Tips for Teens: How to Improve Communication with Your Parents
Most of the articles we write are directed toward parents with teens in treatment for a mental health, behavioral, or substance use disorder. We support parents with advice about all sorts of things, from how to support a teen with depression, to how to help a teen with anxiety manage their panic attacks, or how […]
Post-Pandemic Socializing Might Mean Trouble for Teens in Recovery: Here’s Why
If you’re a teen, you’ve got to be excited the coronavirus pandemic is coming to an end. 2020 was tough. You endured a year of missed school, no friends, and no gatherings. Facemasks, anxiety, social distancing. Missed milestones, cancelled trips, and quarantines. It’s no wonder COVID-19 caused a mental health crisis for teens and young […]
How to Stay Sober in Your First Year of College
Most people in the U.S. see the college years as a period of life when it’s okay to experiment with alcohol and drugs. In fact, most people think it’s normal. Most people also think it’s normal that a college student, away from the watchful eyes of their parents and neighbors for the first time, might […]
Summer Sobriety Tip: How to Survive the Backyard Barbecue
When you quit drinking, lots of unexpected little things come up. During treatment, you tend to focus on the big things first. You learn to manage your emotions and recognize your triggers. You spend time learning about the science of addiction, and you may even be able to pinpoint exactly when and why you developed […]
Sobriety Tips for Summer: How to Say No
Funny thing about no. It’s probably the first word you ever learned: “No.” You don’t remember it, but we can guarantee your parents do. Want cereal? No! Want cake? No! Want to play with Sally the Stuffed Seal? No! Toddlers love saying no. They’ll say no to anything and everything, just because. No one is […]
Summer Sobriety Tip: How to Say No
It might be the first word you ever learned. Just ask your parents how much you loved saying it when you were a toddler. Want another cracker? No! Want more juice? No! Want to play with your sister? No! We know, we know. You don’t remember a thing from when you were two years old. […]
Summer Sobriety Tip: Survive the Backyard Barbecue
When you first quit drinking, there are a lot of unexpected little things that come up. Rehab and treatment tend to focus on the big things first. You work on coping skills to identify and handle your triggers, recognize and manage your emotions, and get yourself through the first few weeks of sobriety sane and […]
New Town, New School, New You: Same Recovery
You went through treatment and you’re on the road to recovery. Maybe you spent part of the summer in a residential program, or maybe you did an intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, or day treatment program. You spent long, tough hours uncovering the issues that led you to addiction or substance abuse, and then you spent […]
Back to School after Rehab
As summer winds down, teenagers around the country head back to school. Some start in the beginning of August, while some start later, around Labor Day. In the Los Angeles area of Southern California, where Evolve offers substance abuse and addiction treatment for teens, high school tends to start in the middle weeks of August. […]