5 Questions to Help You Decide if Your Troubled Teen Daughter Needs Residential Treatment

Making the decision to place your daughter in a residential treatment therapeutic program should not come lightly. This is a decision made by parents who are at the end of their ropes and feel very concerned about their girl’s safety and future. Yet how can you tell when you have reached the point where residential treatment is the right and best option? Here are some questions you can ask to determine if a residential treatment therapeutic program is what your daughter needs.

1. Is Your Daughter in Danger?

Many girls struggle with behavioral and emotional issues. The changing hormones that come with the teen years can make behavior seem like a wave, going from difficult to good behavior regularly. One way you can know if your daughter’s behavior has crossed the line is if she is in danger.

Danger can come in two forms. A common problem with girls is self-harm. Girls who struggle emotionally often feel worthless, and they may turn to self-harming behaviors and threaten suicide as a result. If you’ve noticed your daughter hurting herself or have heard her talk about ending her life, you need help quickly.

A second way your daughter could be in danger is if she is participating in risky behaviors. Drug use, risky driving, alcohol × Alcohol
al·co·hol n.noun a colorless volatile flammable liquid that is the intoxicating constituent of wine, beer, spirits, and other drinks, and is also used as an industrial solvent and as fuel. When ingested, alcohol can be a deadly intoxicant. Teens and adults alike are more prone to make fateful and negative choices while drinking alcohol. A deadly intoxicant, alcohol has destroyed and ripped apart the lives of millions and yet, remains to be the drug of choice of troubled teens nationwide. Teenage minds are not yet able to fully appreciate the dangers that coincide with drinking. When drunk, teenagers commit and act out heinous activities which they would normally never commit or act out. Teenage pregnancy, driving under the influence, fighting and other consequences are more likely to occur while teens drink. Parents of teenage boys or girls who drink occasionally or struggle with the addiction of alcohol, need to seek immediate treatment for their son or daughter.
consumption, and similar dangerous behaviors all indicate a need for professional intervention.

2. Have You Exhausted Other Options?

Girls struggling with behavior issues can sometimes make great strides with help at home. Regular counseling × Counseling
coun·sel·ing The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines counseling as the provision of assistance and guidance in resolving personal, social, or psychological problems and difficulties, especially by a professional. Counseling can come in many different forms. These forms include, but are not limited to, child development, eating disorder, substance abuse, rehabilitation, mental health and educational counseling. The type of counseling needed for an individual depends on the type of issues or problems he/she happens to be facing. Counseling Troubled Youth Counseling offers hope to all kinds of troubled youth. Teens who struggle with personality disorders, emotional trauma, psychological disorders and/or learning disabilities, are all great candidates for counseling. These types of teens are often times, in desperate need for some type of counseling, and if some form of counseling is not achieved, are at high risk of fateful, dire consequences. These consequences may include drug addiction, imprisonment, or in some cases, even death.
with a therapist or extreme changes at home can turn the behavior around. Sometimes medication for anxiety × Anxiety
  anx·i·ety n.noun Merriam- Webster dictionary defines anxiety as: : an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physiological signs (as sweating, tension, and increased pulse), by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one's capacity to cope with it Anxiety is a very common ailment that almost everyone experiences on an almost daily basis. However, anxiety effects some more than others and can cause severe emotional distress that is too much for an individual to handle. When anxiety plagues an individual so severely that it becomes a disorder, it is crucial that this individual receives therapeutic and emotional restoration in the form of psychological and therapeutic assistance. Teens who experience abnormal amounts of anxiety, tend to self medicate with intoxicants such as drugs and alcohol. When negative, self medication takes place, teens are at great risk of developing harmful coping mechanisms that may be life-long lasting. Anxiety /anx.i.e.ty/ n.Noun Anxiety is defined as the state of uneasiness or tension caused by the feeling of worry or nervousness caused by apprehension of possibilities of the future. Anxiety is a common emotional trait that many people face.  It affects our actions and can prevent us from making decisions.  Usually anxiety holds us back from the types of things that are outgoing or out of our comfort zone and it brings fear. Anxiety is a normal experience for most people and is a normal part of life.  However, when the anxiety reaches the level of a disorder then it can be dangerous.  This would include an intense, extensive, excessive and persistent worry or fear.  Another factor that is caused by an anxiety disorder can be anxiety, fear, or terror attacks when the intensity of anxiety becomes very high.  Types of anxiety disorders can include: social anxiety, separation anxiety and many different phobias etc.  
or depression × Depression
Depression /de·pres·sion/ Depression is defined as a mental condition characterized by feelings of severe despondency and dejection, typically also with feelings of inadequacy and guilt, often accompanied by lack of energy and disturbance of appetite and sleep. Statistics has shown that diagnosis of depression is growing at a very dangerous rate. Globally, depression affects over 350 million people of all ages. Depression has been linked to other negative health outcomes, such as obesity, heart disease, and stroke. Compared to those not affected by depression those who face it are more likely to be unemployed and have a higher chance of divorce. Most people that suffer from depression do not seek care or attention. Since this is a global issue, many efforts are made to help those who are suffering depression. It is important for those that face depression to find help so that they can overcome this plague that millions of people face.
helps. Before considering residential treatment, consider the other options you have to work with your daughter and encourage her to make a change.

