College Students: Peer Pressure and Substance Abuse

College Students: Peer Pressure and Substance Abuse

In 2001, research found that college students across the nation suffered from drug and alcohol abuse. There were 310,000 students using marijuana, 636,000 using cocaine and heroin and 1,717 unintentional deaths from alcohol related injuries. As a result, numbers have grown of parents seeking addiction treatment for their children.

Freedom from Parental Control

For students, the college living experience means no rules, no nagging, no curfew and they are in control of their decisions. A student that stays home for college also feels a sense of independence when scheduling time for classes, eating, sleeping, and hanging out with friends. Unfortunately, our colleges are over saturated with the party lifestyle which is accompanied by drug and alcohol abuse. Some of our students are getting lost in the college addiction epidemic and heading towards the need for substance abuse rehab.

College Peer Pressure

College students struggle with many different types of pressure. Pressure can be put on a student from parents, teachers, friends, and self. The sources of pressure stem from academics, career choice, financial aid, and peer pressure.

Peer pressure is the most stressful of the four sources. Qualities of peer pressure are found throughout each type of college stress. For example, students may compete with each other for better grades; some students may be able to make decisions regarding career more quickly than others; and some students have to work hard to support themselves. Peers will often joke around about these types of differences and each student responds differently. Students may endure unhealthy friendships and romantic relationships because of peer pressure. The three negative components of peer pressure in college life are:

• Fear of loneliness- Insecurity the student feels about friendships and fitting in may be rooted in fear of being alone. This can often lead a student to continue unhealthy friendships which are destructive.
• Poor Stress Management- Students are extremely busy with classes and feel overwhelmed. Hanging out with friends and using substances becomes an outlet for stress.
• Poor Decision Making Skills- One bad decision leads to the next and eventually the student will feel overwhelmed by his or her choices. For example, choosing to party over being responsible may result in the choice to withdraw/drop a class to avoid a failing grade.

Wanting to hang out with friends and be accepted, relieving stress and making the decision to use alcohol and/or drugs happen simultaneously. Peer pressure anddrug and alcohol abuse are common contributing factors of a college student who enters addiction treatment.

Peer Pressure and Substance Abuse

Peer pressure evolves when one person feels bad about saying no to a friend’s request. The student goes along with the request despite knowing that it is not the right choice. For example, students will often influence each other to use substances despite school responsibilities. Eventually, students will schedule classes around substance abuse activities with friends.

Games played when hanging out with friends involve binge drinking and experimenting with drugs. Fraternity and sorority parties are a guaranteed drinking event, tail-gating before games usually involves substance abuse, and pool parties at the off campus housing are characterized by drunkeness.  Regular participation with friends in the substance abuse lifestyle leads to risky behaviors.

Alcohol and drug use is increasing steadily on our college campuses. Warning signs of college students with a drug and/or alcohol issue are:

• Decline in academic performance
• Withdrawing/dropping classes regularly
• Asking for money regularly
• Conflict with parents
• Sexual promiscuity
• DUI
• Drunk and disorderly tickets

A student who continues to use drugs and alcohol despite negative consequences may be struggling with addiction. Issues that could be permanently damaging such as problems with the law, health or academia may warrant addiction treatment.

An Overview of Addiction Treatment for College Students

A college student who is attempting to quit using drugs and alcohol in the same party environment may have a difficult time abstaining. Peer pressure to continue using substances may be hard to avoid. It is the best option for a student in this position to leave their environment and go to a residential treatment center. Addiction treatment for a college student should include alcohol and drug detox, substance abuse rehab, an aftercare plan and alumni meetings.

• Detox– Detox is the process of removing toxins from the body. If the student’s body has become physically dependent on drugs or alcohol, he or she will need medical assistance to quit using substances safely.
• Substance Abuse Rehab – The student will be monitored by a multidisciplinary team of doctors, nurses and therapists throughout their stay. Individual and group counseling will address underlying issues such as fear of loneliness, stress management and healthy decision making. Daily relapse prevention and life skill educational lectures will be provided to help the student build skills needed to remain clean and sober.
• Aftercare Plan- In a quality comprehensive substance abuse rehab the therapists will work with the students and family members creating an after care plan to decrease relapse risk after discharge from rehab.
• Alumni Meetings- Students will be called regularly and invited to participate in alumni meetings. Staying connected and intermittently updating drug rehab counselors about your recovery after addiction treatment is good for relapse prevention.  Although alumni services are extremely important for continued care, not many addiction treatment programs offer these services.

