RISE Blog | The Shame Game: How the Stigma about Recovery Prevents Healing

By: Makayla Klie, Peer Educator
October 13th, 2023

Your first college party is always an experience. No real adults, just vibes right? Partying can be a common way to meet others and make friends; however, it's important to understand safe practices when going out. While RISE does not condone underage drinking or illegal substance use, it would be counterproductive to promote only abstinence-centered approaches to those who may want to consume alcohol legally and safely. Abstinence is great for those who choose that path, and there's a wealth of information about that lifestyle. However, there's less education on how to use safely, or when your use becomes a problem.

Let's first define a few of the terms we will be throwing around. At RISE, we divide the spectrum of use to addiction into 4 categories: substance use, abuse, dependence, and addiction. Categorizing a spectrum like this is innately exclusive as the human experience is too expansive to truly reduce. While you may have opinions on where you sit on the spectrum, these definitions are the surface-level ‘boxes' we break substance use into.

Substance use: The consumption of alcohol/drugs. Substance use may not be a problem or lead to abuse or dependency in some people.
Substance abuse: The consumption of alcohol/drugs even when it causes problems, such as complications with work, family, or health
Substance dependence: Physical dependence to alcohol/drugs.
Substance addiction: Change in behavior caused by biochemical changes in the brain after continued substance abuse. Substance use becomes a main priority regardless of the harm they may cause to themselves or others.
- Addiction causes people to act irrationally when they don't have the substance they are addicted to in their system.
- Addiction encompasses both a mental and physical reliance on a substance.

Addiction is not an Anomaly

Our discussion today will center dependence and addiction. While substance use at any level can have adverse effects, addiction has become a term steeped in stigma and judgment. Recovering from addiction can be the hardest journey in someone's life. The American Society of Addiction Medicine defines addiction as “a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, and memory… [that] is characterized by impairment, inability to consistently abstain, and craving” (ASAM, 2011). The myth that someone can overcome addiction with pure willpower only perpetuates the idea that those who use are ‘weaker' than everyone else. You may believe that you won't become addicted because you aren't ‘weak.' However, addiction doesn't discriminate. While there are numerous factors that increase the likelihood of developing dependence, it is a very easy trap to fall into. And once you're in that trap, society can isolate you instead of helping to pull you out of it.

Luckily, we're here to help with the pulling. You've now seen the most basic definition of addiction, but let's look at some numbers related to alcohol. The CDC does not define ‘alcoholism' but it does define ‘excessive drinking' (AKA: an amount of use that dangerous effects begin to appear). There are 2 types: binge drinking would be consuming 4-5 drinks on one occasion, and heavy drinking would be consuming 8-15 drinks in a week (CDC, 2033). That is not to say that every person who has consumed more than 8 drinks in a week is an alcoholic. But it is to say that if you fall above those thresholds, some self-reflection may be beneficial.

BYOB: Bring Your Own Boundaries

You've heard that the first step in recovery is admitting you have a problem. Like all diseases, you can't get help if you aren't willing to ask for it. But the college environment can make it seem like dangerous behavior is just a casual Saturday night. It's not that college students don't care about addiction, it's that they may not understand what it looks like. For a lot of us, college is our first introduction to alcohol, sex, independence, etc. For some, the euphoric feelings alcohol provides can become a coping mechanism (see our blog on this: Reeling vs. Dealing) or it's an activity so normalized that some may feel like an outsider for not partaking.

If you think it's time to set boundaries regarding how much you drink, it can be helpful to know you aren't alone. The ACHA report for Texas Tech demonstrates that 26.8% of students have never tried alcohol before (RISE, 2022). That's 1 in 4 of us here! And that doesn't include how many students have tried it and decided it wasn't for them. If you find yourself around people that aren't supportive of your boundaries, it may be time to expand your friendship pool. People who truly care for you won't stand in that way of healthy character development, and that may look like cutting back or cutting out alcohol consumption altogether.

RISE is not in the business of diagnosing; these numbers and definitions are not meant to be taken as such. There is no way for us to determine what you need on an individual level. But it's also important to recognize that what you personally find acceptable might not be as healthy as you portray it. We need compassion in the conversation, but we also need a heavy dose of reality. If you find yourself in the excessive drinking category for a long period of time, or you've started to prioritize drinking over school, work, and friends… It's time to take a hard look at those habits and reevaluate what your goals are. You can tell yourself that it isn't a problem until you aren't in school, but what happens when the habits you form walk across the stage with you at graduation? Job-hunting and starting a career are already hard enough, do you want addiction joining you on that roller coaster? If it would be a problem for you in 3 years, then it is a problem now.

Recovery is Already Hard Enough

If society was perfect, we wouldn't shame addicts. We would promote recovery and encourage everyone to get the help they need, however they need it. But even in that version of our world, recovery would still be a battle. Depression was once viewed as something to grit your teeth through. Even now that society is more empathetic to that struggle, finding the right kind of help is difficult. Addiction is no different. When we add the burden of embarrassment to addicts, we are just giving them another hurdle in their journey. Imagine how difficult it is to walk into a rehab center and ask for help. Now imagine how much harder that action becomes if they feel humiliated for needing that help at all.

In college, that shame is worse. It can feel isolating to begin recovery while your peers are still engaging in the behavior that tempts you. Research into addiction in college demonstrates that students who lack connection are more likely to disengage from recovery processes before reaching a stable point. Why make what's hard, harder? Having honest, judgment-free conversations about recovery can create a community that promotes healing over conforming. Obviously, addiction is not a casual topic to introduce over drinks. But maybe you can start by having that conversation with yourself.

It's time to stop glamorizing excessive substance use. It's time to stop shaming users. Addiction is real, and it can be a threat now, in 2 years, in 10, or in 30. Downplaying the harmfulness of alcohol or perpetuating myths that addiction is a fundamental ‘weakness' directly harms addicts themselves. These close-minded beliefs isolate those who are addicted, sometimes slowing their recovery. Do you want to be the reason someone doesn't get help?

If you ever feel out of control regarding substance use, intervention is necessary. This doesn't mean that the moment you acknowledge your patterns, you need to check into rehab. There are so many intermediate steps that can be useful to taking back that control. Let's discuss your options as a student.

Resources

Raider Restart | 806.742.2110 | raiderrestart@ttu.edu

A program is designed to provide individualized education for students about substance use and the impacts of alcohol and other drugs on one's health, wellness, and academic success. It aims to help students make safer, healthier choices and avoid negative consequences regarding substance use.

Center for Collegiate Recovery Communities | 806.742.2891 | larua.nobles@ttu.edu

The Center provides students in recovery with an abstinence-based program where students can flourish in recovery as they attain educational goals, including advanced degrees. Based on a psychosocial model that captures the resilient and strength-based qualities of recovery, the Center provides support and services for students.

Alcoholics Anonymous |806.741.8780

A fellowship of people who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism.

The Ranch at Dove Tree | 866.572.6065

Offers hope through a traditional adult program, which provides individualized, skills-focused treatment for addiction based on evidence-based practices combined with the 12-Step foundational model.