Life Skills Learned in Drug and Alcohol Rehab Centers

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, there are 36 million people in the United States who need some form of drug treatment. Many of these people live below the poverty line and are the product of single parent households. Many of them do not know even the basic life skills needed to survive in a drug free world.

Meal Planning

Drug and alcohol rehab centers can help teach meal planning.

Eating well is essential for a healthy body and mind. It is also an essential part of remaining drug free. Most people never learn the basics of meal planning unless they actively seek out a class. Teaching this in rehab gives recovering addicts the basics of:

• basic nutrition,
• reading labels,
• comparison shopping,
• cooking basics, and
• grocery shopping.

These basics help a recovering addict learn to take care of themselves without the drugs and alcohol. It also gives them something to work on when they leave recovery.

Personal Skills

Many drug users lack the skills to live and be happy. They do not know how to cope with different situations and many of them come from abusive background. In rehab they learn coping skills and self esteem building exercises like:

• interpersonal relationships,
• anger management,
• self esteem,
• stress management,
• emotional regulation, and
• decision making.

After rehab, these skills are valuable when promoting self worth and self control. These are skills that are usable throughout the recovering addicts life.

Interpersonal Skills

The drugs eat away at their social skills when it comes to anything except for the drugs. Many rehabs teach personal skills to help them recover their lost interpersonal skills. Some of the interpersonal skills they work on are:

• active listening,
• conflict resolution,
• verbal communication,
• assertiveness, and
• emotional intelligence.

All of these skills help the recovering addict with their relationships both personal and professional.

Domestic Skills

Many people, drug users included lack domestic skills. They do not know the basics of home care or domestic skills. These skills are:

• cooking,
• cleaning,
• laundry, and
• home budgeting.

By learning these skills during rehab, a person is better able to take care of themselves outside of rehab.

Job Skills

People who use drugs often lack even the most basic job skills. Most rehabs have job training and job placement assistance. Some of the skills they learn are:

• basic computers,
• team work,
• group skills,
• resume writing,
• interview skills,
• time management,
• critical thinking, and
• problem solving.

Learning job skills is a vital part of surviving without drugs outside of rehab.

Life skill building is an important part of rehab, particularly for long term drug users. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, neglect and physical abuse often lead to drug abuse in later life. This neglect often leaves the drug user lacking social, interpersonal, domestic, and other vital skills. Learning these skills during rehab prevents relapse and promotes a positive self image. For more information on the life skills taught in rehab call us at 800-481-6320Who Answers?.