Louisville, Kentucky Alcohol & Drug Rehab for College Students

Statistics of College Students and Addiction ​

Graduating high school and beginning college can be an exciting time in a person’s life. A normalized part of the college experience is experimenting with drugs and alcohol. Society expects students to branch out and do things they wouldn’t usually do.

Research is showing an upward trend in the use of drugs and alcohol across college campuses. A 2009 study found that approximately half of the students followed from the first to the third year were struggling with a substance abuse disorder. These students were shown to have lower GPAs, spend less time studying, and have higher unemployment rates after graduation.

Several factors come into play regarding the use of alcohol and drugs on college campuses. The first would be the stress load students face. As first-year students, young adults are experiencing their first period with little to no supervision from an adult. Students are responsible for their schedule, their diet, and schooling. For many, this can be an overwhelming and stressful time. If support for these individuals is not given, they are more likely to turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with their discomfort.

Drugs Commonly Used by College Students ​

Approximately 9% of college students met the criteria for Alcohol Use Disorder in 2019. A major concern for college campuses is the prevalence of binge drinking. The same 2009 study found that approximately 39% of college students reported binge drinking within the last month. Binge drinking increases the risk for legal consequences, car accidents, sexual assaults, and injuries. Long-term binge drinking can lead to irreversible damage to internal organs.

Research has shown that male students have higher rates of drug and alcohol abuse when compared to female students. This trend aligns with the general adult population.

Thousands of students overdose each year on alcohol and need medical attention. Alcohol overdose impacts the brain’s ability to control basic life functions, including breathing, heart rate, and body temperature.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), alcohol plays a role in the deaths of approximately 1,519 college students per year. This would include car accidents, unintentional injuries, and overdose. Students who drink are also at a higher rate of being assaulted by others who are impaired.

While alcohol is the substance talked about the most when it comes to college students, it’s important to note that there has been an upward trend in the use of stimulants. Stimulants are used to help students stay awake so they can complete work and study. In most situations, this falls into the misuse category of prescription medications. Other common reasons for misuse of stimulants include helping in social situations, experimenting, and simply liking the way stimulants make them feel.

Approximately 77% of college students who struggle with an alcohol use disorder commonly use other drugs. The rate of students who use LSD has been slowly climbing since 2018. Approximately 1.2% of students reported using methamphetamine. The use of cocaine has been decreasing in recent years.

When to Get Help for Your College Student ​

Having a child can feel as though your heart is walking around outside of your body. As kids grow up, parents do their best to protect their children from harm and to give them the best chances for success. Watching a child struggle can be heart-wrenching, especially as an adult, because they have the right to make their own decisions and mistakes.

If you are noticing a decline in their grades, attendance for class, or even in their motivation for schooling, it may be time to have an open discussion with your student. Keep in mind that these are not abnormal behaviors in a college student. Their classes may be challenging, or they may have lost interest in their major. Trying to have an open and honest talk can help you gain some insight into the changes you are seeing. Accusing your student of having a problem without listening to them will likely cause them to pull away and not reach out to you if they do need support.

Other signs that a student may be struggling with substance abuse are similar to those of individuals who are not in school. Warning signs you can look out for can include some or all of the following:

• Mood changes
• Unexplained financial difficulties
• Failing classes
• Missing work or other obligations
• Being hungover at work, classes, and other obligations
• Not knowing what happened after a night of drinking, also known as blacking out
• Using other substances
• Unexplained injuries
• Hospitalization for alcohol use
• DUI’s and other legal charges

It is worth mentioning again that it is normal for young adults to experiment with drugs and alcohol. Being mindful of how you talk about mental illness and addiction will help your student decide if they feel comfortable talking to you about their challenges. If they do come to you with concerns about their drinking and drug use, try your best to be supportive and work together to find help.

Our Drug Treatment for College Students in Kentucky

We have several Colleges and Universities in the Louisville area. Here at Impact IOP, we have worked with students who have found themselves struggling with an addiction.

Being sober on a College or University campus can be hard for students, and we are here to support them during this time. The overall goal of higher education is to gain knowledge and experience so that you can have a successful future. Students who struggle with addiction are still worthy of higher education, they may just need more support than their peers.

Impact IOP is Here For Your Family​

At Impact IOP, we try to meet your student where they are and tailor their treatment to their specific needs. Depending on what is being abused, medical detox may be a necessary step for treatment.

Our Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) would be tailored to your student and their needs. Our program is typically 15-25 hours of group therapy and one hour of individual therapy. We are open six days a week so that we can be flexible around their class schedule.

Our Outpatient treatment is a nice follow-up to our IOP. Again, your student’s treatment schedule would fit around their commitments. We offer both group and individual therapy on an outpatient basis.

After completion of our outpatient program, we offer an After Care program, which allows you to still engage in group therapy for support on a much smaller scale. This program is a great place to check in regarding the challenges of being a student while in recovery.

Lastly, we offer a Family Program. Addiction impacts more than the individual struggling with alcohol or drugs. Family members are impacted as well and deserve time and support to work through their own experiences so that the family, as a whole, can begin to navigate what life looks like after treatment. This is an excellent place for parents to learn about enabling and other unhealthy relationship patterns that may be occurring.

If you are a student concerned about your alcohol and drug use, or a concerned parent, we invite you to call us at (502) 912-1038. We would be happy to answer any questions you may have about our programs and see where we can help you.