Addiction

Navigating College as a Recovering Addict

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Updated On : February 24, 2025

Starting college can be an intense time for any student. For those recovering from addiction, this time comes with its own unique challenges.

Those in the early stages of recovery can often feel like all of their time, focus and energy is spent avoiding relapse and staying on track. This can make the pressures of academic stress and adapting to a new environment seem like overwhelming hurdles that test their sobriety.

Thankfully, navigating college as a recovering addict is not only possible but also offers many opportunities for personal growth. In this guide, we’ll cover a range of practical tips, steps, and resources to help recovering addicts manage the challenges of life at college.

Whether you’re personally affected by addiction or supporting a friend or loved one, we’ll cover all of the key aspects.

How many recovering addicts attend college ?

A report covered in the National Library of Medicine found that roughly 600,000 college students described themselves as being in recovery from alcohol or another drug in 2019. With over 18 million students enrolled across US colleges, this suggests that more than 3% of students are recovering from addiction.

Another study found that nearly a third (31.4%) of students who dropped out of high school in 12th grade use illicit drugs, compared to just 18.2% who remained in school. Dropouts were also more frequent users of marijuana, alcohol, and binge drinking.

(Source: Drugfree.org)

Of these, alcohol was the most frequently used, with over two-fifths (41.6%) of dropouts drinking alcohol compared to just over a third (35.3%) of continuing students. At the same time, the number of marijuana users was 12% higher among dropouts (27.3%) compared to non-dropouts (15.3%).

The link between alcohol/substance use and educational dropout was backed up by another study in the National Library of Medicine. The study found that marijuana users and heavy drinkers were less likely to graduate college within the following 10 years. Additionally, high levels of alcohol use between the ages of 18 and 30 were associated with a reduced likelihood of graduation and lower occupational prestige.

Amanda Stevens

Medical Content Writer

Amanda Stevens is a highly respected figure in the field of medical content writing, with a specific focus on eating disorders and addiction treatment. Amanda earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work from Purdue University, graduating Magna Cum Laude, which serves as a strong educational foundation for her contributions.

How Studying Can Challenge Sobriety

While college can be an exciting and productive period, it can be a particularly challenging place for people dealing with addiction. Below we’ll cover some of the most common challenges and triggers in detail.

Peer pressure and party culture

College life is often billed as a notoriously hedonistic period. As a time when many young people experience true independence for the first time, partying at college is viewed as a right of passage that has been enjoyed by generations of students.

Naturally, the party culture of many colleges means that the prevalence of alcohol and binge drinking can be high among certain fraternities, sororities, and social groups. As well as alcohol, the hedonistic nature of college can normalize experimentation with marijuana, hallucinogenics, and common ‘party drugs’ like cocaine and MDMA.

Being surrounded by such excess can make staying sober extremely difficult for recovering students. If you’re still craving alcohol or a certain drug, then being surrounded by people actively engaging in these pastimes can test the resolve of any addict.

Fear of social stigma and isolation

Even if you’re not feeling the urge to relapse, the peer pressure of campus parties can result in many people feeling like they need to partake in alcohol or drug use to fit in. One study found that students in recovery were often stigmatized by other students for not drinking, and were seen as being unable to have fun.

Even without the stigma, addicts can feel that their recovery creates obstacles when building relationships. When housemates or coursemates are out partying numerous nights a week, staying sober can feel lonely and alienating.

Many addicts feel like they need to restructure their lives and avoid triggering activities and places – particularly in the early stages of recovery. This can be isolating if the majority of social meetups occur in pubs, clubs, or house parties involving drink or drugs.

Lack of support

For many, college is the first time they move away from their family and core social circle. As such, adapting to a new environment and forging new friendships can be an intimidating prospect for any student.

For students in recovery, these challenges can be even greater. As many addicts rely on support from their friends and family, the lack of access to this support group can amplify their struggles.

