{"id":9562,"date":"2023-01-18T13:45:07","date_gmt":"2023-01-18T13:45:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.collegebasics.com\/?p=9562"},"modified":"2023-01-18T13:45:07","modified_gmt":"2023-01-18T13:45:07","slug":"drug-alcohol-addiction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.collegebasics.com\/blog\/drug-alcohol-addiction\/","title":{"rendered":"Drug And Alcohol Addiction Among College Students:\u00a0How To Keep Yourself From Spiraling Down"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Among college students, substance abuse (drugs and alcohol) is not uncommon.<\/p>\n<p>Many college students view drinking alcohol as a ritualistic part of college, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).<\/p>\n<p>There are, however, many students who come to campus with pre-existing drinking habits.<\/p>\n<p>According to a <a href=\"https:\/\/timely.md\/blog\/substance-abuse-in-college-students\/\">recent study<\/a>, 37% of college students habitually overuse alcohol or illegal drugs.<\/p>\n<p>It is an unfortunate situation that many teenagers find themselves in, with some at even higher risk due to various factors like socioeconomic status or mental health.<\/p>\n<p>But it doesn&#8217;t have to stay that way.<\/p>\n<p>There are ways to curb, prevent, and overcome drug and alcohol addiction, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/westcoastrecoverycenters.com\/treatment\/residences\">recovery centers that help people with addictions<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some more tips to help you protect yourself from spiraling down:<\/p>\n<h3>Make The Decision To Stop<\/h3>\n<p>Most of the time, the first step is the hardest decision, but if you want to change, you need to make the decision.<\/p>\n<p>Being courageous enough to say to yourself, &#8220;I need to stop,&#8221; is vital to help you from going further down into addiction is admitting that you have an addiction and need to make some changes.<\/p>\n<p>It would be best if you decided on something to ensure everything will happen.<\/p>\n<p>And as you make a decision, ensure you have an accountability person to keep you on track.<\/p>\n<h3>Be With People Who Support Your Decision<\/h3>\n<p>After deciding to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.collegebasics.com\/blog\/reduce-alcohol-consumption\/\">stop using drugs and alcohol<\/a>, you must surround yourself with friends who support your decision.<\/p>\n<p>As mentioned in point one, these people can help hold you accountable.<\/p>\n<p>If you do this, you may need to find a new group of friends who are 100% supportive.<\/p>\n<p>You&#8217;ll unlikely be able to hang out with your drug-using friends unless everyone kicks their habit at once.<\/p>\n<p>Supportive friends are necessary because there will be times when you need to call someone in the middle of the night for help.<\/p>\n<p>Take advantage of your friend&#8217;s and family&#8217;s help if you are having a difficult time.<\/p>\n<h3>Take Action To Change Your Environment<\/h3>\n<p>A change in the environment can be a big help. If you decide to quit but still expose yourself to drugs or alcohol, it will be difficult.<\/p>\n<p>If you continue to go to the same places and get exposed to your old bad routines, you have a much higher chance of relapsing.<\/p>\n<p>Avoid your triggers and set healthy boundaries.<\/p>\n<p>Make changes in the places, people, and situations you surround yourself with for your own sake. As the saying goes, &#8220;out of sight, out of mind.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3>Make Yourself Busy<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.collegebasics.com\/blog\/fun-college-without-alcohol\/\">Keeping busy<\/a> will help you to stay away from your desire to use. If you are too busy, you won&#8217;t have the time and energy to even think of using drugs or opening a bottle of alcohol.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, establishing an exciting and rewarding hobby can also help you replace your old unhealthy habits with new ones that are drug-free.<\/p>\n<p>Other recovering addicts also turn to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/mental-health\/addiction\/exercise-help-addiction-recovery\">sports and fitness<\/a> to help their journey.<\/p>\n<p>If not a hobby or a sport, you can spend your time doing volunteer work.<\/p>\n<p>Volunteering and supporting a good cause will help remove your mind from using since you&#8217;ll be too busy to do so.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, community involvement can give you a sense of purpose, help you establish healthy connections and friendships, and make you feel good about your contribution.<\/p>\n<h3>Take Time To Learn Healthy Coping Skills<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-9565\" src=\"https:\/\/www.collegebasics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/college-relax.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.collegebasics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/college-relax.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.collegebasics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/college-relax-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.collegebasics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/college-relax-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.collegebasics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/college-relax-810x540.jpg 810w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Learning a coping skill may not be familiar, but it can be beneficial.<\/p>\n<p>The main reason people go into drugs and alcohol is to cope with the realities and issues of life. They use it as an escape from the feeling of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.collegebasics.com\/blog\/college-student-depression-a-guide-for-parents\/\">depression<\/a>, anxiety, and loneliness.<\/p>\n<p>But it&#8217;s not the only way to cope with hardships.<\/p>\n<p>There are many coping activities that you can do that are healthy; you can try to do the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Embracing creative practices<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Prayer and meditation<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Deep breathing exercises<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Doing talk therapy<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Writing on a Journal<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Doing self-care<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Working out<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Hiking\/ Nature Tripping<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You must decide on a coping skill or activity to help you never go back to using drugs and alcohol when life&#8217;s problems do come.<\/p>\n<h3>Go To Rehab<\/h3>\n<p>For decades, families and individuals have turned to rehab as a sure and solid strategy to veer away from addiction.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s important to remember that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Different centers may offer different programs, and the patients\u2019 responses also differ.<\/p>\n<p>However, it is most successful when individuals complete their treatment and follow up with aftercare.<\/p>\n<p>Going to rehab doesn\u2019t always mean that you\u2019ll be away from your friends and you\u2019re isolated. There are programs now that allow outpatients.<\/p>\n<p>With outpatients, there is a medical support provision, and the necessary detox will be performed.<\/p>\n<p>An outpatient rehab program is a good option if you have supportive family members who cannot afford <a href=\"https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/connect-to-care\/addiction-treatment-recovery\/inpatient-drug-rehab-questions-answered\">inpatient treatment<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Whether inpatient or outpatient, a proper program can help stop the use of drugs and alcohol; you can understand it more, have sessions to help you address an underlying issue, and so much more.<\/p>\n<p>Going to rehab ensures you will receive the help you need and can escape the cycle of substance abuse through an extensive program that centers provide.<\/p>\n<h3>In Conclusion<\/h3>\n<p>Taking steps to prevent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/drug-addiction\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20365112\">drug addiction<\/a> and alcohol abuse is the best way to avoid addiction.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, sometimes the addiction is too late, and someone is already trapped in it. The good news is that there is help available.<\/p>\n<p>Hopefully, this article is of big help to help to keep yourself or your loved one from spiraling down the addiction road.<\/p>\n<p>It is vital to make that first step of deciding to stop, surround yourself with supportive people, change your environment, make yourself busy, or go to rehab.<\/p>\n<p>All these things are just small basic steps to a better life that is drug and alcohol-free.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Among college students, substance abuse (drugs and alcohol) is not uncommon. Many college students view drinking alcohol as a ritualistic part of college, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). There are, however, many students who come to campus with pre-existing drinking habits. According to a recent study, 37% of college [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9563,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[691,710,698],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Drug And Alcohol Addiction Among College Students:\u00a0How To Keep Yourself From Spiraling Down - CollegeBasics<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There are ways to curb, prevent, and overcome drug and alcohol addiction, such as recovery centers that help people with addictions. 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