• Teen Safe
• SAMHSA Teen Fact Sheets
• NIDA for Teens
• College Parents Matter
• How To Talk To Teens About Drugs and Alcohol

Addiction Intervention With Red Willow

Red Willow Counseling and Recovery offers multiple options for those struggling with addiction and substance abuse. Our multiple locations offer outpatient treatments, group therapy, intervention and consultation, and more. We are here to help teens, parents, guardians, and adults through every step of the sobriety process, allowing them to take better control of their futures. Red Willow looks forward to working with you and improving your physical and emotional health.

More and more people are turning to a sober lifestyle for the health benefits, mental health concerns, or wanting to be more present for important moments. If you are hosting a gathering or holiday dinner, it can be essential to provide options that help sober guests feel comfortable and stick to their sober commitment. With the busy holiday season approaching, getting together with friends and family can be intimidating to someone who does not drink alcohol. Here are some tips on how to be a safe friend and a great host for those in your life who have struggled with addiction or want to adopt a sober lifestyle.

1- Choose A Memorable Theme

A lot of holiday gatherings or friendly get-togethers are centered around food and drinks. Instead of just planning to have people over for a late drink, try planning a party with a full theme with activities, fun appetizers, and eye-catching decorations. A themed party allows you to focus on more than just drinking to fill the time, and can provide ideas for safer drink options like tea, hot chocolate, or mixed sodas. Make sure to choose activities, games, or conversations that aren’t based on alcohol so that everyone feels included. 

Some exciting themes that exclude alcohol include:

• Homemade spa night
• Cooking class/competition
• Game night
• Classic movie night
• Garden tea party
• Arts and crafts

2- Serve Creative Mocktails

Having a fun drink doesn’t have to be limited to alcoholic beverages. Many people enjoy seasonal coffee, sodas, or mocktails, so including some of these in your gathering can make your sober guest feel safe. Creating fun mocktails can be a safe and fun way to limit alcohol consumption, but still allow those creative drink makers to shine. 

There are many different mocktail recipes online that can be customized to fit your theme or the current season. Fruit spritzers, virgin pina coladas, frozen soda slushies, shirley temples, or frappuccinos are some great options that can keep the fun going without the risk of a hangover. 

3- Be A Buddy/Accountability Partner For Your Sober Guest

The best way to ensure you are a great sober host is to have clear communication with your friend or family member, allow them an out, or help them stay accountable if they are tempted to drink. When someone who is starting out on their sobriety journey has another person who is also avoiding alcohol can help them feel less alone. Stay side by side with your friend and help them steer clear of peer pressure or provide distractions from drinking. Accountability partners can help encourage you during tough times, so if you are a host who is inviting sober guests, allow them to bring a sober friend or their designated accountability partner if you want them to feel safe at your party. 

4- Provide Flexibility And An Easy Out

It can be anxiety-inducing for a recently sober person to attend a party or be in social situations with those who are drinking. If you want to be a good host, allow the sober guest the opportunity to back out without judgment. Be flexible with your expectations and don’t make a sober guest feel bad for leaving early or declining the offer altogether. Oftentimes, being invited to an event is just as important as going to the event itself, so if a friend declines your request, it doesn’t mean they didn’t appreciate it.

Especially if your gathering features alcohol, you should provide the opportunity for a sober guest to back out at the last minute. Sobriety and recovery are not linear journeys, so your friend may not feel confident enough that day to resist the temptations.

Addiction Recovery From Red Willow Counseling And Recovery

Red Willow offers a variety of services to help with mental health struggles, grief, substance abuse, or addiction. Our team approaches every situation with care and compassion while also providing the resources needed to help you improve your life. Red Willows specialists will help you develop a well-balanced life full of happiness, coping skills, and trusted therapeutic relationships. There are many benefits to seeking help from a professional, especially for those who are unable to break their addiction on their own. Reach out to our Salt Lake City, Park City, or Murray location to learn what we can do for you.

