The road to addiction recovery takes strength, courage and
support.
We'd like to now take you on a journey.
A 12-part reclaim your life series with our partner at
Transformations Drug and Alcohol Treatment center, to meet the
many faces of addiction, but more importantly to understand
the uniquely different programs that transformations offers for
specific groups that are afflicted by addiction.
Today, we start with a look at the under-30 program.
A program uniquely designed for the younger generation who need
to know they're not alone in this journey.
I sat down with one young adult who knows this only too well.
By 21, I had nobody in my life.
I was living on the streets with the clothes on my back.
No money in my pocket.
It was pretty much just me.
I've had a lot of bad things happen to me.
I've had all types of violence, guns, things like that.
Anything you could really imagine happen to me, but for
me, the bottom was really just complete abandonment.
His story could be shared by many young adults today who are
suffering from the disease of addiction.
A disease that destroys lives, relationships, and careers.
For Josh, rock bottom meant finally admitting he had a
problem and making the call for help.
Calling your best friend, calling your family, calling and
no one is there.
That's what made me, everyone pushing me away, because they
were good people and they knew that's what it took to get me
better, is what led me to the point, to the gift of
desperation is I will do whatever it takes to get clean.
I never want to feel this again.
It's the first step that many make in coming to
transformations treatment center in Delray Beach, Florida.
A place that changes lives on the road to recovery.
As a licensed psychotherapist, Joshua Weaver is the leader of
the young adults program at Transformations.
It means creating specific programs designed for the
lifestyle of the under-30 population, and starting them on
a sober journey to recovery.
When I spoke to Josh a few months ago, he was so honest
about his addiction and what he went through.
It was so impactful.
How typical is his story today?
I believe that Josh's story is very typical of how addiction is
impacting today's society.
And what hope does Transformations offer to young
adults like Josh?
What Transformations offers is an opportunity to learn about
the origins of their addiction, so that they can learn coping
strategies to manage what they have experienced
throughout their lives, so that they can manage
their issues long-term so they pervent further relapse.
But, to understand that, must be difficult for them because once
they let go and say "I need help" it takes time to
understand what they're going through, right?
Yes.
Initially, when they would come to transformations, they
sometimes have difficulty in trusting people and I think
that's one of the major parts of this whole process, is they have
to allow themselves to become vulnerable, when in the past,
they've been very defensive, and only really focused on using, to
prevent them to numb the pain that they've been experiencing
in their lives.
Young adults have such an active life.
I mean, they're constantly on the go and they're moving and
going, especially in today's society.
How do you design a recovery program to fit that lifestyle?
Let;s say on a Saturday, they all go to the beach, especially
if it's around one of those holidays if people tend to drink
a lot, and they're there as a community in a whole different
perspective.
They're looking at things with sober eyes, and then they come
to Monday morning to the caseload, and they talk about
their experience.
That may be the first time in their whole lives that they've
ever been able to do that.
That must be such a turning point for them to just feel it
and realize "I don't need to be drunk or high to be happy."
Yeah, so what we do is, we support them in increasing that.
So, just because they've had one experience, that doesn't
necessarily clear the playing field for them.
We try to incrementally increase it.
So, by the time that they treatment at this facility, they
have a really good foundation for themselves to begin that
initial stage of change.
And I can only imagine, when they finally have that fun
without, let's say the drugs or the alcohol, and they see what
they can do, how happy they can be, and what the future holds
for them, it's got to be a turning point.
It's got to be huge.
It's a huge turning point for them, because a lot of them,
they've never really been able to experience fun, or they have
a different definition of what it is, so we are really at the
initial stages of them changing here.
But let's be honest.
The road to recovery is not an easy one.
No.
Very difficult.
What does it take?
Everything they have.
I believe that a major thing for them is, to allow them to be
vulnerable and open about the things that they have
experienced throughout their lives and allow us to help them
through this process.
If somebody is watching, and they say "you know this all
sounds great, but I just can't do it" what would you say?
You can.
Yeah.
The key is for each patient to have the courage to seek help
and start that journey to recovery.
Changing lives is what Transformations is all about.
I think a lot of people don't believe that it's possible.
I think the one addict or alcoholic talking to one another
is one of the most therapeutic things you can have.
Someone that was once at rock bottom, that can relate to them,
giving them hope through your own story, to help them realize
that you can come out of it.
There is light on the other side of the tunnel.
Like Josh, there is hope for any young adults who have started
this journey to recovery as we continue our series, we'll be
looking at programs designed for other groups, as well, including
adults over 30 or the older adult population.
We hope you'll join us to see how anyone in addiction can
reclaim their life.
Remember, for more information, you can go to
TransformationsTreatment.center, and our website,
TheBalancingAct.com.