If you are moving away from home for the first time, or getting ready to graduate from college, you may wonder how you are going to make a new life for yourself, far from the pull of your parent’s drug or alcohol problem. Rest assured, most people make this transition with ease, and your experience is likely to be no different. To prepare yourself for what lies ahead, think about some of these issues:

Decisions about where to live
Even if you have been living away from home for college, it may be hard to make this next break from your family. Your family may just expect you to return home immediately after graduation. Nevertheless, this is a natural and important time to develop greater separation from the responsibilities that you have assumed in the past, regardless of where you choose to live. It can actually accelerate the healing process and foster greater independence for both you and your family.

If you do plan to live on your own now, you will need to decide how far you want to be from your family. Your past experiences may give you a good idea of what a comfortable living arrangement would be. If you need to live at home for a while because of financial need, you are not alone: this is a reality for many young adults today and need not be a permanent situation. If living at home is not a possibility:

If none of your options for living away from home are feasible right now, try to make the best of your situation.  Try to avoid slipping into old patterns of interaction with your family and stay focused on your goals of financial independence and self-sufficiency.

Career opportunities and workplace issues
Choosing a career path can seem daunting. Sometimes though the hardest part is getting started. Even though each decision may feel monumental, your first job probably won’t be your only job, and it is unlikely that it will determine the rest of your career. But every job gives you experience, as well as valuable insight into your career interests, and sometimes you need to have certain credentials in hand to land the position you really want.

If you have never had a job before, you may feel especially anxious about the job-hunting process. This is a time when it helps to have some guidance. Find out if your college or local community agency offers workshops on resume writing or interviewing, or if there are career counseling services available. Ask a friend or family member with recent work experience for advice on the application and interview process.

Look for career opportunities that build on your strengths and skills. For example, if you have a strong sense of organization and are good at and enjoy juggling many tasks at once, look for a field where these talents are used. Many adult children of substance abusers find they are interested in professions that place them in the position of helping other people. For some this may fulfill a need to continue in a care-taking role that started during childhood. For others it is a way to build on their understanding of human behavior and an opportunity to apply some of the lessons learned from personal experience.

Stay away from careers that may reinforce some of the more dysfunctional experiences you had during childhood. For instance, if you were isolated growing up because you didn’t have much opportunity to interact with others, try to avoid jobs where you work alone and steer towards careers that involve working closely with others instead.