While we spend a lot of our lives working, adults should not sacrifice rest, time off, or hobbies because of their jobs. Work-life balance will help you provide for yourself while also allowing you to experience the small joys in life. Many people dedicate their time to a job that does not appreciate their contributions, leaving them feeling burned out, worthless, or stressed. Achieving a better work-life balance will improve your mental health, be a better parent/partner, and enjoy life while you are at your healthiest. Let’s look at some tips to help you balance work duties and other adult tasks with ease. 

1- Set Boundaries

One of the biggest tips for achieving better balance in your life is to set boundaries. Ironically, this is what people struggle with the most. Setting boundaries in all areas of your life will help you create time for the hobbies you love, time for your loved ones, and brain space for things that bring you joy. Setting boundaries at work will keep you from overworking and help you enjoy your time off. 

Ways to set boundaries include:

• Define your work hours and stick to them
• Don’t answer or read emails and messages outside of work hours
• Communicate your workload and availability clearly
• Only take on tasks or projects you can fit into your defined schedule
• Use the PTO, breaks, or holidays provided to you

2- Set Blocks Of Time For Similar Tasks

Better time management is a great way to achieve work-life balance. To protect your mental health, time management can reduce stress and procrastination during the workday. Challenge yourself to complete certain tasks within a specific window to maximize your time. While you should grind when you have the most energy, don’t let the grind overtake you and cut into your personal life. 

Multitasking can drain your energy and cause your quality of work to dip. Making time blocks not only maximizes your energy, but also gives your brain only one major task to focus on. This approach reduces decision fatigue, makes your day feel more structured, and sets aside time for breaks and meetings. 

3- Learn To Say No

Committing to your boundaries and refusing to overwork can be difficult, but when it comes to your goals and mental health, saying no is crucial. Protecting your mental stamina and inner peace requires you to say no to certain things. Saying no to projects that are out of your wheelhouse, telling yourself not to look at emails while you are at home, or telling your manager no when they ask you to change your hours or workload. Saying no in the workplace can be stressful, especially if you want to keep your job and be a good employee. Setting clear boundaries and refusing to do more than you can emotionally handle should never cost you your job.

4- Don’t Take Work Personally

Your job can feel personal, especially when you are dreaming of achieving a certain promotion or a meaningful outcome. Taking work personally can impact your mental health even if you have boundaries around work. You must learn to detach yourself from your role in order to save yourself from attaching too much of your worth to what happens at work. Criticism and lack of recognition can flood your thoughts and make you defensive. Take feedback objectively instead of as a personal attack on your character. Avoid taking your work baggage home or losing your personal identity, work is just one piece of your life. 

5- Prioritize Rest And Different Breaks

The best way to ensure you stay emotionally stable and reduce stress is to prioritize rest and relaxation. Whether it is through meditation, vacation, sleep, therapy, or social outings with friends, doing something for your mental health is crucial. It can be tempting to push through illness, burnout, or another internal struggle when you work a full-time job. Breaks and time off are essential for those wanting to obtain a work-life balance. Putting off taking your PTO days or necessary breaks at work can affect your work. 

Many adults work while they are on vacation or work when they are sick. To get the full benefit of your time off, it is important to fully commit and push work off until you are back in the office. Silence notifications, log out of your email, and give yourself the space from the office without guilt. 

6- Avoid Overworking

Taking breaks during the work day can also help you achieve work-life balance, especially if done effectively. Breaks should be a change of scenery or a change of brain power to really be productive. Enjoy your lunch break outside, chat with co-workers, or take a walk around the building to give yourself something to look forward to. Experts recommend that you take a break every 1-2 hours to improve your focus and energy levels. 

How Work-Life Balance Helps With Overall Mental Health

Achieving work-life balance is essential to your quality of life. Working 24/7 can take a toll on your emotional and physical health, making it hard to enjoy anything in life. While working to provide for yourself is a worthwhile pursuit, it is also important to prioritize family, friends, hobbies, and education. 

Red Willow Counseling and Recovery helps patients of all backgrounds and types to achieve a better quality of life. Our counseling and recovery specialists can help improve your habits, behaviors, and emotional intelligence. Seeking mental health help can also help you achieve a better work-life balance by improving your coping strategies. Seeking therapy can improve your life in multiple ways, especially when you are struggling with work. Reach out to our counselors to start achieving better mental health today!