These difficulties can be further accentuated if their recovery has hampered their ability to form new relationships on campus

As well as social support, some students may feel like they lack sufficient addiction support programs on campus or in the community. One study reported that students pursuing non-abstinence-based recovery often encountered support services with an abstinence-only focus, which they felt failed to meet their own needs.

Academic pressures

The academic pressures of college can cause stress and anxiety for any student. Many courses come with high work demands and tight deadlines that can be difficult to manage as they get used to the step up in academic level.

For students dealing with addictions, these stresses can be heightened. Abstaining from addiction requires a combination of willpower, structure, and discipline which can eat into energy resources that would typically be spent focussing on studies.

When academic pressures are combined with other personal life challenges, they can significantly test an addict's resolve. While others may rely on a weekend drink or blow-out to alleviate stress, many addicts in recovery are unable to engage in these pastimes, resulting in mounting tension and an increased temptation to relapse.

A student study highlighted the potential impact of academic pressures on addiction, revealing that students across various recovery phases found it difficult to balance recovery needs with school, work, and other activities.

How to Manage Risks and Temptation

While at times, managing addiction at college may feel like an impossible task, there are measures you can take to help you during times of stress or temptation. Below, we’ll cover some key steps and actions you can follow to help you stay on track during recovery.

Accountability buddies

An accountability buddy is a designated person assigned to encourage, support, and motivate you on your journey to addiction recovery. These people can be assigned by a healthcare professional or support group, or be someone from your personal life that you’ve chosen to take on this role.

Many people have accountability buddies who have previously battled addiction but are further on the road to recovery – these people are usually referred to as sponsors.

An accountability buddy provides you with someone you can contact during times of struggle who can offer encouragement, advice, or just a listening ear. This can be particularly helpful during times when you’ve relapsed or feel close to doing so, as they offer the chance to discuss these challenges in a safe space without judgment.

While support from friends and family is crucial for many people dealing with addiction, some are reluctant to talk about every relapse or struggle with loved ones for fear of causing worry or upset. Accountability buddies allow you to have these honest conversations in times when you may feel unable to confide in the people closest to you.

The effectiveness of accountability buddies is backed up by data. A US study found that having regular accountability appointments with a selected person over a pre-agreed goal can increase success rates by up to 95%.

For students living further away from friends and loved ones, accountability buddies can be a great way to get the support you need while you navigate the challenges of addiction at college.

Check in with a therapist

Therapists can be a crucial tool to help you manage addiction as a student. Therapy sessions can help you build the resilience and emotional tools required to stay on track and deal with any setbacks as you work towards recovery.

Therapy offers both a safe space and professional guidance, to help you in numerous areas relating to addiction management and emotional health. These include:

Identifying triggers for potential relapse
Discussing problems in your personal or academic life
Developing coping strategies for academic stresses and addiction management
Providing ways to track progress

The best therapists can offer tried and tested addiction support tailored to the unique demands of academic life and your own personal challenges. If you’ve not yet sought out therapy, you can request a referral by speaking to a healthcare professional or calling the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA)national helpline.

If you have an existing therapist that you’d like to continue seeing at college, then you should discuss this in your next session. Many therapists offer remote counseling options either via telephone or video communication programs like Zoom, allowing you to continue your treatment during your studies

Be open and honest with your friends

Close friends can be a major source of strength for those managing addiction. Our close friends are often the people we spend the most time with socially, meaning they’re more likely to be present during times when you’re surrounded by temptations and potential triggers.

Being honest with friends about your struggles not only encourages them to offer emotional support but also allows them to consider ways in which they can help you in social situations.

For example, while a friend may have previously jokingly peer pressured you to drink alcohol on a night out, they’ll now be more likely to support your attempts to remain sober. Equally, if you’re finding being in pubs triggering, then informing your friends makes them more likely to suggest alternative activities for your next meet-up.

Manage stress

Stress and addiction go hand in hand. While challenges with alcohol or substance use can occur at any time, heightened stress has long been cited as a key trigger for many.

