Editor’s note: Jim Roberts’ name has been changed to protect his identity.
For one student, Ohio University’s No. 3 party-school ranking is far from something to celebrate.
“I realized I was an alcoholic when my life became unmanageable because of my drinking,” said Jim Roberts, a senior at OU. “I stopped going to school, became very unhealthy and began letting down all my friends and family. Once I noticed that the only thing I had left in my life was drinking, I realized that I didn’t want that kind of life.”
In the fall of 2010, Roberts, who studies media management, accepted the fact that he was powerless to the disease. After multiple attempts to overcome addiction, he realized that alcoholism was no feat to be conquered alone. He left campus for a year to explore the possibility of a sober life at a facility in Columbus.
“I felt I needed time off from school to figure out what I wanted out of life and to figure out if OU was the right place for me to finish my degree,” he said.
Roberts said he had attempted to quit drinking numerous times in the past to no avail.
“I felt it was best for me to take a break, go home and get help,” he said. “I never really reached out to get help through the university, but I am sure if I would have, (OU) could have helped in some way.”
Two years later, the senior has successfully remained sober for 20 months, attributing the accomplishment to support from friends and family and the opportunities that OU presented him.
“OU has also given me the chance to grow and figure out what I want in life,” he said. “I love OU so much, and I will miss this place when I leave for good.”
Although this particular case personifies an understanding and accepting support group, the perception of alcoholism and its victims is changing.
According to a recent study to be published in May 2013, the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, approximately 40 percent of college students are mild, moderate or severe alcoholics. The new diagnosis eliminates the common terms — dependence and abuse — resulting in a significant increase of the number of people considered to rely on the bottle.
“I don’t expect anyone who is not an alcoholic to understand why I can’t drink,” Roberts said. “I don’t try to explain it to people.”
Though it is difficult to determine which college drinkers will be consumed by an addiction to alcohol, DSM–5 reported that about 31 percent of college students meet the criteria to be an alcohol abuser, while less than 6 percent are considered to be alcohol dependent or unable to moderate their drinking.
However, Jason Weber, a professional clinical counselor and alcohol and other drugs specialist at OU, understands that heavy drinking is a common trend in college life, and behaviors resembling alcohol dependence require cautious interpretation.
Weber said that for some students, those behaviors occur for a period of time only because they are sanctioned by that phase of life and supported by peers.
Many students eventually reduce their drinking, perhaps because of unwanted consequences or through a natural process of maturation and preparation for leaving college.
Other students, who binge drink in much the same way, will continue those patterns of drinking and repeatedly experience drinking-related problems, such that the diagnosis of alcohol dependence will be realistic. They might experience visible consequences such as arrest and financial issues, or less visible consequences such as a decreased GPA, poor class attendance or relationship problems.
“Generally speaking, alcoholism is a repetition of alcohol use despite the repetition of negative consequences,” Weber said. “Usually, we would expect people to adjust their behavior if something undesirable keeps happening. When they don’t, that’s a pretty good indicator of some sort of alcohol problem.”
It is also important to understand that there is no age requirement for addiction, Weber added. Some people who identify as recovering addicts are as young as 12 or 13.
As for the question of whether college drinking is on the rise, Weber is not so certain, noting that concerns about college drinking have been the focus for many years, consistent with cultural expectations that going to college offers the chance to broaden experimentation with alcohol.
“I don’t think OU students are doing anything that stands out—college students have been drinking heavily for quite awhile,” he said.
A biannual survey directed by the Campus Involvement Center stated that 34 percent of students reported having five or fewer drinks per week and an average of 300 students on campus said they suffered from alcoholism in 2011.
The study also projected an 8 percent total reduction in the number of students who participate in high-risk drinking at OU since 2007.
“This wasn’t a surprise,” said Ryan Lombardi, interim vice president for Student Affairs, after the test results were published, according to a university news release. “Ohio University has been working hard to reduce our high-risk drinking rate.”
Terry Koons, associate director of the Campus Involvement Center, said he believes that decrease in binge drinking is a direct result of the center’s efforts to raise drug and alcohol awareness with programs including Stop at the Buzz, tutorials, group discussions, the collegiate recovery community and the lifestyle risk reduction model.
“We try to focus on avoiding (alcohol) altogether and making healthier life choices,” he said. “If we see people who need ongoing support, we refer them to counseling or other outside services.”
Koons said the center also attempts to educate students to the facts during orientation and through AlcoholEdu.
The Campus Involvement Center’s questionnaire also reported that 98 percent of students claimed to have an adequate understanding of the effects, risks and consequences of alcohol, legal and health-wise. However, Koons did point out that not all students might come to the center for help; some leave campus to seek treatment at home.
“One of the things most people need to realize is any time you have a grandparent or parent that had an addiction, you are four times more likely to move into an addictive state,” he said. “It’s the same idea as heart disease. “
Alcoholism is a live threat for drinkers of any age.
“I decided to surrender to this never-ending battle with alcohol and get help and begin to live life,” Roberts said. “But as long as I do what I was taught to do, I know I can stay sober wherever I go.”
Lexi Nystrom contributed to this story.
lf328610@ohiou.edu
