Our 7 Challenges Substance Abuse Program in Phoenix, AZ

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7 Challenges Program

One of a parent’s biggest fears is that their child will end up abusing drugs or alcohol.

If your teenager has succumbed to this condition, you may not know what treatment approach to use. Zenith Behavioral Health in Phoenix offers a 7 Challenges Program that tackles addiction from a unique and effective place. The 7 challenges substance abuse program teaches young people to open up about their substance use disorders and take responsibility for getting better. 

7 challenges program for teens phoenix Arizona

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What Is the 7 Challenges Program?

The 7 Challenges Program was conceived as a way to treat adolescents lost in the world of addiction. The core belief is that too many programs try to force young people to quit abusing drugs or alcohol without taking into consideration their actual commitment levels. Additionally, the 7 challenges substance abuse program meets each teenager where they are in terms of their addiction and does not assume they can be forced to change. Being honest becomes a focal point of the program. 

The 7 challenges are phrased in the voice of the participating adolescent and what they accomplish with each step.

What Are The 7 Challenges?

  1. Deciding to open up and talk honestly about ourselves and about alcohol and other drugs.
  2. Looking at what we liked about alcohol and other drugs, and why we were using them.
  3. Observing our use of alcohol and other drugs to see if it has caused harm or could cause harm.
  4. Looking at our responsibility and the responsibility of others for our problems.
  5. Thinking about where we seemed to be headed, where we wanted to go, and what we want to accomplish.
  6. Making thoughtful decisions about our lives and about our use of alcohol and other drugs.
  7. Following through on our decisions about our lives and drug use. If we saw problems, we went back to earlier challenges and mastered them.

How Does the 7 Challenges Program Treat Substance Abuse?

When a young person attends a program for addiction to drugs or alcohol that includes the 7 Challenges Program, sessions may be conducted either with an individual or a group. Naturally, a good deal of the focus is on the abuse of substances. However, it goes deeper than that. Participants are asked to look at the reasons they started abusing drugs or alcohol. In addition, they look at what the continued payoff and disadvantages of doing so might be. 

Counselors help young people develop life skills they may be lacking and make plans for the future. This includes schooling and careers. This helps them understand the impact continuing to abuse substances can have not just now but down the line. When they begin to assess their strengths and design plans for the future, an adolescent can become more capable of making the connection that substance abuse will only hamper those plans.

Because addiction does not happen in a vacuum, the program brings the family into focus. Sessions with the family can help improve communication among all family members. It can also allow the family to understand the work their loved one is doing and the goals they have established. 

Throughout the program, each person is encouraged to examine their lives, the reality of their substance abuse, and how continuing to use substances will impact their futures. Young people are taught to imagine a healthy, exciting life as an adult who does not retreat into drugs or alcohol in order to cope, feel good, or avoid uncomfortable emotions. 

This program proves flexible, in that it is commonly used in both residential and outpatient settings. It can also be continued in schools, juvenile justice settings, and within the home with families who understand how the program works.

 

Benefits of the 7 Challenges Program

Too often, parents and addiction counselors believe that teenagers can be coerced or even bullied into giving up drugs or alcohol. The natural setpoint for many teenagers can revolve around being stubborn. This approach is something that often fails. It can result in the adolescent and the authority figure locking horns, and no real or lasting progress being accomplished. The 7 Challenges Program shows the young person that they have the power to choose to become sober and, even more importantly, to decide to take action.

Another benefit involves communicating with young people coming from a place of respect and a desire to engage in meaningful dialogue. Our counselors do not back them into a corner and talk to them in a way that encourages them to react defensively. We employ the use of education and real conversations to help them see the reality of the damage their addictions do and the power they have to walk away from them. 

At Zenith Behavioral Health, we understand that many times a young person who abuses drugs or alcohol does so in reaction to a mental health disorder such as a trauma-based illness. We help them acknowledge that they may be self-medicating with substances. From there, we can treat the mental illness while also working on recovering from the addiction.

Begin the 7 Challenges Program in Phoenix, AZ

Have you tried several approaches to helping your teenager get off drugs or alcohol but nothing seems to work? Zenith Behavioral Health offers the 7 Challenges Program designed to teach young people to see their addictions from a realistic, healthy viewpoint. Ultimately, this program teaches them how to turn their lives around.

If you would like more information about our 7 Challenges Substance Abuse Program, our staff will be happy to walk you through it. Visit our admissions page now and get started showing your child the way to a healthy, substance-free life.

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7 Challenges Program For Teen Substance Abuse in Phoenix, Arizona

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Has your child’s life become ruled by addiction or mental health challenges, and are you ready to help them take back the reins? Our adolescent residential treatment center in Phoenix, AZ, can help. Call (602) 847-9887 or fill out the confidential callback form below and learn how we can help your child live a life free from addiction and mental health challenges.