Muir Wood supports the well-being of parents as well as their teens. Parents of teens with mental health and/or substance use disorders need support and care. Living with a child suffering from mental health challenges can be extremely taxing on the mental health of parents and guardians. Parents seeking care for their children often experience depression, anxiety, and other issues as a result of the chaos created in the home.
Muir Wood clients and family members become part of our alumni community—one built around mutual support, understanding, and camaraderie. Perhaps no one is better able to understand the feelings and experiences of raising children with mental health and substance use disorders than other parents who have lived the same experience.
Muir Wood’s Alumni Parent Support Groups are led weekly by Muir Wood clinical staff members. Alumni Teen Support meetings are also held weekly. Muir also holds weekly support groups over Zoom for parents of clients currently in treatment. Current and alumni parents, as well as alumni teens, receive weekly emails with the dates and times of these weekly meetings.
Peer support groups, like Al-Anon and Co-Dependents Anonymous, can provide important resources and fellowship for the parents of children with substance use and mental health conditions. Muir Wood helps parents identify support groups in their local communities. Muir Wood also supports attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings for teens being treated for substance abuse, specifically Young People in AA and NA meetings, which can be found on local area websites.
To provide comprehensive treatment for teens, Muir Wood addresses the entire family system. Client families receive an hour of individual family therapy each week during treatment, as well as four hours of parent coaching classes and peer support throughout the week while one’s child is in treatment at Muir Wood.
Articles for Teen Parents
Here’s some great advice for raising a healthy, happy teen: Be an engaged and hands-on parent to your kids. Discuss your family values and expectations about alcohol and substance use. Empower your children with facts to make good choices. Ensure they know the effects of alcohol and drugs on brain development, the law, and social/physical […]
A new study published in the journal Pediatrics found that though teenagers in the United States are avoiding cigarette use in larger and larger numbers, the rates of hookah use for tobacco and other substances has been on the rise. In fact, about one in five seniors in high school report having used a hookah […]
They’re marketed as being teen-friendly with no alcohol or drugs and lots of positive over-18 support and supervision, but are so-called glow parties the wholesome and safe activity that they purport to be? Not according to ABC News. They report that these parties that are open to kids who are at least 16 (for a […]
In our last post, we looked at all the questions you should ask when looking for a drug rehab program for your son as he moves away from substance abuse and toward balance and stability. Here are the things that you should be looking for in the answers to those questions and what the rehab […]
The summer months are the most common time for teenagers to drink alcohol, but if it’s happening at your house, then you are liable for what happens afterward—even if it’s not your child who was drinking, you didn’t supply the alcohol, and/or you didn’t even know it was happening. Law enforcement is cracking down on […]
Like the energy drinks described in a recent post, it appears that there may be a connection between teen use of indoor tanning and substance abuse, according to the latest research. A study recently published in the journal of JAMA Dermatology found that teens who often frequented indoor tanning establishments were more likely to indulge […]
Changes are normal for kids of all ages, and during the teen years, the changes experienced by your son can be abrupt and disconcerting. Unfortunately, these changes can be as overwhelming and difficult to understand for your son as they are for you, and your child may not know how to handle the waves of […]
Parents will see a number of changes in their teenage children when they hit puberty and as they grow and develop after the age of 12. Personality, mood, appearance, interests, friends—all these and more will be the subjects of those changes. However, because so many new things occur during this time, it can be hard […]
Think back to your high school or early college days. Did you ever use a fake ID to buy alcohol underage? Whether you did or didn’t engage in this trend, fake IDs are still used all too often by underage teens attempting to buy alcohol and/ or cigarettes. The good news, though, is that thanks […]
Over-the-counter (OTC) medication abuse is on the rise for teenagers and young adults. When used as intended, these medications are safe, but when abused they can be very dangerous. Unfortunately, dextromethorphan is easy to access. It can be found in more than 125 OTC products. Some commonly known medications that contain the substance include Robitussin […]
No parent’s struggle with their son’s addiction is easy to deal with or overcome. In a recent column, one mother shared her experience with the hope of helping other parents dealing with the same issue. Her son, Joshua, was a happy and bright child. It wasn’t until his teen years that a much darker side […]
A watchdog group named Digital Citizens Alliance launched an investigation into how difficult it would be for a teenager to purchase prescription medications online. The results of the investigation were shocking enough to propel the study into the media spotlight and gain the attention of parents nationwide. A teenage boy called several online “pharmacies” to […]
“A beer or two is normal in high school.” “I had my first drink when I was 14, and I turned out okay.” “He’s going to drink anyway. At least if I let him drink at home he won’t drink and drive.” Many parents justify teen alcohol use and even embrace it to the point […]
We live in a busy world. Making time for friends and family is becoming increasingly difficult. While many parents feel that their responsibilities are growing and they are finding less time to spend with they kids, the kids are getting older and are more in need of parental attention than ever as they face the […]
In this day and age, it definitely takes a village to help raise a child. With all of the new ways our children have to put themselves in harm’s way—in addition to the old ones—any help we can get in keeping them safe can literally be a lifesaver. This is especially true when it comes […]
While it’s true that making your anti-drug stance clear to your teenage son is a positive step that can help him to make good choices, it’s also true that sharing your personal drug use and abuse stories may not have the effect that you want, according to a new study published in the journal Human […]
Teen heroin abuse and addiction are rising across the country—and not just in urban areas. In fact, heroin overdose deaths are becoming more and more of a concern as heroin takes the lives of teens in suburban areas across the country. How did this trend begin, and why is it becoming an increasing issue? Most […]
A national poll published by the University of Michigan Mott Children’s Hospital reported that only 33 percent of parents say they are concerned about the non-medical use of addictive prescription drugs by teens. Only 20 percent said they were worried about the misuse of prescription medications by teens in their families. Additionally, though prescription painkiller […]