One of the most daunting prospects a person who is about to be discharged from rehab faces is the transition back to normal life. After living in a structured environment, it can be very difficult for someone to take charge of his/her life once again.
A structured aftercare and relapse-prevention plan is the best way to resume life after rehab. By throwing yourself at the deep end, being busy and prosperous will help to prevent your mind from wandering back to previous problems. Finding a job after rehab is one way to achieve normality again – but that can be easier said than done.
Luckily, the help available for recovering addicts is growing year upon year, and employer discrimination with regards to past addiction problems is decreasing with better education and anti-discrimination laws. People who feel intimidated about getting back into the job market because of their past need not be apprehensive.
Here are some steps you can take and options you could consider about getting back into employment after rehab.
College Recovery Rehab Centers
Although you do have various alternative medicine methods for drug treatment; this rehab option for young people is the full works of rehab, recovery and constructing a new life. After completing detox, patients are encouraged and helped to re-enter education or employment as soon as they feel ready. This gives patients something to focus on and shows them that life does go on after addiction.
Gaining a sense of achievement by doing well in recovery really helps to encourage former addicts to stay drug-free, cutting down the chance of relapse. College recovery facilities like SOBA in New Jersey have trained professionals in all areas of detox, counseling and education, so that when patients are ready to leave, they are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to stay clean from drugs and start a new life.
Steps to Finding a Job in Recovery
As you become more comfortable in your recovery to combat relapse of substance abuse, you may want to turn your attention to what you will do outside of rehab. Whether you are attending a traditional facility rather than a rehab college, your facility will have contacts to help you with your job search.
In the meantime, here are some steps you can begin to make that will help your job search post-rehab:
- Draw on your own contacts: Make a list of friends, family, former colleagues and employers, or potential employers that you could contact when you are ready. They can give you some useful input on how you can transform your life and move towards the right direction of your desired job. Make another list of those who can act as professional referees for your resume.
- Create your resume: As part of your rehabilitation aftercare, there will be trained professionals who can help you craft your resume and begin your search for employment. They will also be able to advise you on how to explain gaps in your employment history due to your treatment when the need arises. There are thousands of amazing resources online that can help you build a professional resume just in case you do not have access to employment help,.
- Consider what you want from a job/life after rehab: Firstly, consider what you are qualified to do, and what experience you already have that will help you secure a new job. Do you want to continue on that path, or retrain? What do you imagine yourself doing in a year, or 5 years? What would you eventually like to achieve? Answering these questions honestly will give you a better idea of what to pursue in your new life.
- Look at job adverts: Even if you are not yet ready to apply for a job, knowing the current job market will give you a better standing when you do come to getting back on the job ladder. You can see the skills and training that employers are looking for, and tailor your resume accordingly, or get some additional schooling. It may also give you ideas about what you would like to do for work.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