A study from the Recovery Research Institute found that addicts who’d experienced one significant stressful life event were 20% more likely to report problematic drug use 3 years later. This number rose to 44% for those who reported two stressful life events and 76% for those with three.

It’s only natural that the pressures of academic life and addiction are going to raise stress levels from time to time. Therefore, it’s key to ensure that you have certain practices and activities in your daily routine to help you manage your stress.

Some proven ways that can help reduce stress include:

Exercise

Exercise is one of the most effective ways to alleviate stress and support addiction recovery. A report from the American Psychological Association found that 30% of people reported lower stress after exercise, with 53% saying it boosted their mood.

Exercise triggers the release of endorphins – natural chemicals that enhance mood – while reducing stress-related hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. This can help improve numerous areas of your life key to addiction management, including:

Improved mood
Reduced cravings
Better sleep quality

Exercise also provides an alternative to certain pastimes that may be triggering, while allowing you to build the willpower and self-discipline key to managing addiction.

Exercise works best as a stress reliever when you find an activity you enjoy. Whereas some people may choose to get their release through running or a gym workout, others prefer to take up a certain sport or hobby. Whatever your preference, choosing something you enjoy doing will help encourage consistency.

Exercising in a sport, club, or team-based activity brings with it additional social benefits. For students struggling away from home, this can be a great place to establish new connections, enhance their support network, and alleviate feelings of isolation – all of which can help reduce stress.

Hobbies

Participating in hobbies is a great way to partake in fun pastimes removed from environments associated with your addiction. Whether you’re a sports fanatic, a music enthusiast, or an arts and crafts lover, partaking in a hobby allows you to focus on an activity you love while engaging with like-minded people

Much like exercise, hobbies are directly linked to reduced stress and improved mental well-being. A collection of studies covered by Harvard University assessed 93,000 people across 16 countries – 60% of which had longstanding mental health conditions. The study found that those with hobbies typically reported better health, happiness, and fewer symptoms of depression than those without.

While some people may have a perfect hobby in mind right away, don’t be deterred if you don’t. Trying out new activities can be a great way to have fun, socialize and build new connections while you find a hobby that works for you.

Mindfulness and meditation

Mindfulness and meditation have become increasingly popular ways to alleviate stress and boost well-being. While these age-old practices have been utilized for centuries, the modern focus on mental health has seen mindfulness and meditation become mainstream pastimes that millions worldwide incorporate into their day-to-day lives.

Mindfulness and meditation aid stress management by allowing you to become aware of your thoughts and feelings in the present moment, enabling you to detach from intense feelings and approach challenges from a calmer perspective.

The effectiveness of mindfulness has been backed up by data, with one study finding that those who followed an 8-week mindfulness program experienced a 32% decrease in stress, a 30% decrease in anxiety, and a 29% decrease in depression.

Mindfulness or meditation can be particularly helpful when dealing with the challenges of addiction. If you’re getting an overwhelming urge to relapse, then shifting your focus to the present moment can provide you with vital breathing space, allowing you to pause, re-evaluate, and take the right course of action.

One of the biggest challenges many people experience when trying mindfulness or meditation is knowing where to start. Thankfully, there are numerous websites, videos, and apps available to help you along the way. For more information, the NHS has put together a helpful guide on how to meditate for beginners to help you get started.

Address + overcome past trauma

Personal trauma is one of the biggest risk factors for developing alcohol or substance addiction. A study reported in the National Library of Medicine found that as many as 70% of addicts had experienced trauma within their lifetime.

Unresolved trauma can lead to depression, anxiety, and emotional pain, which results in some people turning to drugs or alcohol as a coping mechanism. By addressing the traumas in your life and facing them head-on, you begin the healing process and help build the strong emotional foundation integral to addiction recovery.

Many of the actions covered previously can be excellent pillars for dealing with trauma. Just like with addiction support, friends and family can provide a close and trusted support network to help you navigate these issues.

Additionally, there are numerous types of therapy and counseling available that can help with processing past events and, where necessary, dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If you need professional support when dealing with trauma, a healthcare professional can listen to your concerns and refer you to the right treatment or therapy.

