Lynsey Romo, an NC State associate professor with a doctorate in communication, conducted a study on alcoholism which highlights ways in which students can find resources for their recovery process.
In her recent work, “An Examination of How Students in Recovery for a Substance Use Disorder Manage Uncertainty,” which she co-authored with a former NC State graduate who was in recovery, Romo discussed the recovery experiences of 19 participants from 15 different colleges across the country.
“A lot of students were really uncertain about whether they even had a problem because there’s so much drinking in college; [they all say] ‘I’ll grow out of this, it’s not that big of a deal,’” Romo said. “They would compare themselves to other people who were a lot worse than them. They eventually realize, ‘No, actually this is not good — this is not healthy and sustainable.’ A lot of them are able to get help through collegiate recovery centers, and we have one at NC State, which is awesome.”
Romo said anyone can struggle with alcohol or drug misuse, not just the stereotypical alcoholics people refer to. According to Romo, the goal of her study was to highlight ways students can maintain sobriety and what works for students in long-term recovery.
“A lot of folks disclose their recovery, to stay sober and to help other people counter those stereotypes of what an alcoholic looks like or what a drug addict looks like,” Romo said. “They don’t like using those words, either. Students are pretty open about reframing it and talking about it like, ‘I’m in recovery for drug misuse. I’ve been in recovery for X amount of years,’ or ‘I’m sober.’ They didn’t like to use words like alcoholic or addict, because no one really knows what that means.”
Romo’s biggest hope for her study is expanding collegiate recovery centers all across the country, as she found many universities didn’t have these programs at all. She also wants there to be more awareness about Pack Recovery, a program that aids students in recovery.
Jason Saville, a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the psychology program, talked more about Pack Recovery, and his involvement as acting president for the past year or so.
“One of our goals is to help reduce stigma around substance use, which includes alcohol, and to help students at any level of recovery,” Saville said. “… As a part of that, we’re creating a space for individuals who would like to have a college experience without the use of alcohol and other drugs.”
Saville said Pack Recovery has existed for a number of years, but has only operated as a student organization for two. Since class is back in-person this semester, Saville said there are various initiatives they are trying to implement.
“We’ve been meeting bi-weekly and reserving a space in Talley where students can come,” Saville said. “It’s a space that people can check in and interact with other people that are either already doing or looking to have sober college experiences and how they’re managing all the things we have to deal with as college students without the use of substances.”
Pack Recovery has also worked with other organizations such as University Recreation and had impromptu events like game nights, Friendsgiving and more. Saville emphasized students can and should reach out to Pack Recovery when they feel comfortable doing so. The Pack Recovery website also has contact information for Saville and the organization’s advisor, Jeffrey Fay.
“Our existence as a group of students together challenges the idea that it’s impossible or infeasible to successfully navigate college without the use of substances or to have fun without them,” Saville said. “Even if students aren’t sure of what life would look like without the use of substances, they don’t have to figure it out on their own.”
