- Alcohol
- Drugs
- Friends & Family
Submitted by: Susanne Johnson
As a student at LSU College in Baton Rouge, Marlee sees a lot of drug use and alcohol abuse among friends and other students. She believes it’s part of college life– that many young people give it a try. Unfortunately, she knows the effects that alcohol or drugs can have– but not from her own experience. Marlee is not in active addiction or in recovery, but her uncle is. She grew up with an uncle who was and still is in and out of recovery all the time.
Having someone in the family who suffer from the disease gave her the insight that lots of people don’t have. She knows well that addiction or alcoholism is a disease and not a behavioral disorder or a moral defect. She feels empathy with those who suffer and is very supportive of the new Collegiate Recovery Community (CRC) at LSU college. “It is good that people in recovery get the support they need to stay sober and have a chance to go through college without sacrificing their sobriety due to all the triggers they face day in day out,” Marlee says.
Marlee is 22 years of age and she drinks in moderation, just like all her friends. She had her first drink at age 15 and noticed, among her friends, that some people can take it and leave it and others can’t. Of course she knows some friends who consume alcohol or drugs more than they should.
If she happens to see any of her friends struggling, she plans to reach out to them and offer help and support. Since she saw her uncle in recovery, she understands and recognizes how important recovery and sobriety is for a person with the disease of addiction. She knows she would never force a drink on someone at all, and she definitely would never encourage individuals in recovery to attend a party or have alcoholic beverages. She would support a student with the disease any way possible, so that peer can attend school in a safe environment.