Rehab and Young People: Can Addiction Centers Help Today’s Youth?

The world is more connected than ever, and nobody knows that better than today’s young people. Not only are modern youth more adept with technology and the internet than anyone that preceded them, they are savvy and know where to find just about anything piece of information on any topic they are fascinated with. 

This is also true for young people who may struggle with addiction issues. Nowadays, young people don’t have to just trust what is told to them by parents, teachers, and other adults. They can turn to myriads of online resources for questions about drugs, alcohol, and addiction, and may turn away advice from well-meaning friends and family. 

Rehabilitation in the Modern Age

With many young people seeing traditional rehabilitation programs and techniques as antiquated, friends and family of addicts, rehabilitation facility staff, as well as the people who form organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous need to come up with creative ways to reach today’s youth. 

They have a wealth of information available to them online, and it can be difficult to come up with a message that resonates with them. A few things that should be considered are: 

The old ways simply don’t always work

Usually, families who have a young adult experiencing addiction struggles simply send the person afflicted with addiction away for a month to sort themselves out and detox. While this may work for some people, others need to remember that getting someone through their struggle can be something that the whole family needs to help out with. 

Instead of doing a month stint in an inpatient facility, you could always consider doing outpatient rehab with your young addict and help them talk through their problems with a certified drug rehab specialist. 

Help them see real consequences

While the attempt is admirable, having adults get dressed up in costumes and go to schools to talk about the power of just say no, is simply not helping. Young people need to see the reality of what can come with long-term addiction struggles. 

Incarceration, health issues, and financial problems are all things that can come with longtime battles of addiction, and helping young people see the real outcomes of this struggle could help them choose to stay away from alcohol and illegal drugs in the future. 

As much as people may like to think the old ways are perfect, the data is telling a different story. Young people are still struggling with addiction problems at pretty consistent rates, so finding a way to connect and resonate with them is paramount to helping them stay away from choosing drugs and alcohol in the first place. 

By rethinking old ideas about addiction and rehab in a modern way, families affected by addiction could find a real way to make a difference in the life of their struggling family members.