It’s no secret that alcohol and drug use is widely considered an integral part of social life in American colleges. An image exists in the minds of most Americans of what the “college experience” looks like, and this almost always consists of some sort of substance use. It wouldn’t take long for an observer to see that this image isn’t based entirely in fiction if they were to stand on the streets of a college campus on a weekend night. Here at the University of Connecticut, for example, massive groups making their way down the street to the bars is a common sight. Empty nips and crushed aluminum cans litter the ground almost anywhere you go on campus. The same can be said of used cigarette butts and dead vapes. The culture of substance use is certainly here, and it’s difficult to ignore.
For most students this isn’t much of a problem. They can walk down the street and see these drunken groups of people and not think much. They can go out to parties where they know there will be alcohol and feel nothing more than the ordinary nerves that go along with social events or even unadulterated excitement. But for some students, the college experience as we know it is not so simple. Albeit small, a portion of college students have struggled with substance misuse disorders in their lives. For some, the journey to recovery from these behavioral disorders has been a long and painful one. For these students, those weekend rituals that so many others enjoy can mean incredible stress and anxiety.
Recovery from substance misuse is a difficult process for anyone, but for those that are in recovery while in college, unique circumstances can make it even harder. Social inclusion can often feel dependent on substance use, leaving these students in a difficult position. In the midst of this challenge, resources meant to help can often be difficult to find, difficult to arrange, and expensive. Some even feel discouraged from asking for help because of a stigma attached to their substance misuse.
To make the experience of these students easier, we must better understand their unique circumstances.
Music used is Melting Snowman by Loco Lobo.