Part 3 of the series, What Parents Need to Know: “Hope Academy Parents Share Their Experiences”

“It was clear at some point that she was at least using marijuana. I suspected alcohol as well but never thought it could be more than that. However, when her grades started to slip, (meaning her drug use was affecting her life). That is when the therapist suggested an outpatient afterschool intensive therapy program at a local hospital. That worked while she was in the program. However, not long after that she got caught smoking pot on school grounds and that is when she entered a drug treatment inpatient program. However, it wasn’t only pot that she was abusing. Pills were her drug of choice.”

“We confronted our daughter about it. Having her own personal smoking pipes told us that this was a lot more than some recreational use when she was around people. We were very concerned that this was much more serious. We grounded her and that was when we learned about the cutting and self-harm. That was when we started looking for professional help.”

“After one month the counselor said she had a drug and alcohol problem and was addicted. Rehab was strongly recommended.”