| -- End Ad Box ---> | | | | offer is possibly a long and difficult task. You could do |
| Today's teens face a frightening number of problems | | | | most of the legwork yourself even if that means |
| including eating disorders, drug and alcohol addiction, | | | | working online and using the telephone. Or you could |
| depression, self-harm, criminal activity, dangerous | | | | go to a group which deals with parents looking for |
| friends and more. As a loving and concerned parent | | | | help for their teen; a group which has the experience |
| you want your teen safe from these dangerous | | | | and knowledge to put you on the right course. It |
| practices. You may feel powerless to help especially | | | | could save you a lot of time and energy. |
| when your child is in serious trouble. | | | | In summary the programs are as follows: |
| Fortunately there are many types of programs which | | | | A boot camp offers a short and sharp discipline |
| offer practical and long-lasting help for your teen. The | | | | regime for those who have difficulty in accepting |
| main goal of all such programs is to break the | | | | authority. The teens may be failing in their grades |
| addiction or association with that which is bad and | | | | and slacking off. No amount of encouragement or |
| harmful. These programs aim to turn around the life | | | | threat from their parents is having an effect so a |
| of their charges and make a lasting difference to the | | | | boot camp may do the trick. |
| life of these young people. | | | | A wilderness program is set in a rural environment |
| There are five main institutions offering help for | | | | and encourages teens to be involved in all manner of |
| troubles teens and the programs are provided at | | | | outdoor activities. The program may only last a few |
| - Boarding schools | | | | weeks and will push the communing with nature |
| - Boot camps | | | | rather than the communing with text books. A teen |
| - Wilderness camps | | | | who is depressed and lacking sparkle can have their |
| - Military schools | | | | batteries recharged in a beautiful outdoor location. |
| - Residential treatment centers | | | | A military school is now a highly disciplined high school |
| The task for you as the parent is to discover the | | | | with great emphasis on academic and sporting |
| exact nature of your teen's problem - there are big | | | | prowess. They make an excellent foundation for a |
| differences between depression, alcohol and drug | | | | career in the military and they do not take rebellious |
| addiction and running around with criminal gangs. Then | | | | teens. |
| having clearly ascertained the nature and extent of | | | | Boarding schools are another disciplined form of |
| your teen's troubles, you need to match their need | | | | secondary education but the teen is removed from |
| with the programs on offer. | | | | the bad influences they had in their local high school. |
| A boot camp is a tough environment run along | | | | Residential care centers are for seriously troubled |
| military methods and relatively short being only for a | | | | teens with such problems as drug and alcohol |
| few months or even weeks. A boarding school could | | | | addiction. They offer 24/7 high care facilities. |
| be home to your teen for a year or more. So each | | | | Remember that there are many programs available |
| program is different. | | | | to help you and your troubled teen and the secret to |
| Now finding out the problem and the programs on | | | | success is finding the right one. |