The Challenge of Turning Eighteen

A troubled teen girl who arrived at a therapeutic boarding school with a history of alcohol abuse and destructive relationships, has made tremendous headway. She now has a terrifically open and positive relationship with her parents, has resolved difficult issues with her brothers, has made huge academic strides, is enjoying an internship on campus she loves, and is looking forward to her last season of soccer before she graduates. She's also looking forward to her upcoming eighteenth birthday, and recently commented that she just hopes she won't be tempted to walk, to leave the school, which, at 18, she would be free to do.

It may be difficult to understand why a young woman who has come so far would entertain the notion of leaving a few months before her scheduled graduation, especially when it would jeopardize that graduation---along with everything else she values now. But her history explains it. For a long time she was defined by her high- risk behavior and "wanting what she wants when she wants it," and this may be the first (but certainly not the last) trigger event to come along since her commitment to recovery. It may be that that commitment is about to be put to the test. If so, she'll have all the help and support she needs here to get through it, and hopefully strengthen her program in the process.