If you are a student in college suffering from addiction please call a Recovery Connection coordinator at 866-812-8231. Many of them are in recovery and will be able to answer any questions you may have regarding addiction warning signs and treatment options.

Wet Brain: Late Stage Alcoholism Psychosis

There are many health concerns related to heavy alcohol consumption. One of the most debilitating illnesses is Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, also known as wet brain. Wet brain affects males more than females and the sufferer has a 10-20% chance of early death. Stopping alcohol use when the body and brain are dependent on alcohol can result in death. People who suffer from Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome need to be medically monitored in an alcohol detox program followed by a long-term residential treatment center for recovery.

What is Wet Brain?

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (wet brain) has two stages of development and is named after the discovery by two psychiatrists, Dr. Wernicke, and Dr. Korsakoff.

Dr. Wernicke’s identified symptoms are the first stage of wet brain. He found that chronic use of alcohol over a long period of time will result in a thiamine (vitamin B-1) deficiency. Depletion of the B-1 vitamin disrupts the body’s nervous system, brain, heart, gastrointestinal system, and muscles. Wernicke’s symptoms are:

• Paralysis of eye movement
• Inability to coordinate muscle movements
• Mental confusion
• Holes and bleeding in the brain

Dr. Korsakoff, a Russian psychiatrist, wrote a series of articles that explored disturbance of memory in those who suffered from alcoholism. Korsakoff’s syndrome is the second stage of wet brain and develops when Wernicke’s symptoms are left untreated. Korsakoff’s symptoms are:

• Disturbance in memory
• Psychosis (visual and auditory hallucinations)

Alcoholics in end-stage alcoholism present with poor hygiene, malnutrition, and dehydration. This lack of self-care combined with chronic alcohol abuse contributes to the development of Wernicke-Koraskoff syndrome. Wernicke-Koraskoff syndrome is a gradual process of brain damage and is most often irreversible.

Symptoms of Wet Brain

The disease of alcoholism is all consuming. The alcoholic’s body has become dependent on the alcohol for functioning and without alcohol, he or she will go into withdrawal. Alcohol-related thoughts and the compulsive use of alcohol are part of the cycle of addiction which continues to have a negative effect on the body and brain. In alcoholics who have reached end-stage alcoholism, Wernicke-Koraskoff syndrome may be present. Symptoms of Wernicke-Koraskoff syndrome are:

• Remembering things that haven’t happened (confabulation)
• Staggering, irregular gait and other muscle coordination issues
• Inability to form new memories
• Visual and auditory hallucinations
• Confusion
• Double vision, eyelid drooping, and abnormal eye movements.

Alcoholics who have wet brain are unaware that they have this condition. Family and friends are usually the ones who start to question the alcoholic’s peculiar behaviors related to this syndrome. At this stage of alcoholism, a person is less likely to agree to alcohol treatment and he or she may need an intervention by family and friends to pursue addiction treatment. Treatment for Wernicke-Koraskoff syndrome must begin with alcohol abstinence.

Alcohol Detox

Quitting alcohol use is dangerous and sometimes deadly for alcoholics. Alcohol detox is crucial if there is a possibility of brain recovery in the alcoholic who suffers from Wernicke-Koraskoff syndrome. Continued use of alcohol in this condition will lead to death. An alcohol detox program should include:

• A certified addiction physician who will monitor your withdrawal
• 24-hour nursing supervision
• Vitals monitored regularly
• Smooth transfer to alcohol treatment

Confusion, a symptom of Wernicke-Korsaskoff syndrome, may create panic for the alcoholic who is unaware of their surroundings in detox. It is important to have family and friends insist that the alcoholic stay and comply with the alcohol treatment program.

Wet Brain Recovery

Wet brain recovery for alcoholism will include counseling for reframing using thoughts and behavior patterns, teaching healthy coping skills for unwanted feelings and relapse prevention. For someone who suffers from Wernicke-Koraskoff syndrome, alcohol treatment may also include reality orientation, memory exercises, and physical therapy.

At a comprehensive alcohol rehab program, therapists will be able to individualize treatment based upon the alcoholic’s specific needs. Basic components to alcohol rehab are:

• Individual Counseling
• Group Counseling
• Relapse Prevention
• Educational Lectures
• Support Groups
• Life Skills Training
• Individualized Aftercare Plan

Wernicke-Koraskoff syndrome is irreversible so the alcoholic will need to develop new behavioral patterns in order to function. Wet brain recovery requires an extended stay in a residential treatment center to give ample time for the alcoholic to learn new life skills. Family and friends continue to play an important role in recovery during this time. In a quality alcohol rehab, family therapy will be provided for family and friends to offer support and education about the recovery process.