For those looking for immediate help today, the National Mental Health Hotline offers 24/7 assistance for mental health issues including trauma and PTSD.

Walk away from situations if you feel uncertain about them

Environment can play a pivotal part in an addict's susceptibility to relapsing. A study from Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy cites the following environmental factors as having the potential to influence relapse:

The availability and accessibility of drugs/alcohol
Peer pressure
Prevalence of social problems
Residential setting

As a recovering addict, you’ve likely already made lifestyle and environmental changes to reduce the risk of relapse. However, these changes can be more difficult to maintain at college, when you may lack a strong support network that understands your struggles and can help minimize your exposure to triggering environments.

While you’re still building these support systems, your ability to walk away from situations is key. Don’t be afraid to exit any situation that is testing your resolve or giving you the urge to relapse.

Having a prepared reason to leave such as needing to study, meet a friend, or attend an appointment, can make it easier to get out of situations if they start to become challenging. While it may feel difficult at first, you’ll become more comfortable with navigating these situations over time and will stop feeling the same level of anxiety.

Some situations that feel triggering right now may become less intimidating when you’re further down the road to recovery. However, learning to step away from uncomfortable situations is an essential skill that will help you stay on the right path as you adjust to student life.

What to do if you or someone you love relapses whilst at college

When someone relapses it can be a deeply worrying time for friends and loved ones. While it may be difficult to stay calm in this situation, your understanding and support will play a huge role in helping them get back on track.

Below, we’ll cover a few things you can do to help your loved one if they relapse while at College.

Stay calm and supportive

Relapse is a common occurrence for many people struggling with addiction. While this can be alarming for loved ones, try to remain as calm as possible in this situation.

It can be tempting to feel like a relapse has set your loved one back to square one but this is not the case. An addict builds a greater resolve the more experience they get with sobriety and handling triggering situations. Therefore, all the experience they gained during their previous period of sobriety will be there to help them when they recover from this relapse.

By staying calm and remaining supportive, you reduce the likelihood of your loved one feeling panic or shame about their actions. This will encourage them to communicate more freely and allow you to be the source of strength they need.

Encourage open communication

Make sure your friend or loved one still feels like they can communicate openly with you after the relapse. Avoid blame, confrontation, or overly harsh criticism during your early interactions, instead focusing on listening, understanding, and helping the person process what’s happened. This will prevent your loved one from feeling judged or isolated and ensure they feel supported as they take the first steps back to recovery.

Encourage professional help

Although support from family and friends can go a long way when managing addiction, an addict's personal support system should be there to augment, not replace, the help they receive from a professional.

Professional help outlets like counsellors, therapists, and addiction specialists offer evidence-based treatments and solutions to help your loved one reduce triggers, address underlying issues, and rebuild their coping strategy.

Seeking professional support also helps reduce the threat of knock-on consequences occurring from their addiction, including damage to physical and mental health, negative academic effects, or compromised personal relationships.

If your friend or loved one is already receiving professional support, encourage them to continue doing so. Relapse often occurs during times of apathy, meaning the person may have less motivation to seek support than they previously did. However, support is never more needed than during times of relapse. Encouraging them to stay committed to their treatment will ensure your loved one has the right foundations to bounce back from this setback quickly.

Look after yourself

When a friend or loved one is struggling with a relapse, it can be easy to focus your entire energy on that person’s well-being. While this is not only natural but admirable, it should not come at the expense of your own physical or mental health.

As a key part of their support network, looking after yourself will help ensure you can be the source of strength they need as they rebuild from relapse. Neglecting your own needs can result in physical and mental burnout that compromises your ability to provide the best support you can.

Practising self-care is key to ensuring you feel prepared to help your loved one during relapse. Where possible, you should maintain healthy habits such as exercise and good nutrition, while continuing social routines such as hobbies and seeing friends. In some cases, you may benefit from professional help such as counseling or therapy, to help deal with your own stresses during this testing time.

