Drug recovery centers offer counseling and other services for students struggling with addiction. UC students are seeking funding for them.
Email addressThe lobby of the Cowell Building at UC Davis, which also provides access to the Center for Advocacy, Resources, & Education and Health Education and Promotion student services, serves as the general meeting area for Counseling Services. Photo by Louis Bryant III for CalMattersThe University of California’s student government wants every campus to have a collegiate recovery center, programs that offer support groups and other tools to help students battle addiction.
But over time that began to change as he met more friends — themselves students in drug recovery — through a small program at UC Berkeley that’s also at half of the University of California’s 10 campuses. These collegiate recovery programs hold regular weekly meetings for students in some stage of battling drug and alcohol addiction or some other form of self-harm.
Though he was sober coming into the program, Raygoza said that “recovery isn’t something I take for granted.” The addiction is always there. From rock climbing and kayaking events to dinner with participants in the recovery program, “It’s just so awesome to be part of this community,” he said. “It helps me live.”It took nearly a year for him to emerge from his shell, Raygoza said, and now he’s leading meetings himself as a part-time student facilitator, a paid job he’s had for a year.
“I cannot emphasize enough that this is literally a life-saving initiative,” said Johnny Smith, who graduated from UC Berkeley this spring and is about to begin his doctoral studies at Harvard.
The program’s “harm reduction” approach is meant to appeal to more students who aren’t ready to fully abstain from all substances, but need help quitting or dialing back from a substance that’s personally destructive. Still, students hooked on certain hard drugs will struggle to moderate their consumption. Lake described one student she counseled a few years ago who wanted to continue using heroin on weekends. She told the student to see if he could limit his usage after three weeks. He couldn’t, but also didn’t want to quit. A few months later, he came back to her, ready to get sober. Lake then referred him to treatment.
She also guides two student facilitators who work part-time leading the group meetings. They include Ashlyn Reed, an incoming fourth-year student. The program has been instrumental in helping her remain off the substance that she has struggled with the most — nicotine. It’s her fourth time quitting; this stint has been the longest she’s gone without smoking — six months. She said the group meetings helped her examine why she relied on nicotine as an emotional crutch.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
When will the Fed normalize interest rates? This is normalA drug addict constantly needs more drug to get the same effect.
Read more »
Son of drug kingpin 'El Chapo' pleads not guilty to drug trafficking charges in ChicagoJoaquín Guzmán López, a son of notorious drug kingpin 'El Chapo,' pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges Tuesday, days after an astonishing ca
Read more »
Son of drug kingpin 'El Chapo' pleads not guilty to drug trafficking charges in ChicagoA son of notorious drug kingpin “El Chapo” has pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges in a Chicago courtroom days after an astonishing capture in the U.S.
Read more »
Son of drug kingpin 'El Chapo' pleads not guilty to drug trafficking charges in ChicagoA son of notorious drug kingpin “El Chapo” has pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges in a Chicago courtroom days after an astonishing capture in the U.S.
Read more »
Son of drug kingpin 'El Chapo' pleads not guilty to drug trafficking charges in ChicagoA son of notorious drug kingpin “El Chapo” has pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges in a Chicago courtroom days after an astonishing capture in the U.S.
Read more »
Son of drug kingpin 'El Chapo' pleads not guilty to drug trafficking charges in ChicagoA son of notorious drug kingpin “El Chapo” has pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges in a Chicago courtroom days after an astonishing capture in the U.S.
Read more »