Raising a teenager with a mental illness or behavioral challenges can be extremely difficult. The great news is that you don’t have to try to manage your teen’s struggles alone. In fact, in using compassionate IOP services, you and your child may feel less alone. For a closer look at how compassionate IOP programs can mean help and hope for the teenager you care about, read on.
Compassionate Support and Networking
Maybe you’ve done all the research you can on a fantastic IOP program through Charlie Health and already understand the intense services that might benefit your teenager. While it’s one thing to understand how intensive therapy that includes group therapy, individual counseling, and access to a skilled treatment team might help, it’s another to realize the impact simple human compassion can have in these intense outpatient programs.
While professionals can come together to address nearly any mental health issue, help your teen through detoxification, or give your young adult tools to cope with severe anxiety, doing it with the right touch makes a big difference. When looking for the right IOP services for your teen, it’s a good idea to meet with the program leader or hospital you’ll be working with. You want to know your teen is in a supportive environment while seeking IOP care.
One way to establish a good relationship with a staff who’s empathetic is to ask to meet with admissions staff to get you and your teen’s questions answered about the psychiatrist, 24-hour supervision, and supports offered based on the level of care your child needs. Then, in having an honest conversation with your teen about the care they hope to receive, it’ll be easier to go with a program with compassionate clinicians who have experience in not only working with teens but the human element behind intense treatment. In short, it’s okay to pick a program that feels comfortable for your teen rather than one that might offer a more structured approach.
Family Therapy With IOP Services
When raising a teenager with mental illness or behavioral challenges, parents and other siblings can’t help but be impacted by the young adult’s struggle. Known as the identified patient, your teen may be the one seeking treatment, but that doesn’t mean the rest of your family can’t use help, too. The truth is that the teenage years are often hard, and intensive therapy could be helpful for your entire family unit. Not only could family therapy as part of your teen’s IOP services help, but it could even mean rebuilding bonds and relationships in a way that feels most natural. If you feel your family’s been negatively impacted by what’s going on with your teenager, ask about the option to add family therapy to your teen’s treatment plan.
Providing Structure and Consistency
One of the hardest things about the teenage years is the constant changes and pressures young people face. As a parent, you might be the only stable thing in your teenager’s life. One way to help your teenager during their recovery process is to be consistent and offer your unconditional love and support. In being consistent, you’ll be offering your teen the stability they need and serving as a great role model.
Even when your teen is resistant to treatment, doing what you can to remain committed to the treatment plan and supporting the treatment team is a good way to help. The reality is that you have legal rights when it comes to any minor living in your home, and setting clear boundaries and staying involved will help.
In the end, you don’t have to feel alone when it comes to helping your teenager through a mental health crisis, substance abuse, or a behavioral challenge. In reaching out to a compassionate program or therapist, you’ll be one step closer to giving yourself and your teen more hope.
