Treating Co-occurring Adolescent PTSD and Addiction

Book excerpt: Research has shown that, for many teens, trauma can lead to addiction. Now, for the first time ever, two mental health experts offer a powerful, integrative program to effectively treat teens with these co-occurring issues. Trauma and addiction often present side by side. However, up until now, clinicians have lacked the tools needed to treat these two issues together. Based in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness—two proven-effective therapies for addiction and mental health issues—Treating Co-occurring Adolescent PTSD and Addiction is essential for anyone working with adolescents with addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Developed and researched explicitly for dual diagnosis adolescent clients, this book provides a range of mindfulness practices and tools to help your client be present in what he or she is experiencing—instead of slipping into a pattern of avoidance. In addition, the cognitive behavioral strategies can help adolescents who are at risk of recurrent trauma, and who could therefore benefit from practicing coping strategies to assist them in their current daily situations. This is a must-have resource for any mental health provider treating adolescents with dual diagnosis of PTSD and addiction.