INPATIENT TREATMENT FOR TEENS
IN LIMA, PERU

Remember that development is different for every individual. For some teens, typical developmental behaviors can be taken to the extreme and become a bigger problem. Parents have a difficult task here, as they need to allow for normal developmental behaviors while also addressing problematic ones.

Typical developmental behaviors include challenging behaviors that result from the developmental tasks of adolescence. In other words, these are behaviors that are common and expected in teens but can be difficult to deal with and interact with.

What you might see in your teenager:

• Spending a lot of time alone in their room.
• Not wanting to spend time with family.
• Experimenting with different types of music, clothes, makeup, jobs, interests, and friend groups.
• Trying out hobbies or clubs.
• Experimenting with alcohol, drugs, or sex.
• Daydreaming.
• Spending more time with friends than with family.
• Not talking to parents about school, relationships, or emotions.
• Not wanting to be seen with parents or family in public.
• Being more argumentative or critical of parents.
• Reluctance to share where they are going or who they are spending time with.
• Rejecting help or support from parents.
• Having mood swings.
• Losing interest in things they enjoyed as a child.
• Breaking rules or boundaries set by parents.
• Intense friendships.
• Strong peer alliances and acting similarly to their friends.
• A strong connection with a friend group.
• Spending a lot of time talking, texting, or hanging out with friends or peers.
• Spending a lot of time on a “crush” or romantic interest.
• Curiosity about sex and intimacy.
• Exploring physical intimacy, such as dating and sex.
• Taking a long time to get dressed.
• Being concerned about appearance.
• Increased interest in looking attractive.
• Focusing on how others look.
• Acting shy or timid.
• Believing they can take risks without serious consequences.
• Focusing on the bigger meaning of life.
• Thinking about how others see them.
• Focusing more on what they think and feel.
• Believing that everyone is as concerned about their thoughts and behaviors as they are.
• Believing that they are the only ones with these thoughts and feelings.
• Being dramatic due to the belief that no one else has ever felt the way they do.
• Difficulty seeing shades of gray.
• Questioning the family’s religious or spiritual beliefs.

Problematic behaviors arise from typical developmental behaviors that have reached an extreme. These are difficult behaviors that are more concerning or serious than the typical challenging behaviors seen in adolescence.

Problematic behaviors can create major consequences, are often harmful, and reduce the quality of life for both the teenager and their family.

Problematic behaviors are extreme forms of expected developmental behaviors. Examples include self-harm, suicide attempts, mental health hospitalization, and addiction issues.

It is helpful for parents to recognize when behaviors go beyond the typical. It is important for parents to take these behaviors seriously, as they require less flexibility than typical developmental behaviors.

Problematic behaviors may include:

• Suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts.
• Self-harm (e.g., cutting, burning the skin).
• Drug and alcohol use (beyond experimentation) or addiction.
• Excessive eating, restricting, or purging.
• Promiscuity.
• Refusal to go to school and frequent truancy.
• Complete disconnection from parents.
• Leaving home.
• Physical harm.
• Hospitalization.
• Conflict with others.
• Loss of relationships.
• Lack of self-care.
• Decreased self-respect.
• Poor grades.
• Suspension or expulsion from school.
• Health problems.

Problematic behaviors come from typical developmental behaviors but have become extreme. These difficult behaviors are more concerning or serious than the typical challenges seen in adolescence.

Problematic behaviors can lead to significant consequences, often causing harm and reducing the quality of life for both the teen and their family.

Problematic behaviors are extreme versions of expected developmental behaviors. Examples include self-harm, suicide attempts, mental health hospitalization, and addiction issues.

It is important for parents to recognize when behaviors go beyond the norm. They should take these behaviors seriously, as they require stricter handling than typical developmental behaviors.

Problematic behaviors may include:

• Suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts.
• Self-harm (e.g., cutting, burning the skin).
• Drug and alcohol use (beyond experimentation) or addiction.
• Excessive eating, restricting, or purging.
• Promiscuity.
• Refusal to go to school and frequent truancy.
• Complete disconnection from parents.
• Leaving home.
• Physical harm.
• Hospitalization.
• Conflict with others.
• Loss of relationships.
• Lack of self-care.
• Decreased self-respect.
• Poor grades.
• Suspension or expulsion from school.
• Health problems.

Brief Drug and Alcohol Use Questionnaire for Teens

Answer the questions fully and honestly.

