Heavy or frequent drinking is widely seen as normal within student life [1], and while not every student will engage in this behaviour, the expectations and rituals surrounding university life can lead some to consume dangerous amounts.
In order to appropriately address alcohol dependency among students and identify how those struggling can be supported, it is essential to address why drinking is so intertwined with life at university.
At OK Rehab, we offer free advice from a team of non-judgemental professionals, many of whom are in recovery and understand how hard it can be to change your relationship with addiction.
To find out more about students and alcoholism, simply reach out to our 24/7, confidential hotline on 0800 326 5559.
Why is drinking so prevalent among students?
There are many things that contribute to the link between students and alcoholism. Young people who attend university drink more than their counterparts who don’t [2], and there are several reasons for this.
While there is no way to explain every case of student alcoholism, the following are some common risk factors:
Student culture
Socialising and making new friends is a huge part of the university experience. Individuals travel across the country, sometimes even the world, in order to study, and making friends is enabled through parties and events.
While this is not the case for all events, the majority depend on drinking in order for people to open up and get comfortable with each other. Parties and party games are common, and the act of drinking is quickly made normal.
Frequent exposure to alcohol can lead to addiction, especially when alcohol use is so heavily associated with relaxing or having fun. A student’s use of alcohol in these recreational settings, therefore, can soon become part of their everyday routine.
At OK Rehab, we offer free advice from a team of non-judgemental professionals, many of whom are in recovery and understand how hard it can be to change your relationship with addiction.
To find out more about students and alcoholism, simply reach out to our 24/7, confidential hotline on 0800 326 5559.
Act of rebellion
Going away to university is the first taste of independence for many students. They are able to live away from home, live by their own rules, and do what they want.
Combined with the fact that many of these students have only recently become legally able to drink, alcohol is commonly seen as a method of establishing a sense of freedom and no longer being under the supervision of parents or carers.
Drinking becomes a way to establish independence and to feel like a proper adult, and this consumption can get out of control.
Coping mechanism
While university is a time for growth and experimentation, it is also about study and education. Degree-level courses come with a large workload and expectations, and these can be stressful to manage.
These educational pressures can also combine with social expectations and learning to look after oneself to make student life quite demanding.
As a result, the fun of drinking alcohol can quickly turn into a way of relaxing and staying calm in the face of anxiety, depression, or loneliness.
At OK Rehab, we offer free advice from a team of non-judgemental professionals, many of whom are in recovery and understand how hard it can be to change your relationship with addiction.
To find out more about students and alcoholism, simply reach out to our 24/7, confidential hotline on 0800 326 5559.
The impact of drinking on health
Alcoholism is dangerous for several reasons, few more severe than the way it can impact an individual’s physical wellbeing.
Some of the potential long-term effects of alcoholism include:
- Compromised immune system, leading to more frequent poor health
- High blood pressure
- Insomnia and resulting fatigue
- Cancer of the throat, liver, or oesophagus
- Liver failure
- Heart complications
- Cardiac arrest
But alcoholism is not merely a physical condition. Alcohol is a depressant, meaning that it interrupts and distorts an individual’s psychological and emotional patterns too.
Those who consume alcohol on a frequent or excessive level are susceptible to vicious mood swings, bouts of irregular behaviour, and exacerbated experiences of depression.
In addition to all of these health problems, alcoholism must also be seen for what social and financial complications it causes.
Funding a drinking habit can put an individual and their family in frequent monetary hardship, and their addiction can cause conflicts and arguments with those they come into contact with on a daily basis.
At OK Rehab, we offer free advice from a team of non-judgemental professionals, many of whom are in recovery and understand how hard it can be to change your relationship with addiction.
To find out more about students and alcoholism, simply reach out to our 24/7, confidential hotline on 0800 326 5559.
