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<blockquote data-quote="Nancy" data-source="post: 411895" data-attributes="member: 59"><p>Hi Nomad,</p><p></p><p>Congratulations on the masters!</p><p></p><p>My difficult child was involved with intensive outpatient treatment for five weeks after her inpatient release. It was a group therapy session, four days a week for 4 hours each day. They did drug/alcohol counseling, talk sessions, education, relapse prevention, drug screening, you name it. Most of the people there were court ordered to be there. I'll give you my thoughts to your questions and some input on things you haven't asked.</p><p></p><p>1. I believe the individual therapy she received while in inpatient helped her more than the group sessions. During the group sessions she could hide, not participate or pay attention, act silly to get laughs, say what she thought they wanted to hear, comment on other people's comments and not internalize it to herself. In individual therapy the therapist could see through her and talk about those things she felt were needed to be talked about rather than what the group needed. difficult child had to be an active participant.</p><p></p><p>2. Her therapist in inpatient was most helpful because she was a recovered addict and she didn't take any bologna from difficult child, if you know what I mean, yet she was able to gain difficult child's support by showing her that she really cared about her. difficult child has long ago learned how to manipulate male therapists and be cute with them, flirt.</p><p></p><p>3. Yes we were offered counseling for parents and yes we attended. Out of maybe 20 clients at a time there were only 4 or 5 parents who attended on parent day.</p><p></p><p>4. I think there was a short time when difficult child took her counseling seriously during inpatient. But then she began making friends and contacts with other addicts who didn't take it seriously and quickly decided she didn't have a problem and/or didn't want to change. I think she saw the other young people there and considered herself a teen that drinks and uses drugs, not a young person who was deeply in trouble .</p><p></p><p>5. I'm not sure if I could have done anything differently. If I had the resources I would have put her in a single gender rehabilitation treatment center far from home. There was far too much mingling of the males/females and even though they had a rule against it, a lot of sexual activity occurred. I know our difficult child could never have gotten clean with males around, she never would have taken the inventory of herself or gotten enough self esteem to change.</p><p></p><p>From my experience, most all of the young people who attended the outpatient group therapy were only there to fulfill whatever requirements the court put on them. They never intended to become drug/alcohol free. They learned what they had to do to work the system. difficult child went into treatment willing to get sober, she came out having learned many new ways of doing drugs and getting away with it. She learned how to pass urine drug screens (I hope the program you are in does not allow them to give you the sample without watching, most all teens buy synthetic urine and keep it warm with hand warmers and pull it out of their socks or pants). She made contacts with people who were hard core into drugs and other illegal activity to support their habit. She went to AA meetings and other young people who were not serious and the first chance they got they used, even while attending meetings. When a new young person came into the meeting, they asked them if they were court ordered. They knew no one went on their own.</p><p></p><p>difficult child's counselors were really hoping difficult child could become an inspiration to other young people. We know how that turned out <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite3" alt=":(" title="Frown :(" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":(" />. I don't know what the answer is but I do know that most people consider our drug court here a farce. The clients do what they need to do to get the courts off their backs. The judges hold weekly sessions and they all clap for those who graduated. Then they go right out and start all over again.</p><p></p><p>I have found that there are people who can get clean/sober from these programs but they are usually older and have hit bottom and have a lot at stake. The young people I have seen don't care about their lives yet, they see all their friends using and they think they can too.</p><p></p><p>I know I sound pessimistic and I am. I am not sure any amount of counseling can help people who have not come to the conclusion on their won that they want to quit. My husband is even more convinced that no program or counseling helps, People change on their own when they want to change and only then, and if they want to change they don't need a program behind them.</p><p></p><p>I don't know if any of this is helpful to you but I wish you luck, and maybe you will be the one to insprre one young person to quit.</p><p></p><p>Nancy</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nancy, post: 411895, member: 59"] Hi Nomad, Congratulations on the masters! My difficult child was involved with intensive outpatient treatment for five weeks after her inpatient release. It was a group therapy session, four days a week for 4 hours each day. They did drug/alcohol counseling, talk sessions, education, relapse prevention, drug screening, you name it. Most of the people there were court ordered to be there. I'll give you my thoughts to your questions and some input on things you haven't asked. 1. I believe the individual therapy she received while in inpatient helped her more than the group sessions. During the group sessions she could hide, not participate or pay attention, act silly to get laughs, say what she thought they wanted to hear, comment on other people's comments and not internalize it to herself. In individual therapy the therapist could see through her and talk about those things she felt were needed to be talked about rather than what the group needed. difficult child had to be an active participant. 2. Her therapist in inpatient was most helpful because she was a recovered addict and she didn't take any bologna from difficult child, if you know what I mean, yet she was able to gain difficult child's support by showing her that she really cared about her. difficult child has long ago learned how to manipulate male therapists and be cute with them, flirt. 3. Yes we were offered counseling for parents and yes we attended. Out of maybe 20 clients at a time there were only 4 or 5 parents who attended on parent day. 4. I think there was a short time when difficult child took her counseling seriously during inpatient. But then she began making friends and contacts with other addicts who didn't take it seriously and quickly decided she didn't have a problem and/or didn't want to change. I think she saw the other young people there and considered herself a teen that drinks and uses drugs, not a young person who was deeply in trouble . 5. I'm not sure if I could have done anything differently. If I had the resources I would have put her in a single gender rehabilitation treatment center far from home. There was far too much mingling of the males/females and even though they had a rule against it, a lot of sexual activity occurred. I know our difficult child could never have gotten clean with males around, she never would have taken the inventory of herself or gotten enough self esteem to change. From my experience, most all of the young people who attended the outpatient group therapy were only there to fulfill whatever requirements the court put on them. They never intended to become drug/alcohol free. They learned what they had to do to work the system. difficult child went into treatment willing to get sober, she came out having learned many new ways of doing drugs and getting away with it. She learned how to pass urine drug screens (I hope the program you are in does not allow them to give you the sample without watching, most all teens buy synthetic urine and keep it warm with hand warmers and pull it out of their socks or pants). She made contacts with people who were hard core into drugs and other illegal activity to support their habit. She went to AA meetings and other young people who were not serious and the first chance they got they used, even while attending meetings. When a new young person came into the meeting, they asked them if they were court ordered. They knew no one went on their own. difficult child's counselors were really hoping difficult child could become an inspiration to other young people. We know how that turned out :(. I don't know what the answer is but I do know that most people consider our drug court here a farce. The clients do what they need to do to get the courts off their backs. The judges hold weekly sessions and they all clap for those who graduated. Then they go right out and start all over again. I have found that there are people who can get clean/sober from these programs but they are usually older and have hit bottom and have a lot at stake. The young people I have seen don't care about their lives yet, they see all their friends using and they think they can too. I know I sound pessimistic and I am. I am not sure any amount of counseling can help people who have not come to the conclusion on their won that they want to quit. My husband is even more convinced that no program or counseling helps, People change on their own when they want to change and only then, and if they want to change they don't need a program behind them. I don't know if any of this is helpful to you but I wish you luck, and maybe you will be the one to insprre one young person to quit. Nancy [/QUOTE]
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