Millennials and Addiction: Why are Millennials Prone to Substance Abuse?
Millennials and Addiction: Why are Millennials Prone to Substance Abuse?
How Substance Abuse Impacts Millennials
The millennial generation has faced many challenges, from an uncertain job market and a crashing economy to worries about global warming and the sustainability of their current lifestyle. Given all of these difficulties, it should come as no surprise that many millennials have struggled to find the ideal addiction treatment to combat substance use disorders, including addictions to alcohol, prescription medications, and illegal street drugs.
Who are the Millennials?
General statistics define the millennial generation as those born between the years of 1981 and 1996. That’s a lot of people, and these young adults have seen a great deal of drama during their short stay on earth.
Consider that the first millennials were about 20 years old when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, a frightening experience for everyone and especially for those just coming of age. And the youngest members of the millennial generation were not yet in high school when the housing market crashed in 2008, taking trillions of dollars worth of accumulated wealth and millions of good-paying jobs with it.
What to Know About Millennials and Addiction
The influences that shaped the millennial generation’s lives have also changed the way they see the world, including their perspective on drugs and alcohol. As these young men and women come of age, many of them have turned to drugs and alcohol in an attempt to escape their troubles and leave the real world behind for a while.
It’s also important to note that problems with drugs and alcohol often start in high school and college, leaving millennials at higher risk. While the oldest members of this seminal generation are now closing in on 40, their younger peers are just leaving college and getting their start in the a volatile job market. And the world they are graduating into is a much different place than the one they were expecting, including a global pandemic, record levels of unemployment, crippling levels of college debt, and high prices for even a modest home.
Faced with these uncertainties and obstacles, some millennials have fallen prey to drug and alcohol abuse, attempting to use these substances to mask their pain. If you have a millennial in your life who you think may need addiction treatment, it’s essential to recognize the warning signs and seek treatment without delay.
Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment for Millennials
Millennials are different from members of other generations in many ways, from how they view the world and the challenges they have faced to the way they handle their finances and pay off their student loans. As these young people come of age, they must overcome multiple impediments that earlier generations did not have to face.
The unique nature of the millennial generation and the challenges they face demands a different form of treatment, specially tailored to their worldview, finances, and struggles with addiction. An individualized form of treatment is often the best approach.
By meeting millennials where they live and helping them to face their substance use disorders head-on, professionals in the world of drug and alcohol addiction treatment can improve the odds of success in long-term recovery.
Millennials may have enjoyed only a short time on the planet so far, but developing a long-term strategy for overcoming a substance abuse disorder is just as vital for them as it was for members of previous generations. By developing this long-term treatment strategy and giving millennials the coping skills they need, the professionals at JC Recovery Center can help these young people achieve better, more stable, and ultimately more successful lives.