Teen addicts can improve their chances of a successful recovery by reaching out to help others. This could include doing general good deeds for the community, applying for a formal service position, volunteering for public outreach or sharing their stories with fellow addicts.
Teen addicts who become active in this type of helping, known in AA as AAH, are less likely to relapse and show better psychosocial improvement (Health.AM). Altruistic behavior puts their recovery into an entirely different frame of mind. This is why at ExecuCare, we consider this model of helping others to be a strong tool to incorporate into a young addicts treatment program. We have seen the tremendous benefit it has had on helping these young people to heal.
