SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
THE REVIEW
Recovery on a college campus LEANNA SMITH Creative Content Editor
On college campuses across the country, many students arrive seeking not only a higher education, but also fulfillment of a “college experience” – often one defined by parties and drinking. But this desire is not ubiquitous, especially for students whose path toward earning a degree coincides with a journey toward sobriety and recovery from substance use disorders. Approximately 21 percent of the 18-to-21-year-old population in the U.S. meets the criteria for substance use disorders, according to the Association of Recovery in Higher Education (ARHE). At the university, about one-to-two percent of students are reported to be in recovery, according to Jessica Estok, the Assistant Director of Substance Use Recovery Services at Student Wellness & Health Promotion. According to Estok, the most common myth about substance use recovery in college is that students think, “I can’t be considered a person with a use disorder, I can’t be addicted because it’s college and everybody does it and I’m young.” The Collegiate Recovery Community (CRC) is an oncampus resource for students who are seeking help with substance use disorders. CRC meets weekly on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. at Student Wellness & Health Promotion, located at 231 S. College Ave., and is open to students of all levels who are going through any type of recovery, impacted by a family member or friend with a substance use disorder or interested in advocacy and learning more. The CRC also hosts a variety of events throughout the year including All Recovery Yoga, training on how to administer Naloxone — a drug that can reverse effects of an opioid overdose — speakers on campus and anything else the students are driven to make happen. John Czartorijskij, a senior human services major, started attending the weekly CRC meetings after he transferred to the university last semester. “I like having something on campus where it is a peer group and I know that a majority of the people are students who aren’t from around here,” Czartorijskij says. “There’s a sense that I can go in there and I can talk more, so I find it to be very helpful for me.” A fear among many students is that if they seek help they will get in trouble
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individual professors who determine how many absences are allowed and how that affects course grades. Frequently, professors only offer a finite number of absences before lowering grades.
would be “impossible to make up even with official excused absences.” Senior Rachel DeLauder is the president of Chronic Illness Advocates, a Registered Student Organization (RSO) working with DSS to create a supportive “I’ve had a number environment on campus for that only allow one absence students with chronic illand more that allow zero nesses. absences,” Maggie Billing When asked about sley, a recent alumna diaghow the university excuses nosed with Crohn’s disease chronic illness, DeLauder says. “I’ve also had courses raised concerns that the that allow absences, but will policy does not consider have in-class assignments illness flare-ups, only prothat can’t be made up.” vides aid in withdrawal and LEANNA SMITH/THE REVIEW “I feel embarrassed “doesn’t reflect or advocate Student Wellness and Health Promotion is home to the Collegiate Recovery by my illness, and I don’t for students with chronic Community, a community for students of all levels going through any type of want to be seen as unillnesses at all.” recovery. healthy, so I don’t let it DeLauder is referring affect my attendance as to the university’s one-senmuch as it should,” Billingtence policy stating: “Stuwith the university, but having more fun after I got sley says. “This results in dents who experience longCzartorijskij says everyone sober.” even more severe symptoms term absences of a week or at Student Wellness & Health Students interested in for me later or even bigger more should consult with Promotion and CRC are there more information about flare-ups.” their Assistant Dean; in to help people by providing substance use recovery and An anonymous such cases, it may be possithe resources needed to the Collegiate Recovery student with postural ble to negotiate with faculty help themselves. There is no Community can contact orthostatic tachycardia for the opportunity to take judgement and no negative Jessica Estok at jestok@udel. consequences. edu or visit sites.udel.edu/ syndrome also mentioned an incomplete grade, or a Throughout his almost collegiate-recovery/. embarrassment in talking withdrawal may be more nine years of recovery, prudent.” Czartorijskij says that he For Billingsley, a selfis a big believer in going described “academicallyto meetings and has also motivated student,” withbenefited from becoming drawal has never been an self-aware and cutting option. negative influences out of his “The policies do not life when necessary. to professors after having a discuss meeting the student “Sometimes people from JENNIFER WEST my past will call me and be professor criticize a lack of halfway and making the like, ‘Do you want to hang Senior Reporter documentation after a flare- requirements of the course out’ and it’s just like for up that sent them to the be completed virtually,” what? What are we going to For the average stuhospital. DeLauder says. talk about?” Czartorijskij dent, the first week of the “He told me my hos Anne Jannarone, says. “The glue of our semester means going out, pital note would ‘be enough director of DSS, discussed relationship was getting high not doing courseadvocacy on beand bar hopping, so what do work and readhalf of students. If we really have to talk about ing syllabi to find students require any more?” out the best way additional absenc The biggest support from to skip as many others is knowing that they es, DSS will work are there for him and want to classes as possible with students and see him do well, Czartorijskij without damaging faculty to excuse says. grades. absences. Addition According to Estok, But for a ally, students can one of the best ways to be number of univerregister with DSS supportive of a friend going sity students, even even through the through recovery is to be courses with lax diagnostic process respectful of the boundaries attendance policies to accommodate of whatever their recovery become daunting. absences and gain might look like. That includes Accordbeing aware of the words you additional services. are using, not making fun ing to Disability Despite the aid of someone for not drinking Support Services offered by them, and not pressuring someone (DSS), the univermany believe prointo drinking, using or going sity has over 1,500 fessors still need to out if they don’t want to. students regisensure flexibility in “A common tered. 17 percent syllabi to avoid senmisconception is that if of students regtiments like those you’re not part of that scene, COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS istered listed a then there’s nothing else to Students learn to navigate college life while living with chronic ill- of Billingsley, who chronic illness as questioned her role do, you’re not going to have nesses. their primary disfun, you’re not going to as a student. have a college experience,” ability. Even more “The syllaCzartorijskij says. “Yeah, a attend class withbus said no reason lot of people do that, but it out registration and assisjust this time,’” the student would be acceptable,” Billdoesn’t have to be that way. tance, navigating attendance says. “I was so worried ingsley says. “So why would There are other things you policies while balancing apabout talking to him about my case be different?” can do.“ pointments, symptoms and my illness that I dropped According to Estok, it is the class.” extremely common for people flare-ups. In most cases, at The student continwho go through recovery to tendance policies fall upon ued to say that the work have the sentiment: “I started
Navigating UD’s attendance policy with chronic illness
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