College Life While in Recovery
College for any individual can be a very stressful and chaotic experience. Then if you add another factor such as substance abuse, this can create a dynamic that is filled with distractions and dysregulation that can negatively impact one’s ability to focus on school and career progression. Substance abuse has increased progressively in college students which can be related to varying societal factors. There is the socially created, “Time to experiment” attitude that is prevalent in the attitudes of many college students. This modality of thinking can create a decrease in accountability or excuse for the reasoning behind why substances are being used by the individual as it is just what is expected and become normalized in the college culture. There has been an influx of student rehab programs being created throughout the college arena focusing on promoting resources for college students who are struggling with substance use to have a safe and dedicated space to receive the help they need.
Depending on the level of care in terms of treatment, the individual may have been required to move into a residence associated with the program they have entered. This change in environment can come with both negative and positive consequences. If the person is someone who is living on a college campus or with students from the college, maybe the change in environment was one of the main changes they needed to make for themselves. Often there is an unspoken peer pressure in the college atmosphere to drink and use drugs that is often a neglected topic of discussion. One of the main focuses in treatment is for the individual to build their natural support network on top of their clinical team, for the purpose of continuing the positive support system after the completion of treatment.
Utilizing Tools Learned in Treatment
There are many temptations and triggering situations that may take place once the client has transitioned back into their original environment. With this being said, this is where the aspects of the individual’s treatment come into the forefront. While the client is in formal treatment, the goal is the client’s ability to not only retain the knowledge and education while in treatment but have the ability to apply the techniques and skills while back in their own new natural environment. College is a time that is composed of learning, growing, and changing both physically and mentally for most individuals.
The transition process from formal treatment to college might include living in the previous residence which can present many risk factors. Depending on where the client will be living will either decrease or increase the chance of relapse. If the individual makes the decision to move back into on-campus housing with their previous roommates, safeguards will need to be enacted. These could include discussing with housemates that they should not have any substances in the house as well as establishing periodic check-ins from the roommates to ensure the client is progressing forward in their recovery.
There is an accountability factor that is two-fold. The individual who is in recovery is responsible to express their concerns with others if they are feeling negatively as well as relaying the information regarding their triggers and warning signs for them. While at the same time, once this information is provided to family, friends, and roommates, for them to be cognizant if something appears to be notably wrong. An open line of communication between all parties is crucial for the chance at successful recovery.
Sober Network
Another element of the recovery process involves establishing a sober support network. This network of people can include friends, family, colleagues etc. This group of people will be counted on by the individual to provide feedback, support, advice, and guidance for the individual as they transition into the next chapter in their life without drugs and/or alcohol as a key factor in their life.
For someone who is transitioning back into college, there are resources available specifically for college students who are struggling with substance use. There are a collection of colleges around the country that have created collegiate recovery programs which allow for a safe space for college students to receive counseling, meetings to attend such as A.A., N.A., Smart Recovery, etc, and support groups to help ease the transition back into college while also progressing in the recovery process. College by itself can be a stressful and difficult time full of self-discovery, learning, physical emotional and mental growth, as well as changes in social interaction. If you bring in substance abuse while tackling all these other “normal” challenges the typical college student is faced with, can create a chaotic dynamic for the individual. When it comes to recovery one of the most effective interventions to sustain recovery is establishing a connection with others as human beings are social creatures by nature.
