The isolating disease

Written by a student who is now almost two years sober.

Do you have a drinking problem?

If you thought about it for more than three seconds, odds are you probably do.

I am a college student who had a drinking problem. It started when I was 16 and didn't end until I was 19.

This article isn’t meant to stop all college students from drinking. It is to show that addiction isn’t confined to an age, and maybe even encourage someone who is struggling to gain the courage to ask for help.

The college drinking scene is extremely normalized and downright scary.

From hospital visits to academic struggles, liquor is no friend to a college student trying to figure out their life.

With binge drinking becoming more popular, there are hidden costs to drinking and alcohol use leaves a lasting impact on college students. 

What starts as a fun thing to do at social events can lead college students down a dark, lonely path. It begins with one drink, then a few drinks, then drinks in the morning to cure last night’s hangover, and then in a blink of an eye, you can’t stop. 

“There is a lot of stigma around alcoholism,” says Anna, a College of Charleston senior and recovering addict who uses her story to inspire others. “People think you can't be an alcoholic if you're still in college cause [drinking] is so normal.” 

Alcoholism in college students can be very obvious or it can be hidden very well. Anyone can have a problem - someone you have class with, someone you go out with, or someone you pass on the street. 

It is estimated that 80% of college students drink some alcohol with 50% engaging in binge drinking. According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, around 14% of full-time college students ages 18 to 22 met the criteria for past-year alcohol use disorder. And more than 1,500 college students die of alcohol-related incidents each year, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

It is important for college campuses to have the proper resources to help the students who are struggling. 

Fortunately, the College of Charleston has those resources.

The Collegiate Recovery Program, run by Wood Marchant and Hilary John, has every resource available. 

And Wood, himself, is 27 years sober. Once a College of Charleston student walking around the downtown campus, he knows from experience how important it is for campuses to have resources for students with addictions. 

“We provide a safe space for students in recovery from substance abuse disorder to gather with a sober director and a sober academic support specialist to further their recovery and help them stay sober while on campus,” explained Wood, who started working at the College in 2016. Before that, he worked as a clinical instructor at the Center for Drug and Alcohol Programs at MUSC.

Wood spoke in Anna’s psychology class one morning, and it sparked something in her. 

“It really spoke to me and I kind of saw that as a kind of a higher power moment, especially looking back at it now,” she said. 

That led Anna to the Collegiate Recovery Program, which saved her life. She is now more than two years sober and is graduating next spring. 

Wood noted that people get sober in many different ways and the bravest thing they can do is ask for help. 

“A young woman came by three years ago when she was a freshman and we introduced her to our students. They took her to an AA meeting that night, and the whole thing kind of freaked her out and she wasn’t ready,” Wood recalled. “But this fall she came back and knocked on the door and said, ‘do you remember me?’ I said, ‘I do,’ and she said ‘I think I'm ready.’”

That student is now sober, graduated, and helping other women who are struggling in Charleston. 

“The coolest thing is seeing people make changes,” Wood said. “People getting sober? There’s this incredible 180 and you see their light come back on. You see them getting hope, and that’s the best drug there is.” 

Getting help is hard. And as cheesy as it sounds, you are not alone. Getting sober will bring your light back and make you truly enjoy your life. 

Take it from me, I know.