Young Adults @ The Oxford Center

Young adults often find themselves at a crossroads – very much expected to embrace adulthood and live life independently, but also finding themselves swimming in self-doubt. They find themselves lacking in confidence, ill-equipped and unprepared for the real world. This can unfortunately lead to a series of bad choices, wrong behaviors and sometimes an unexpected spiral into addictive behaviors.

Recognizing the Signs of Addiction in Young Adults

Young adults who are struggling with addiction will often exhibit silent cries for help, as their behaviors and environments change around them. Many of these behaviors can seem like typical “growing pains”, but it never hurts to begin the conversation with your loved one.

Some examples of “red flag” behaviors in a young adult would be:

• Expressing constant feelings of being anxious or worried.
• Demonstrating reactive bursts of anger most of the time.
• Experiencing an increased struggle in sleeping, including nightmares.
• Losing interest in things they used to enjoy.
• Avoiding spending time with friends.
• Experiencing difficulty in school, such as maintaining grades and attending class.
• Quitting extracurricular activities or sports.
• Obsessing over physical appearances to the point of extreme dieting.
• Participating in uncharacteristic and risky behaviors.
• Actively engaging in physical self-harm.
• Contemplating suicide.

Treating Addiction at Oxford Treatment Center

Treatment for a young adult can often be overwhelming for everyone involved. Parents wondering how they arrived at this point and the client(s) desperately just wanting to be okay again. At Oxford Treatment Center, we can help.

Oxford has a therapy track designed specifically for young adults struggling with addiction. Our Young Adult program is a welcome, inviting and quite literal “breath of fresh air” for clients ages 18 – 26 and their families. Entering treatment at Oxford means your loved one is given a “pause” for the whirlwind life they are experiencing, and an invitation to experience what life is supposed to feel like.

Our clients are able to find solace and a re-connection to life through nature, building on their trust and self-confidence. In addition to medical detox and individualized therapies, the Oxford Center utilizes a hands-on approach to experiential therapy, allowing the client to experience what it’s like to find fun in sobriety.

Experiential Therapies and Healing

Through adventure-based programming led by trained therapeutic professionals, our young adult clients rebuild their coping mechanisms while taking part in camping and wilderness therapy. Clients learn what it means to take care of themselves and others through activities in our wilderness expeditions, ropes course and labyrinth. They learn the skills of collaboration and partnership through equine therapy, fishing, hiking and much more. With each new activity on the breathtaking grounds, your young adult will develop important life skills and behaviors, preparing them to reclaim their lives again and getting on track for a brighter future to come.

Family involvement is also encouraged as a fundamental part of our young adults’ program at the Oxford Center. The disease of addiction never just impacts one person- each member of the family unit experiences some brokenness and need for rebuilding. If the patient consents and the therapist deems it conducive to healing, our team will work strategically to re-integrate the family unit through their sessions and clear a path for healing together. By integrating lecture series, therapy sessions, and Sunday visits, Oxford is committed to helping families and their loved ones heal.

Whether its horseback riding trails, camping excursions, a pick-up game of basketball or an afternoon of canoeing, your young adult will encounter new ways to celebrate being alive at every turn.  Through our programs, young adults recovering from addiction can have the opportunity to face challenges, overcome them, and leave as much stronger individuals than when they arrived – both inside and out.

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Read More from Lindsey Simpkins:

Finding Recovery in Nature