Drug use interfering with daily life is something we have all heard of, or maybe even experienced ourselves. You might even know of someone who has been negatively affected by drug use, whether they are celebrity, a family member, a friend or ourselves. It can be incredibly difficult to handle, to care for and to experience.
At the University of Idaho, we are not exempt from drug use and its effects. There are preventative measures students can take advantage of here on campus such as a variety of events and resources that can help provide the needed support.
The National College Health Assessment surveyed 18,764 college students on a variety of health topics, including drug use. From this, we see that drug use dropped nearly 6% from Fall 2019 to Spring 2020 — that means we went from 26.3% to 20.9%. While this is a significant drop, the percent of college students using drugs remains high.
In addition, we may have students on campus that are still struggling because of their drug use and may want to begin recovery. How can we drop this number even more? An important part of recovery, whether if it’s from drug use or mental health issues, is social support. A strong social support network is where we all can do our part to help one another.
Social support for recovery can be like antibiotics for an infection and it can make a massive difference for students who identify as recovering. But, unlike antibiotics, social support is often overlooked to help those struggling. Social support has been shown to improve health and provide emotional relief.
Why is this important when considering drug use? People in recovery can often experience intense negative emotions, or maybe they just need something to take their mind off what drug they typically use.
What can you do to provide support? Staying in touch, reciprocating invitations and letting people know you care are all ways that can help you stay connected. Additionally, when your friends succeed, be happy instead of jealous. Be a good listener, and if they are open about trying to recover, you might consider asking them how that is going to provide additional support. These can help deepen a relationship. In case you cannot always be there, UI has programs and events to help support students.
Programs, events and clubs on campus provide students with resources and information about nutrition, sleep, relationships and substance use. For substance use, Vandal Health Education has Coffee Hours for students who identify as being in recovery and are interested in being part of a sober community. It takes place every Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. in the ISUB Panorama. For people who like their privacy, there is the Counseling and Testing Center that offers free and confidential counseling to students located in Mary Forney Hall Room 306 on Blake Ave nue.
There are many more recovery options out there and a good place to find information on them is at uidaho.edu/vandalhealthed which can help you find events and programs. Good luck out there and stay safe Vandals.
– Zachary Gokey