Addiction is one of the most destructive forces we can encounter. It can damage relationships, interrupt education, and end careers. These impacts are particularly devastating to younger people, who are only beginning these important things in their lives. Even when they enter treatment, they may have a dark cloud of concern lingering about how they’ll rebuild their outer selves after repairing their inner selves.
For someone entering a young adult rehab program, a key element must be how to regain the things that have been lost during a time of alcohol or drug abuse. That’s part of what sets these programs apart from those that are geared toward addicts of all ages.
If someone you love is in this situation, you’ll have an extra role to play in helping them get back on their feet again. It’s so important that people in recovery are able to restore these parts of their lives. It can help prevent relapse by rebuilding their self-esteem and by building responsibilities that give them a reason to stay on track.
So where can you help out?
Resuming Education
A recovering addict may have dropped out of high school and quit or simply skipped post-secondary education. Now he or she is faced with the prospect of earning a living with few prospects for good jobs.
The first step will be education. You can help by guiding the person toward GED opportunities, admissions advisors for higher learning, scholarship options, and everything else it will take to get them qualified for a good job.
Education isn’t just about self-esteem or earning potential. It also plays a major role in their ability to stay in recovery. A person who can see a positive direction in life–something as simple as a solid GPA in the first semester back–has something to look forward to and a reason to stay on track.
Relationship Repair
Addiction can lead to some very bad damage to relationships. It can break up marriages, estrange siblings, and cause parents to disown children. Friends disappear and are replaced by enablers and fellow abusers. Considering that so many of us consider our family to be the one thing we can count on, this can be a devastating mess to find as recovery begins.
The best thing you can do to help is to reach out and help your loved one understand that you are willing to repair your relationship. Once they see that you’re in their corner, you can act as a go-between, someone who can testify to their recovery and encourage others to come back into the addict’s life. It can be a prolonged process, but as you bring in other people, they can help you out and let the process snowball in a positive direction.
Getting Back To Work
For someone who began abusing as a teen and is in recovery during their early 20’s, the whole process of getting a job can be totally foreign. They’ll need people to help them through it, to guide them through searching for a job, applying for them, dressing for interviews, and getting hired.
Of course, once they get a job, they’ll need to keep the job. You can mentor them on punctuality, cooperation, getting along with co-workers, and honesty on the job. These are among the most common causes of getting fired, so they’ll benefit greatly from your advice on the subject.
Addiction isn’t just a physical or mental problem. It’s also a social, educational, and economic issue. For someone who is trying to rebuild his or her life after entering recovery, it will take help in each of these areas to be able not just to be happy and financially independent but also to be secure enough to avoid relapse. It’s up to the remaining friends and family who care to facilitate this process, and it’s one that can save a life.
