The Importance of Structure in Drug and Alcohol Treatment

One of the most important parts of drug and alcohol treatment is structure. Once upon a time people used to be able to simply go to AA meetings or NA meetings, get a sponsor, and get sober from drugs and alcohol. In the beginning, treatment was seen as not entirely necessary by people in Alcoholics Anonymous. The primary question people in AA asked was, “Why pay for treatment when AA is free?” As time went by the answer to this question became obvious to most people in AA. Treatment provides structure for the alcoholic and addict. This is especially important for young people suffering from drug and alcohol addiction. When I say “young” people, I mean people from the ages of 17 to 29 years old. In the past, when AA was developed, there was not as much of a sociological problem with the young adults of America as there is today. Today the TWIXTERS are entering the work force later, graduating from college later, and getting married later. Simply put, the adults of the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, and even 60’s were not experiencing the dilemma that many young adults are experiencing in this day and age. Young adults are lost today. They are frightened of the future. They don’t know what they want to be or who they want to be so they live the lives of people they see on t.v. When young adults begin to drift off into the abyss of adulthood between the ages of 18 and 29 years old, they are drawn to drugs and alcohol to cope with the feelings they are having. The Structure offerred in drug and alcohol treatment allows these TWIXTERS to get a foothold in life and helps bring them back down to earth. The daily routing of drug and alcohol treatment provides TWIXTERS with something to do, because most of them are do not have careers and most have not completed their college educations. This is different then it was in the past. People went to college, got careers, got married, had kids, all by the time they were 24 years old. Now that age has increased and there is a large gap between 18 and 29 years old where young adults feel lost and without purpose. So one of the main objectives in drug and alcohol treatment is not only to help a young adult get sober, but to help them develop a life worth living and more importantly, worth getting sober for. Northbound Staff