If your teen is addicted to cocaine, you must do whatever you can to get him professional help. It can be difficult trying to get your teen to admit that he has an addiction problem because many addicts are in denial. It may also be difficult to get him into a drug rehab center, but it can be done. If you have enough knowledge about cocaine addiction and feel prepared to act, you can hold an intervention for teenage cocaine addiction.

If you and other family members want to hold an intervention you should know how to do an intervention with a teenager, otherwise there are teenage intervention programs with professional interventionists who will lead the session.

The best time to hold an intervention for teenage cocaine addiction is in the morning before your teen has had a chance to get high on cocaine. Having an intervention while your child is high is not a good idea. You want your teen to be able to think clearly about what is being said, and to positively respond to getting help. An informal intervention would be you and your spouse sitting down with your child to discuss his drug use. A formal intervention for teenage cocaine addiction may have an intervention specialist leading the group. The "group" might be made up of your teens:

* Friends

* Family Members

* Physician

* Clergy

* Family Therapist (If You Have One)

Everyone will discuss your teen's addiction and how it is affecting each member of the family. You will offer love, encouragement and support to your child and encourage him to get professional help. Teenage addicts may try to use every defense mechanism in the book to deny or excuse their drug use. Compartmentalization is a psychological defense mechanism where the addict will try to compartmentalize or separate opposing values and emotions. He may blame his problems on other people or situations that he had no control over, but he will never admit that his problems are the direct result of his drug using.

Intervention specialists know how to do an intervention with a teenager and they are skilled at creating a bridge between opposing viewpoints and excuses to allow the addict to confront his addiction and seek help. The rules and strategies of teenage intervention programs should be followed by all family members so that the intervention is a success.

The intervention for teenage cocaine addiction should be held in a place where your child will feel safe and comfortable. Your teen may exhibit strong emotions when he is first confronted about his addiction, but an experienced interventionist knows how to pull back the reins and gain control over the situation. Anyone who has ill feelings toward your teen should not attend the intervention because they may provoke anger with negative outbursts.

The intervention specialist will try to keep your teen calm and secure, so that a continuous dialogue can take place between him and everyone else. The interventionist may also call for a pre-intervention meeting with you and your family to discuss the process of an intervention for teenage cocaine addiction. The goal of teenage interventions programs is to get the teen to agree to get professional help, and all intervention proceedings should aim toward that goal.

If your family decides to hold an intervention without an interventionist you may want to do a rehearsal first. Get as much information as you can before your session, and tell family members they should not display any type of addictive behavior such as:

* Smoking

* Drinking alcohol

* Taking pills during the intervention

You need to be well prepared to hold an intervention for teenage cocaine addiction because anything is possible. Your child might exhibit hostile behavior and say hurtful things that might ordinarily upset you, but you must realize that the cocaine addiction is talking and it will do whatever it can to survive. Try to remain calm and in control of the dialog with your child, and give him your undivided attention.

Some families have a bag of clothes and personal items packed and ready to go to a drug rehab, if the teen agrees to get help. You can call a rehab before the intervention to make a reservation for your child. Tell them your plans to hold an intervention and if all goes well you will escort him to the rehab facility. If your intervention for teenage cocaine addiction does not meet its end goal, don't give up - wait a while and then try again.