With frat parties, tailgating, and underage drinking, college often has a reputation for being a party environment.

Although some students can get carried away with drinking and drug use, not everyone who goes to school has these same intentions. College should be about getting an education. Unfortunately, for someone who recently got partial hospitalization care and is now sober, college can be a hurdle in early recovery that is hard to overcome alone.

Finding Support in Recovery at College

 Early recovery is a trying time that requires the support of others to stay on the right track. Because college can be filled with temptation and addiction triggers, it is easy for someone’s recovery to be derailed. Instead, these tips could help you find support in recovery at college and maintain your sobriety.

Church

During your inpatient or outpatient program, you may have found strength in recovery from your faith. Instead of straying away from your faith now that you are in college, you should lean on it for support. Finding a recovery community at college may be as simple as getting involved in the local church. Join the choir, attend a church group, or volunteer with the church. You can not only depend on your faith for support but may also meet new people who share your same values.  

Get Involved

Contrary to popular belief, there are plenty of college students who are there not to drink or do drugs for various reasons. The more involved you are, the more likely you will find them. Because not everyone is in recovery, joining a recovery group for college students alone may not suffice. Instead, join a variety of groups and clubs. You will get to meet a lot of different people and can befriend those who will support your recovery.

Attend Outside Recovery Meetings

Finding support groups for recovery at college may be more challenging if you are only looking at what your school has to offer.  Instead, outside recovery meetings keep you connected to the recovery community. You may also connect with people who are currently in a similar situation or went through college sober in the past.

Roommates

Who you live with can have a dramatic impact on your recovery. If you are living with a random roommate, be sure to fill out the roommate questionnaire honestly and stipulate that you are sober. The last thing you want is to live with someone who will derail your recovery because they are into drugs and alcohol. If you have a roommate who is sober or who is understanding of your sobriety, they can be a great source of support for your recovery in college.

It may take some time to find support in recovery at college, but it is imperative that you do. If college becomes too much and you end up relapsing, you can still get back on track. Our stabilization program for addiction in Philadelphia helps people find their way back after relapse so they do not fall back into their addiction.

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No one should have to recovery from substance abuse alone. For help or to learn more about our program at Banyan Philadelphia, call us today at 888-280-4763.