Treating Addiction in College Students
College students are at a high risk of addiction thanks to easy access, social influences, peer pressure, and chronic stress associated with the college experience. Students who might use drugs or alcohol recreationally can find that they quickly develop an alcohol use disorder or substance abuse disorder as a result. Thankfully, there are treatment programs specifically for college students that specialize in flexible schedules to accommodate academic pursuits.
Factors that Increase Risk of Addiction in College Students
There are several factors that increase the risk of addiction among college students, including high levels of stress, the opportunity to gain access to drugs and alcohol very easily, particularly while being on their own for the first time in many cases, and social anxiety.
Stress
For many students, one of the biggest risk factors is the chronic stress of:
- Moving to a new location
- Building new relationships
- Being on their own
- Having rigorous academic requirements
- Having other pursuits
- Holding down a job
The forms of stress to which college students are exposed can often be chronic in nature. Chronic stress has been shown to have a high correlation with substance abuse, as individuals who struggle with stress are more likely to use drugs and alcohol to self-medicate.
Social Anxiety
Another contributing factor to the high correlation of addiction in college students is social anxiety. For many students, being away from home brings unique challenges, but so, too, does finding themselves in situations where they are continually meeting new people.
This extends to meeting people in a classroom, engaging with people on group projects, and participating in group activities or sports. All of this can encourage addiction in the form of binge drinking and alcohol consumption or recreational drug use in order to fit in.
Easy Access
As mentioned in the first example, whenever Thomas was worried about his performance, he could easily find Adderall from someone who had an ADHD prescription. Thomas actually knew five people on his dorm floor alone who had such a prescription and were willing to sell their pills. Lilianna found that she never had to pay for alcohol her entire freshman year of college, and yet she was able to binge drink three out of four weekends each month.
College students who may be underage have access to alcohol via older students, and many students have access to recreational drugs through things like prescriptions from others or those selling illicit drugs on campus.
Treating Addiction in College Students with Ritual Recovery
Outpatient drug rehab in Asheville provides a flexible timeline for those in need. Addiction in college students can be more easily treated with outpatient programs that have flexible timetables. Our outpatient programs have partial hospitalization programs as well as intensive outpatient programs both of which can give college students an opportunity to take advantage of a break or holiday in order to get the help they need without compromising their school schedule or other responsibilities.
At our upscale facility, we ensure that addiction in college students gets treated with evidence-based therapies through our PHP and IOP options. Understanding that addiction requires a multifaceted approach because of the psychological, environmental, and genetic elements, we work hard to ensure that college students are given the skills they need to handle things like stress and peer pressure, as well as emotional regulation, which can contribute to addiction in college students.
Overall, addiction in college students is often much higher than in the general population, particularly when it comes to alcohol consumption and binge drinking. Thanks to higher exposure to things like chronic stress, easy access to recreational drugs, and peer pressure, college students can fall victim to addiction very easily. Thankfully, the right type of outpatient program can help college students get the treatment they need with a timeline that doesn’t detract from academic pursuits.
Contact Ritual Recovery at any time via our admissions line at 828-519-1129.
