A Bridge to Recovery for College Students

The social fabric of college can be harrowing for students who are trying to shake addictions. After rehab, some don’t return to school, or they live at home while continuing their studies. Students living on campus often face relapse triggers — old drinking and drugging buddies; stress over exams, finances and social lives — without a supportive environment.

“It’s simply a recipe for failure,” says Dr. Jon Morgenstern, director of addiction treatment in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center, which recently collaborated with Hazelden, a nonprofit addiction agency, to establish a recovery residence in the TriBeCa area of Manhattan for college students. While older adults often have a spouse and job that give strength and identity, college students usually don’t, Dr. Morgenstern notes. Getting young people to accept a life forever free of drugs or alcohol is difficult. “They exist in a youth culture,” pushing the envelope in countless ways. “At some point,” he says, “you expect them to come back and transition to adult responsibilities.” Some don’t...

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/education/edlife/a-bridge-to-recovery-...