Young adults are often the ones who experiment with drugs and alcohol the most. They experience a lot of new things as they become independent and exposed to adulthood. However, alcohol and drug use can get in the way of these progressive experiences, and addiction can take root easily. Treatment programs for young adults are similar to any treatment program, beginning with a screening and initial assessment, and followed by a program and an aftercare program on a need basis.
Assessment
Addiction recovery therapists evaluate the individual, and a treatment program is designed based on the client’s specific needs, such as duration of treatment and the type of therapies/counseling needed.
Detox and Withdrawal
Cleansing the body of remaining substances through hydration and nutrients is the second step. Withdrawal symptoms are managed in a detox near me facility with professional care as the client prepares for formal treatment.
Psychological or Pharmacological Treatment
Individual behavior therapy, group therapy, family, and psychological counseling are often utilized, as young adults tend to struggle with personal problems in their life that cause them to resort to drugs and alcohol. Medications are also utilized on a need basis, such as opiate replacement therapies, use of antidepressants, and use of anti-anxiety medications.
Aftercare Programs
The individual shouldn’t be limited to addiction treatment only, as aftercare can provide continuing outpatient therapy and further counseling. Alternatively, the person can enroll in a transitional living facility or a halfway home, where he or she can adapt to normal living conditions at their own pace. This helps the person remain drug-free, receive help from social services, job placement, and benefit support groups.
Treatment barriers for young adults include accessibility of treatment, cost, lack of health insurance, stigma, and time constraints.
Since addiction is a family disease, other members are part of the problem as well as the solution. Knowing what to do and what not to do is an important part of the program for your young adult addict. When you bring your addict to addiction recovery therapists, or when they find their way there, do you just walk away and trust that when you see them again, they’ll be cured?
Accepting that the word “cure” is a false hope, you will soon realize this is a lifelong journey, bouncing between relapse and recovery. Relapse is part of recovery; the objective is to increase the time of recovery and remove the majority of the relapse time. Teaching you and your addict how to handle the relapse and recovery times is part of what addiction recovery therapists should be teaching you.
Addiction recovery therapists provide a forum for the rediscovery of relationships between you and your young adult. It may start with a letter from the loved one, telling you the things they have lied about, damages they have done to you, and events that you have questioned. Family meetings are held that clear the air, reestablish a basis for honest communication, and begin the redefinition of your relationship. Encouragement for you to seek your own source of tools for recovery is also required.
Recovery isn’t a single act. It’s the combination of physical, psychological, emotional, environmental, and social repairs. Dealing with one and not another is like finding fool’s gold; it looks good, but it’s not the real thing. Good addiction recovery therapists address all these issues, not only with the addict, but with the family too.