Boundaries are essential to your teen’s recovery. Substance use disorders are challenging, especially when they hit at such a young age. Despite that, with the right boundaries and support, your teen can overcome their negative issues.
As a parent, you are responsible for creating a space conducive to addiction recovery. Addiction recovery boundaries are essential to giving your teen the routine they need while focusing on their health.
What Does It Mean to Set Addiction Recovery Boundaries?
During teen recovery, your child will learn about boundaries and have a routine in the treatment facility. The boundaries in recovery help them know what is or is not acceptable.
In your home life, setting addiction recovery boundaries means you establish what you expect. Before your teen can understand what the healthy limits are in their relationships, they need to know what the boundaries are. For example, you can set boundaries such as:
- A curfew, and what time you expect your child to come home
- Limits on social media
- Actions that will not be tolerated in your home, such as verbal abuse or stealing
Everyone has different ideas about what acceptable behaviours are. That’s why it’s crucial for you to establish them with your teen when they return home from their teen recovery program.
Why Are Boundaries Important During Recovery?
Boundaries are critical during recovery because they help set healthy limits. In teens particularly, it’s essential that they have the boundaries needed to establish self-respect and boost self-esteem.
Other benefits of setting healthy boundaries include:
- Understanding what is expected of them
- Helping people communicate their needs in different relationship scenarios
- Protecting a teen or their family members’ physical and emotional spaces
- Improving self-care
Do You Need to Update Established Boundaries?
In a parent-child relationship, it is sometimes necessary to update the boundaries that have been set. For example, if your child has just come out of recovery, they must have stricter boundaries that must be followed.
The goal is to help them understand what is or is not acceptable behaviour and keep a strong sense of responsibility and respect in the home. Good guidance is essential, especially in the early stages of reintegrating into the home, school, and social life.
Later on, as your child ages or shows better responsibility, it’s possible to change boundaries slightly to adapt to those improvements. For instance, if you previously had an 8:00 p.m. curfew on school nights but see that your child has maintained high grades at school, you may adapt and say they can now stay out a half-hour later unless you see their grades dropping. Making some changes to the boundaries and rules you set is reasonable, so long as your teen is making improvements and showing that they are willing to work on their behaviours positively.
Not everyone will have the same boundaries all the time, but establishing a routine of respect and responsibility is key to your child’s growth following the recovery program. You can establish those boundaries when they first arrive home and adjust them as needed.
Contact Venture Academy to Learn More about Safe, Effective Boundaries for Your Teen
At Venture Academy, we know that teens sometimes struggle with boundaries in the home, school, and elsewhere. We can help your teen learn effective ways to manage their feelings, overcome substance use disorders, and get back to the life you and they can be proud of. We offer assessment, treatment, and education, so families can move forward. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your teen today at 866.762.2211.