Often parents with girls who are struggling will notice a cycle. The behavior will become too bad or dangerous, and the parents will put down an ultimatum that she will be placed in residential care if she does not change. She is able to change for a while, and the behavior cycles to a more positive place. Yet it never fails that she will crash back into the old habits again.

This type of habitual relapse into negative behavior is a clear sign that residential treatment is what is needed for your troubled teen daughter. If you have tried to help your daughter but find yourself on this cycle, it may be time to get more help.

3. Is Her Behavior Out of Control?

Does your family life revolve around your daughter’s mood or behavior? Is it completely out of control? Are you other children or even you as the parent suffering? If the answer to these questions is “yes,” then residential treatment may be the right choice.

You love your daughter, but that doesn’t mean your daughter’s behavior and negative thinking should rule your family and home life. Sometimes getting outside help in a structured residential setting can help her tackle those negative thought processes and find positive ways to deal with her strong emotions.

4. Is She Asking for Help?

Girls who have behavioral struggles often feel trapped. They don’t want to behave the way they do, but they can’t find a way out. Often, they will ask for you to help them get better control. This is a clear indication that it’s time to seek professional treatment.

Your daughter may not ask for help outright. She may ask for it in more subtle ways or outright aggressive ways. Asking for help may look like:

• Sudden changes in grades or lack of interest in school
• Pulling away from friends and loved ones
• Secretive behavior
• Physically aggressive behavior
• Lack of hope that she can change

If you’re seeing these signs, one of the most loving things you can do for your daughter and her mental health × Mental health
Mental health is “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.”1 It is estimated that only about 17% of U.S adults are considered to be in a state of optimal mental health. The mental health in teenage boys and girls is a crucial issue and concern for parents. Teens, for a variety of reasons, tend to struggle with mental health more than adults or children who have not yet reached their teens. This is because of the turbulent time that comes with adolescence and the individual teen's inability to cope with said turbulence. Parents of troubled teens who struggle with mental health issues, actually have a plethora of treatment options to choose from. The type of treatment option that best fits the individual teen, greatly depends on the individual teens mental health issues.
is to seek the help of a residential treatment therapeutic program.

5. Have You Done Your Research?

Finally, make sure you have done your research to choose the right program. If you can, talk to graduates of the residential treatment therapeutic program you’re considering, and see if it gave them the tools they needed to make lasting change. Also, look for a program that will help you transition your child back to home life when they complete the program.

Girls with behavior issues need love and support × Support
Support / sup·port/ n. Noun Support is defined as the act or instance of supporting; serve as a foundation for something else. Support can be given to many different ways. Through the encouragement to perform and progress and also through being there for someone who needs help. Support is usually shown through family and peers but can come from anywhere from support centers, rehab centers, and treatment centers. Without a support, confidence would be very difficult to find. Support is key to getting through trials and problems. The ability to have someone that is supporting you and encouraging you to move forward and progress is important to growth and change. Especially with youth, that as they are trying to find out who they are that they feel supported in all of their doings. This is important because as support and encouragement is shown the youth feel confident to become the best they can be.
, but they also need professional help sometimes. If you’ve reached the point where your daughter’s behavior is dangerous for her or for your family, then it’s time to get professional help. Zion Educational Systems offers an all-girls boarding school for troubled girls × Troubled girls
The term troubled girls refers to adolescent females who struggle with therapeutic, emotional or behavioral disorders. Troubled girls often struggle with issues such as, problems in school, have little to no respect towards authority, or struggle with unhealthy addictions. Parents of troubled girls need to understand the potential dangers that may arise in the lives of a troubled teenage girl. Adeloscent girls who show signs of being troubled, or suffer from emotionally or behavioral disorders are at high risk. Drug abuse, sexual acting out and other problematic behavior will run rampant and out of control if unchecked or ignored. Teenage girls who do not receive adequate or necessary treatment are likely to carry this type of mindset and behavior with them well into adulthood. There is a plethora of options for parents of troubled girls to seek help from in terms of treatment. These therapeutic options include, therapeutic boarding schools, residential treatment programs, residential ranch therapy programs and group homes for troubled teens.
that can help your daughter overcome her negative thoughts and moods and become the happy girl she once was, all while continuing her education. We combine a rigorous academic program with proven, effective therapy × Therapy
n.noun ther·a·py Therapy is a treatment intended to relieve or heal a disorder or disease. Therapy generally consists of two kinds: medical and psychotherapy. Medical therapies treat diseases of the human body such as cancer. Psychotherapies treat the mind of therapeutically or emotionally damaged individuals. Different Types of Psychotherapy: - Psychoanalytic Therapy - Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy - Group Therapy - Behavior modification - Biofeedback - Collaborative therapy - Family therapy - Marriage counseling - Music therapy - Parent management training - Relationship counseling - Social Therapy - Systemic therapy - Therapeutic community - Twelve-step programs - Wilderness therapy Therapy for troubled teens has become an increasingly popular opportunity for troubled adolescents today. Therapies are offered at many services for troubled teens such as, wilderness therapy programs, residential treatment programs and boarding schools for troubled youth. The most effective type of therapy greatly depends on the individual teen and what psychological and emotional issues the particular adolescent struggles with.
to help girls make lasting change.

Remember, serious behavior issues rarely resolve on their own. Call ZES at 866-471-8579 to speak to one of our family counselors and see if our residential treatment therapeutic program could be the answer for your troubled teen daughter.