The Department of Counseling and Psychological Services organized the What Life is Like in Recovery event where recovered alcoholics and drug addicts from the University spoke to students about how substance abuse has affected their lives.
On Tuesday, Nov. 19 in Young Auditorium. About 50 students listened to three guest speakers share their stories about recovery from substance abuse. The speakers emphasized how their lives have changed through recovery and the importance of recovery.
One speaker, David Dolan, described recovery as a “spiritual awakening.” Dolan, a mental health and counseling graduate student, explained that recovery is “not about not drinking or not using drugs” but rather is about “connecting with other human beings.”
Dolan discussed the specific day he started the recovery process. He was driving and noticed how beautiful the sunrise looked. He said, “The sun has been coming up every day my whole life and recovery gave me the ability to see it.”
As Dolan reflected on his past as an addict, he said, “[Recovery] is like describing a dream,” therefore recovery was everything to him.
“Life in recovery is a gift, to say the least,” said another speaker, Eric Morley, a 2009 University alumni who is currently pursuing his Masters.
Morley described how his life has changed since becoming sober from drugs and alcohol. “One of the greatest gifts of recovery is that I get to be aware,” Morley said. “Today I get to do certain things. Before I didn’t get to do anything.”
He went on to say that recovery is “a wonderful experience, both externally and internally.” Morley now has an improved relationship with his family and friends as well as improved mental and physical health.
“Recovery exists. There is life after drugs,” said Lauren Tripodi, a social work major and the third speaker. She explained her life before addiction as “everything I said I would never do I ended up doing; I had standards before I picked up a drug.”
Tripodi explained that through recovery “the obsession to get high was removed.” She encouraged those who are suffering with the effects of addiction to seek recovery as she did. She said that recovery has been positive and life changing.
The speakers also explained what it means to be considered an addict.
Dolan explained that addiction is a disease and people without the addiction can stop, but that addicts cannot put it down. He expressed his need to eliminate the stigmas that follow drug addicts. Dolan said that addiction is a personality disorder and that it has “nothing to do with willpower, or how smart you are, or how you were raised.”
The goal of the event was for students to better understand the effect drug addiction has on the lives of people and how hard it is to recover, according to Alejandra Bolanos, the Chair of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority Incorporated, who helped organize the event.
Bolanos also explained her desire was to spread awareness and prevent future addictions. She said she “wanted to have something interactive” where students would be interested in what the speakers said and would take the opportunity to connect with the speakers.
Emily Argano, a political science major, said she learned “life in recovery is hard” and that there is a “long road ahead once you start.” Argano chose to attend the event because she has a personal connection with drug abuse. She said, “Family and friends have passed away due to drug abuse.” She and several others spoke with the speakers at the conclusion of the event.
Each speaker spoke for about 15 minutes, then answered questioned and spoke with their peers present in the audience. The Office of Substance Awareness, Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority Inc., and the Counseling Students Association sponsored the event.
Free and confidential counseling services are available at the Office of Substance Awareness in the Health Center at the University. The office provides monthly informal luncheons for students in recovery called Sandwiches and Serenity. For more information visit their office.
For more information on substance abuse visit the Substance Awareness Office in the Health Center on campus or the Department of Counseling and Psychological Services on the third floor of the Rebecca Stafford Student Center. Additional information can be provided by the fellowships Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.
