Teenage addiction is a serious issue in most countries in the world today. Most teenagers are usually victims of addictive acts without having a good idea on how detrimental it is to their health. They drift from their normal way of life, and conventional behaviours, they get angry without reason, they experience mood swings from time to time, they lie, steal and the likes.
It is not easy for a teenager to own up to the fact that they are addicted, the best way they can be helped, is if someone spots the addiction problem in their life.
A counsellor in teen substance addiction comes in handy, as they would help each person to identify their problem and motivate them to conquer their addiction before it becomes uncontrollable.
To start with, the first lesson which a counsellor would teach a teenager is, they are better than their mistakes. On a general basis, when addicts realize that they have been in the web of addiction for a long while, and they are ready to overcome it, there is usually a heavy guilt on their conscience. They feel they have wasted their lives all through the period of their addiction.
However, with the counsellor in place, he will be in place to help the teenager pull through the period of guilt, by always encouraging and motivating him that he is better than his mistakes. Also, he would inspire him to do something better with his life, and positively affect those who are around him.
In addition to this, the counsellor is the bridge between the family and the addicted teenager. The family might not have a good idea on the condition of the teenager, and they might not know how to offer the best support possible.
Hence, it is the responsibility of the counsellor to put the family through on how to care for their addicted family member, who in this case, is a teenager. The family is an integral support system when it comes to addiction recovery, and they have a big role to play when it comes to teenage addiction. The counsellor helps them to see that reality.