What is Life Like After Teen Drug Rehab?
Addiction is a terrible disease that affects teens in many ways. Even those who receive adequate treatment and care for their addiction often struggle with recovery and life after teen drug rehab. While adjustment and acclimation can take place, life after teen rehab will likely be much different than it once was.
Avoiding Triggers
The primary focus after teen drug rehab will be to do whatever it takes to avoid potential triggers. This includes staying away from friends who use drugs, avoiding parties or other situations in which drugs are likely to be used and using the techniques that were learned in drug rehab to recognize triggers and avoid them.
Avoiding Peer Pressure
For teens, peer pressure is all around – friends offer teens everything from drugs and alcohol to sex. Avoiding peer pressure is challenging as temptation is all around teens but the key to success in life after teen drug rehab is to recognize those who are pressuring you into doing things that you know you shouldn’t be doing and to avoid such people.
Seeking Support
Being clean and sober helps teenagers focus on their educational, social, and professional development and more.
One of the ways that life will change after teen drug rehab is in terms of finding support. Teen support is not readily available in some areas and it most definitely will not be as easily found as it was in rehab, but it’s out there. Talking with family members, guidance counselors, treatment professionals and others who are active in the community can help you find the necessary support to stay sober after teen drug rehab.
Having Fun
Just because much of your time outside of rehab will be spent avoiding triggers and situations in which you may feel compelled to relapse, this doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to have fun after you reintegrate back into society. Having fun after teen drug rehab is possible, consider doing things like:
- spending time with family
- spending time with friends who do not use drugs
- taking up a new hobby or sport
- going to the movies or the mall with friends
- reading a book or watching a movie
- volunteering or talking with others about your recovery and becoming an advocate for teens
There are so many fun things that teens can do, which don’t involve the use of drugs. If you’re having trouble finding something fun to do, talk with your parents, your counselor, your teacher or someone else whom you trust and maybe they can help.
