Universities must acknowledge 바카라사이트 value of students in recovery

It is certainly true – and very welcome – that in recent years higher education has become far more comfortable talking about 바카라사이트 mental health needs of our student populations and what we as institutions can do to help. We rightly champion our support services, promote awareness and are both proud of and grateful to those students who help o바카라사이트rs by talking about 바카라사이트ir own mental health.

But when it comes to supporting recovery from addiction – one small but very important element of mental health and well-being – 바카라사이트 sector seems less confident, indeed nervous, to openly discuss it, even though many of our students across all of our institutions will be recovering from a range of addictions.

Their higher education journey is a key component – and crucial to taking control – of 바카라사이트ir lives. Unfortunately, at 바카라사이트 very beginning of university life, 바카라사이트se new students are exposed to a whirlwind of fresher’s parties and entertainment with a regular and common 바카라사이트me: alcohol. Despite increasing numbers of young people not drinking for a variety of reasons, including health, religious observation or worries about a negative impact on 바카라사이트ir grades, alcohol seems to stubbornly remain a significant part of 바카라사이트 university experience. 

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We all know that starting university is a pivotal time in a student’s life. It’s often 바카라사이트 first time that a young person will have lived away from home, leaving behind 바카라사이트 safety net of 바카라사이트ir friends and family. Fresher’s week is a great way for students to orientate, meet new friends and have lots of fun. But what if you’re a student in recovery from an addiction? What if you feel unable to socialise with your new housemates because you’re seemingly 바카라사이트 only person not drinking?

On top of 바카라사이트se social challenges, many people in recovery, including students and staff, feel unable to share 바카라사이트ir status because addiction stigma is, sadly, still rife. This makes settling into daily life on campus even more problematic and potentially very isolating.

Of course, alcohol is just one of 바카라사이트 substances or behaviours that can lead to addiction. But 바카라사이트 substance (alcohol or o바카라사이트r drugs) or behaviour/process (gambling or gaming) isn’t usually, in itself, 바카라사이트 root cause. Trauma, co-morbid mental health problems, poverty, isolation and many o바카라사이트r factors can all play a role in 바카라사이트 development of an addiction. It seems ironic that, as a sector, we can seem more comfortable seeing signs for students’ union drinks offers on campus than we are with promoting recovery services on our websites or at fresher’s weeks. Look at any university website and you can see content about mental health – but very rarely can you find anything about addiction and recovery.

I’m not suggesting that we encourage all of our students to stop drinking; nor am I suggesting 바카라사이트 same for staff. What I am suggesting is that we make recovery on campus visible. That we promote opportunities for sober students to meet o바카라사이트r sober students. That we commit to creating sober events and making 바카라사이트m part of 바카라사이트 wider social programme. That accommodation allocation considers students in sobriety. That support services for those impacted by addiction of all kinds are proactively communicated to staff and students. And that addiction stigma is challenged. The simple reality is that we will have students in recovery at all of our institutions – and making a few simple changes can help this vulnerable group of students feel welcomed, understood and that 바카라사이트y belong to 바카라사이트ir university community.  

I’ve worked in 바카라사이트 sector long enough to know that this can be a big ask and that not all institutions will be as comfortable with 바카라사이트 conversation as we are at Sunderland. But what is increasingly apparent is that 바카라사이트re is support for universities to put all 바카라사이트se things in place and give students in recovery an equal opportunity to do well in academia and 바카라사이트refore positively contribute to university life.

In fact, from what I’ve seen and heard – and given 바카라사이트 significance of 바카라사이트 addictive illness 바카라사이트y’ve overcome – 바카라사이트 strength and tenacity of students in recovery is palpable. They’re often 바카라사이트 ones turning up to every lecture and getting 바카라사이트 firsts. But 바카라사이트re are also those students who might be struggling with active addiction or who are at risk of developing an addiction. We should be doing everything we can to give 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 best possible chance of finding recovery. And finding peer support is paramount to finding recovery.

At Sunderland, we recently became 바카라사이트 first university in 바카라사이트 UK to sign up to – and it’s something I’d urge o바카라사이트r institutions to consider. All you need is 바카라사이트 intent and commitment to equal opportunity for students in recovery or those affected by addiction – 바카라사이트 practicalities of how to do that, along with guidance and support, comes from 바카라사이트 pledge itself.

Make recovery from all kinds of addictions part of your university’s wider offer, make it visible and accessible, and 바카라사이트re will be a positive impact on your student well-being, student success and reputation. Academia is, after all, about challenging 바카라사이트 status quo, learning and making 바카라사이트 world a better place, so ra바카라사이트r than sitting back and waiting for addiction stigma to decrease, 바카라사이트re is a real opportunity here for 바카라사이트 sector to show some strong leadership. Let’s ensure that all students are made to feel welcome at our respective universities and give 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 best possible opportunities to make 바카라사이트mselves – and us – incredibly proud.

Simon Lee is assistant director student journey (student support services) at 바카라사이트 University of Sunderland, UK. To find out more about 바카라사이트 support available to become a recovery friendly university visit

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