Remember, it’s never too late to seek help for your child.

The following questionnaire may help determine if your teen shows signs of problematic drug or alcohol use. While it is useful, it is not intended to be a full diagnosis or a diagnosis of substance use disorder or other mental health conditions.

Based on your answers, you may receive an indication of addiction.

If so, we are here and ready to help!

Over the past month:

1. Have you noticed a change in your teen’s personality or behavior, such as unusual irritability, including aggressive or violent outbursts?
2. Have your teen’s grades dropped at school?
3. Has your teen withdrawn from friends and family?
4. Has your teen shown less interest in activities and less motivation overall?
5. Have you noticed unusual physical symptoms, such as bloodshot or dilated eyes, weight loss, poor hygiene, unexplained nosebleeds, or tremors?
6. Have you found drugs or paraphernalia in your teen’s room?
7. Is there a family history of substance use?

Next Step:

If you would like more information about the treatment we offer and how we can help, contact us immediately by clicking on this WhatsApp link

Our Residential Treatment and Recovery Program for Foreign Teens

Features:

• Based on total abstinence: free from all drugs, including tobacco.
• Systematized level-based program: Structured with observable and measurable levels to motivate patient progress.
• Program run exclusively by mental health professionals (psychologists, doctors, and psychiatrists).

Program Phases:

The Opción de Vida therapeutic program is based on the therapeutic advancement of the patient, meaning progress is measurable and quantifiable, with clear therapeutic objectives.

Phase 1: Adaptation

During this period, the therapeutic goal is to increase the patient’s awareness of their illness, meaning taking responsibility for their treatment.

This work is done parallel to physical detox, where the patient will frequently experience withdrawal symptoms, which they will face with their own resources to overcome rather than avoid. In these moments, the patient needs the support of the entire community (professionals and peers). These patients wear a white badge.

In this phase, the following strategies are applied:

• Accepting the problem.
• Managing withdrawal symptoms.
• Commitment to change.
• Environmental change.

Phase 2: Skill Development

At this stage, the change process becomes more active, and the patient is rigorously following the treatment program. The goal is to modify bad habits or behavior patterns acquired and reinforced during the substance use period.

During this phase, patients live the community experience, constantly exchanging feedback in a peer-pressure environment and with continuous activities that, by themselves, promote personal development. We divide this into two stages:

2.1 Immersion in the Therapeutic Community:
Characterized by active participation in skill acquisition. The patient receives information about their problem and how to address it. They are trained in skills like emotional self-control, self-esteem, and self-efficacy, among others. These patients wear a green badge.

Strategies in this phase include:

• Modifying behavior patterns.
• Self-control.
• Emotional management.

2.2 Pro-Social Phase:
The skills learned in the previous phase are put into practice. In this phase, the patient takes on responsibilities such as housework and duties (kitchen, logistics, maintenance, gardening, animal care, etc.), and their progress is evaluated based on their contributions. Patients in this phase wear an orange badge.

Strategies in this phase include:

• Social skills.
• Problem-solving.

Phase 3: Coping Skills

This phase is characterized by the first contact with the outside world every 15 days. The patient will develop skills such as identifying both internal and external risk stimuli.

During this period, close work with the family is done to obtain relevant information, and we use a family report log. Patients in this phase wear a light blue badge.

Strategies in this phase include:

• Identifying high-risk stimuli.
• Family and/or couples therapy.
• Evaluation and self-evaluation of behavior during outings.

Phase 4: Relapse Prevention

In this phase, the relapse prevention program is developed, where behavioral and cognitive strategies are provided to reduce the likelihood of relapse. Patients are trained to identify the relapse process. During this period, patients have therapeutic outings for 2 to 3 days, and we evaluate short-term activity possibilities (work, study, or other activities). Patients in this phase wear a blue badge.

Strategies in this phase include:

• Socio-educational and occupational reintegration.
• Understanding relapse.
• Identifying the relapse process.
• Self-intervention training.

Our Residential Treatment and Recovery Program for Foreign Teens is designed for:

Beneficiaries:

• Adolescents aged 17 to 21.
• Those with low effectiveness in previous therapies and/or treatments (psychological, psychiatric, etc.).
• Difficulty regulating emotions.
• Continuous and unmanageable crises.
• Families unable to contain the situation.
• Personal and family risk.