Regardless of what your personal care routine looks like, maintaining it will help you be the pillar of strength your loved one needs as they manage their addiction.

Available Support

While the challenge of managing addiction at college can feel overwhelming, there is support available to help you in times of struggle. As Colleges and society in general have become more knowledgeable about addiction, support has become more accessible than ever.

Below, we’ll cover some of the key support options available to help you manage addiction at college:

Support groups

There are several tailored support groups available to addicts across the US to help them manage their addiction.

Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Annonymous

Groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) provide peer-led group support based on the principles of the 12-step program.

These programs offer clearly defined steps along with a chance to interact with other people struggling with the same addiction. The effectiveness of 12-step programs has been validated by studies, with the Journal of Substance Use & Addiction Treatment linking participants with a reduced likelihood of abstinence.

Another study from Drugs, Education, Prevention, and Policy found students engaged in 12-step programs cited the following benefits:

Gaining valuable friendships
The chance to discuss life
Encouragement to keep pushing forward
Finding a sponsor

The effectiveness of 12-step programs has been validated studies, with the Journal of Substance Use & Addiction Treatment linking treatment to a reduced likelihood of abstinence.

Smart Recovery

For students who feel uninspired by the 12-step program, Smart Recovery programs and groups have become an increasingly popular alternative.

This evidence-based treatment relies on core principles found in treatments such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT), to help addicts build motivation, create coping mechanisms, and manage triggers. These programs have been cited as a viable alternative for those who don’t identify with the spiritual undertones of the 12-step program.

Unlike the 12-step program which is based around complete abstinence, Smart Recovery encourages an ‘abstinence-oriented approach’ that aims to help participants reduce or eliminate substance use on their terms. While complete abstinence may still be necessary for many, Smart Recovery is open to the possibility of moderation being possible for some.

The previously mentioned report from Drugs, Education, Prevention, and Policy found that some students felt alienated by the abstinence-only focus of certain recovery services. In these cases, SMART Recovery can be a powerful alternative to get the help you need.

Friends/family

Addicts moving away to college can often feel like their support network has been compromised by having less access to close friends and family. While it may feel like you're on your own, the people closest to you can still offer the help you need while you adjust to your new environment.

Ensuring regular contact with your core support network can help you feel more settled at College. Arranging phone calls or video chats with friends and loved ones gives you the chance to discuss your struggles and receive the same support you were benefitting from at home.

Don’t be afraid to return home during times of particular struggle. While this may feel detrimental to your studies, getting the help you need should be your primary focus when dealing with addiction.

If you need to return home during the semester and are worried about missing course time, discussing these concerns with your college can encourage them to offer the support you need. In some cases, they may be able to make allowances and adjustments to your course schedule.

Finally, don’t be afraid to add new people to your support network. college can be a time when strong bonds are formed and you may find that new friends can offer the same support you were used to at home. This will help you build resilience in your new environment and prove that you can adjust to life changes while managing your addiction.

College support

Colleges offer a variety of services and resources to help students dealing with addiction.

Many institutions offer on-campus support groups, counseling services, and wellness programs. These outlets can be particularly useful for students as they provide addiction recovery support while helping them manage academic challenges.

As the college is directly involved in your recovery, they may be more willing to readjust your academic commitments and schedule to aid support where necessary.

Collegiate Recovery Programs (CRPs) are dedicated support systems designed for students in recovery. These programs offer support and resources to students to help them manage their addiction while achieving success in education.

Today, there are around 140 CRPs across 40 US states. The services offered by CRPs can vary based on the group and the needs of the individual, with some common services including:

Peer-LED Meetings

One-On-One Support And Counseling

Sober Housing Options

Recovery Focussed Events

One obstacle identified by young people in a recovery study was the struggle to find friends in support groups due to being considerably younger than most members. CRPs allow students the chance to engage with people in similar life situations and foster relationships built around common goals and experiences.

There is a Better Way to Live. It's Time to Get the Help You Deserve.

Take the first step in getting your life back. Speak with our admissions team today.

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