Call 888-647-0579 to speak with an alcohol or drug abuse counselor.

Who Answers?

Are There Free Alcohol Treatment Centers for Teens?

All parents want what’s best for their kids, but very few parents are able to afford acting out on their wants. The parents of alcoholic teenagers are all too familiar with this situation. Many feel that a professional rehab center is out of their financial reach. However, there are many free alcohol treatment centers and programs for teenagers.

Ask Your State Representative

Locate the office of your local state representative. The staff there is often asked about state sponsored services, such as free or low-cost alcohol treatment centers for teenagers. Although you can email the staff using the contact email or form on your representative’s website, it’s best to go in person to the representative’s office. This helps your privacy and creates a sense of urgency.

Contact Your State Attorney General

Alcohol treatment centers for teens need to be individualized for their struggles and addiction.

If for some reason the staff at your local representative’s office cannot help you, you can also contact the website of your state’s Attorney General to find out details of alcohol treatment centers. Keep in mind that you may have to travel considerably in across your state in order to find a free or low-cost program. Although you should stick with state licensed centers, you may have no alternative but use an unlicensed center. You can check with your state’s Attorney General to see if there have been any recent complaints.

Professional Alcohol Treatment Centers

You can always call a specific treatment center to see if any discounts or fee waivers could be considered for your teen. Explain your situation. You may still need to go through a credit rating. You may be able to get a medical loan to help pay for your teen’s treatment. Never assume that all rehab programs near you are too expensive. It does not hurt to ask. Since all treatment centers will be asked about costs, they may be able to point you to other low-cost rehabilitation centers or programs.

What About AA?

Although many thousands of alcoholics have been helped by Alcoholics Anonymous, it’s not for everyone. It also does not offer any medical help for alcohol withdrawal symptoms as a teen dries out. No one in AA can prescribe medication. However, AA can help a teen when he or she has been released and is most tempted back to old drinking habits. Each AA chapter is run differently. Some are more faith-based than others. Sit in on a meeting to see what it is like. Another alternative is to use online support groups that follow the same 12 step plan as AA.

Faith-Based Programs

If your teen is religiously inclined, there are many low-cost faith-based ongoing rehab programs across the country. Places to search include the Salvation Army and Jews in Recovery. No one in these programs can help prescribe medication or medical treatments. They do provide support, coping strategies and encouragement.

More Treatment & Detox Articles

SOS offers addiction recovery without religion

For atheists who are addicted to alcohol or drugs, recovery programs that urge reliance on a “higher power” can be problematic. What is this higher power? Despite protestations to the contrary, the term is obviously meant as a synonym for God. Substituting “nature,” “or “science” or some such thing doesn’t quite cut it. There is….

Chronic Drinking Causes More Liver Damage Than Binge Drinking

A new study conducted on rodents has shown the extreme harm caused by chronic drinking on the liver, much more than the injury caused by binge drinking. Although alcohol consumption is known to cause liver damage, still the degree of liver damage can differ according to the pattern of drinking “Different patterns of drinking can]….

Seizure drug shows promise as potential therapy for alcoholism

A new study conducted on mice has shown that a seizure drug, called gabapentin, could act as a potential therapy for alcoholism by reversing cellular effects. In the study, alcohol-dependent rodents receiving gabapentin drank less alcohol, and this led the scientists to say that gabapentin normalizes the action of certain brain cells altered by chronic….

Choosing the Best Drug Treatment Centers

When you choose your doctor you take your time, do research and try to choose the best doctor you can for your individual needs—the same should be true when you choose a drug treatment center. Choosing the best drug treatment center should be more than just opening the phone book and setting an appointment with….

Personal intervention can cut binge drinking

A new study from The University of Texas School of Public Health has found that brief and personal intervention can significantly reduce drinking among risky college drinkers. The researchers found that motivational interviewing with feedback (MIF) significantly reduced drinking among a group of heavy-drinking college students. The MIF intervention includes a personalized feedback profile and….