Living Substance-Free

48% of new Berkeley students have not used alcohol in the past year (similar to our peer institutions). 51% male and 46% female-identified. (AlcoholEdu 2019). Most of us deeply underestimate the percentage of students who abstain from: 

Alcohol 

• Undergraduate: actual 48%,perceived 7%
• Graduate: actual 21%, perceived 0%

Cannabis 

• Undergraduate: actual 73%, perceived 11%
• Graduate: actual 76%, perceived 6%

(Source: NCHA 2019)  

One of the most important variables that predict whether students continue to abstain, is a close friend who abstains. (Huang et al 2011)  

More than 2000 new Berkeley students each year want to plan and attend substance-free activities. Top choices include outdoor adventures; movie nights; fitness classes; live music; nothing specific - just a good place to hang out with others; and community service. (AlcoholEdu 2019)  

In Fall 2019, 874 new Berkeley students wanted to be contacted about recovery support programs and services available on campus. (AlcoholEdu 2019)  

One of the first studies to characterize Collegiate Recovery Program students and their experiences (Rabolt, 2018 re: Laudert 2016) found that:  

• 29% were seniors, 23% were juniors, 18% were sophomores, 17% were freshmen, and 13% were graduate students.
• 58% cited drug addiction  
• Students reported high levels of perceived past harm from their substance use (41% ‘considerable harm’ and 32% ‘extreme harm’); they also perceived a high degree of potential future harm were they to continue or resume regular substance use (15% ‘considerable harm’ and 77% ‘extreme harm’) and correspondingly high future benefits of staying in recovery from substance use (13% ‘considerable benefit” and 83% ‘extreme benefit).  
• Most had not used alcohol or drugs in several years: The mean duration since last alcohol use was 31.7 months. 
• 34% indicated “I would not be in college right now if I hadn’t found a recovery support program on campus”.  
• In terms of perceived helpfulness of CRP participation, 28% selected "extremely helpful", 31% selected "quite a bit", 20% selected "moderately", 14% selected "a little", and 6% selected "not at all".

Students in the Texas Tech Collegiate Recovery Community have been shown to have:  

• Higher graduation rates (70% compared to 60% of the general student population)
• Higher GPAs (Mean of 3.18 compared to 2.93 among the general student population) (Rabolt, 2018)  

References:  

• Huang et al. 2011. Endorsed reasons for not drinking alcohol: A comparison of college student drinkers and abstainers. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 34, 64-73.
• Rabolt, Tim Collegiate Recovery and Institutional Buy-In: Research, Results and Returns  Webinar, 2018
• Laudet et al 2016  In college and in recovery: Reasons for joining a Collegiate Recovery Program J Am Coll Health. 2016 April ; 64(3): 238–246. doi:10.1080/07448481.2015.1117464.
• Wechsler, Henry. Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study, 2001. Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2008-02-05.
• Porsche et al 2015 Distal and Proximal Religiosity as Protective Factors for Adolescent and Emerging Adult Alcohol Use  Religions (Basel). 2015;6(2):365-384. doi: 10.3390/rel6020365.   

Proactively think about these questions & scenarios. How will you express yourself to others? 

• What are your social & leisure priorities for this semester?
• What are your reasons for choosing not to drink or use other substances? 
• What are your roommate agreements regarding substance use?
• If a group is gathering to go out, how might you express your desire to join? 
• If you don’t want to use a substance offered, how might you directly and authentically decline?

“Recovery Capital” is all of the support the person in recovery can receive. Not all of the following are necessary, but each can be a predictor of recovery and make it more likely to succeed: 

• Social Networks: The friends, family, and professionals who help with emotional support and therapeutic guidance. A friend network that respects sobriety is one of the most critical pieces of someone’s recovery.  
• Material Resources: Some people have access to money, organizations, medication, or other services that can be helpful — for instance, a stable job, housing, or healthy meals.
• Cultural Environment: A social environment that doesn’t encourage or emphasize drinking or other drug use will help the person recover.
• Personality: Things like an individual’s drive and ambition, and their mental health status will affect their recovery. 
• Information: Access to knowledge and education about the recovery process can make a difference. 

To be an ally for recovering and other substance-free students, here are some things not to do:  

• Don’t assume that all social activities have to involve alcohol and other drugs.  Plan substance-free activities and opportunities to socialize, receive social support, have fun, and feel the natural dopamine/serotonin benefits. 
• Don’t assume you know how they feel. Instead, listen closely to what they have to say. 
• Don’t question/minimize/discount their concerns about their use. This might seem obvious, but many substance use disorders are invisible, and the person may appear more functional than they are. If someone tells you they’re in recovery, don’t express skepticism. 
• Don’t question how long it’s taking. Recovery is not easy. Remember, everyone’s journey is unique, and that will impact the time it takes. 
• Don’t tell others without permission. It can be very difficult for someone to share that they are in recovery. Be sensitive to that, and remember it is not your story to tell.  

Here’s a list of ways to support people in recovery and living substance-free: 

• Make sure the person knows they’re not alone. Recovery can be very isolating. Offer your support, and acknowledge their efforts. — ask how you might be most helpful. 
• Check in with them. While it’s not your place to push for information, ask someone how they’re doing, in a non-judgmental way,  to show your support.
• Support their chosen form(s) of recovery. Ultimately, the choice of how to recover is up to the person in recovery.
• Let them know that they are worthy of all the benefits recovery could offer. The hard work and shame of recovery can make it challenging to see the potential gain. Remind them that things can get better over time.
• If inviting the person to hang out with you, inform them of any potential for substances to be present. Check in with how they feel about being around other people who are using substances, including yourself, and be sensitive to that.