How alcoholism impacts student life
Of course, alcoholism for students brings a range particular challenges with it. Some of the ways students can be affected by excessive drinking include:
Struggling with studies
Alcohol is a substance which greatly inhibits an individual’s ability to think clearly. As a direct result, frequent consumption can seriously impact their ability to perform in exams and assessments.
Additionally, alcohol misuse can ruin an individual’s routines and influence their sleep. Insomnia is common, and dependent students can find themselves sleeping at strange times.
As a result, lectures and seminars can be missed, placing an individual behind their peers and potentially causing problems with their attendance.
Looking after yourself
For many students, going to university is the first time they have to feed and shop for themselves. Whether living in student housing or with friends, they are thrown into independence and have to learn how to care for themselves.
If alcohol becomes a large part of an individual’s life, it can compromise their ability to do such things as go shopping, cook meals, and keep on top of bills and payments.
As a result, individuals who depend on alcohol can find themselves becoming malnourished, declining in terms of personal hygiene, and facing conflicts with landlords or student accommodation companies.
At OK Rehab, we offer free advice from a team of non-judgemental professionals, many of whom are in recovery and understand how hard it can be to change your relationship with addiction.
To find out more about students and alcoholism, simply reach out to our 24/7, confidential hotline on 0800 326 5559.
The wellbeing of others
Students do not exist within a vacuum. They are surrounded by others at all times, and the impact of drinking can spread to them and threaten their safety.
Friends who live with an alcoholic student can be at risk of physical violence, those who depend on them for paying their share of the rent can face financial burdens, and students who work with them can face the academic consequences of their inconsistency.
Especially at university, sexual assault can also be a danger when individuals experience a lack of control when out in clubs or at parties with other students.
At OK Rehab, we offer free advice from a team of non-judgemental professionals, many of whom are in recovery and understand how hard it can be to change your relationship with addiction.
To find out more about students and alcoholism, simply reach out to our 24/7, confidential hotline on 0800 326 5559.
Students and alcoholism – treatments
While the condition can be scary and overwhelming, alcoholism is very treatable. There are several options at an individual’s disposal when it comes to tackling the problem, and selecting the right kind of care is very important.
Alcohol rehab
For conditions that threaten the safety of individuals and their friends, rehab is the best route to recovery. This is a treatment method which brings them into a facility and keeps them there while they undergo phases of recovery.
It begins with detox, focussing on the physical dependency an individual has and helping them to become sober. This is then followed by therapy which turns attention towards the psychological triggers that sustain the alcohol misuse.
Finally, rehab focuses on rehab prevention and preparing individuals for life when they leave treatment. By the end of the process, rehab establishes physical and psychological independence from addiction and gives individuals a road map for a healthy future.
Outpatient alcohol treatment
If an individual’s alcohol misuse is very recent and has not yet developed into a full-scale dependency, they can sometimes be spared from further decline by engaging with outpatient treatment.
This involves them meeting with an addiction specialist in regular sessions to work through their relationship with alcohol and establish how best to avoid their dependency from becoming too severe.
The benefits of this style of treatment lie in the flexibility that it offers. Many people often refuse to treat their developing dependency because they don’t want to go into rehab, but outpatient helps prevent serious addiction while fitting around an individual’s schedule.
Getting the right support with OK Rehab
Being a student is an important time of life for many people, but if you are concerned about your alcohol consumption, please don’t ignore it.
Becoming dependent on alcohol can be detrimental to your life on so many levels. Your education can suffer, as can your relationships with others.
If you think you are becoming dependent on alcohol, or you think someone you know might be, don’t hesitate to get in touch and start your treatment journey.
At OK Rehab, we offer free advice from a team of non-judgemental professionals, many of whom are in recovery and understand how hard it can be to change your relationship with addiction.
To find out more about students and alcoholism, simply reach out to our 24/7, confidential hotline on 0800 326 5559.
References
[1] https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/college-drinking
[2] https://shura.shu.ac.uk/5761/1/Macaskill_Motivation_to_drink_alcohol_.pdf
