Your teen has gone to a residential treatment center and returned. But life after treatment needs adjustment. After going through rigorous, structured treatment in residential treatment programs, coming back home can be filled with conflicting emotions.
Of course, there's relief and accomplishment from having completed their journey. But there's also the fear of relapse or uncertainty about moving on in life. Parents and teens must come together to address these challenges. Learn how you and your teen can collaborate to aid recovery.
Strategies for Rebuilding Trust and Strengthening Bonds
Your relationship with your teen may have been strained before they went to a residential treatment program. But your teen would have had intensive treatment in their recovery journey. Maintaining that treatment process to continue effectively is essential to the healing process. You and your teen must rebuild your frayed bond and nurture a new trusting relationship for that to happen. Only then can you and your teen successfully recover from the issues plaguing a teenager's life.Build an empathetic relationship.
Empathy plays a crucial role in the recovery process. As parents, try to slip into your teens' shoes. Try to recognize their emotional challenges and understand their recent experiences at the residential program without judgment. Building and showing empathy to your teen makes them feel their emotional burdens lighter. It may result in a positive outlook as they consider their future after the treatment.Communicate openly and transparently.
Now that they have gone through a treatment process, they may be able to articulate their emotions better. So, when they start a conversation, never limit your teen from expressing themselves or dismissing their views. Instead, give your teen your full attention. Ask clarifying questions and repeat what you heard in your own words to show your understanding. This open environment will promote better mental and emotional healing.Reestablish trust via boundaries and expectations.
Rebuilding trust requires clear and reasonable boundaries, but not restrictive. You and your teen should review what boundaries you want to establish; reflecting on your teen's experiences in the residential treatment program will help. Using that experience, you can set up new expectations for their behavior. However, keeping expectations real is the key to reestablishing that trust. A realistic approach shows that you are keen to support the continuation of their well-being. It also balances your teen's sense of independence and responsibility by knowing what is reasonable behavior and how to enact it.Display your parental supportiveness.
Parental support can take many forms. What matters most is being consistent when you support your teens. Your consistency will provide stability—as the residential treatment facility did—to pave a smooth transition for life after treatment. Some examples may include:- Educating yourself about your teen's life at the residential treatment center and try to realistically model your home life based on the center's structured approach
- Accompanying your teen to get further treatment (e.g., a follow-up meeting with counselors or other outpatient therapeutic programs) that will aid in their road to recovery
- Ensuring your teen remains at the top of their physical health by giving them enough nutrition, time to sleep, and exercises
- Watching out for potential relapses and setting up a relapse prevention plan
- Encouraging the entire family to be involved in providing a safe environment for your teen so they can display healthy behaviors
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