Is substance use affecting your relationships?
Making connections with others is an important part of the university experience. Drinking alcohol or using other drugs are sometimes seen as a vehicle for socializing*. It鈥檚 helpful to consider how these might impact the relationships you want to have.
Alcohol and other drugs modify our moods and our behavior. They can cause some people to feel less inhibited or to respond differently to social cues and situations. If you choose to use them, you鈥檙e going to feel different than you do when you are not under the influence, and you may do things you otherwise wouldn鈥檛. Whether it鈥檚 not thinking clearly or acting in ways that may be harmful to yourself or others, there are sometimes adverse outcomes from substance use.
A student shares: Substance use and relationships
Sara**, a senior here at CU, knows firsthand how substances took a toll on her friendship and how that same friendship helped her to make a change in her life. When she was using alcohol and other drugs, she says, 鈥淚 was really mean there for a couple months ... my brain wasn鈥檛 functioning well, I wasn鈥檛 eating well, I wasn鈥檛 drinking water, I would snap at others and push them away ... it wasn鈥檛 me.鈥
While she was using substances, she was erratic and not being the person she knew herself to be.
Checking in with a friend
Sara鈥檚 friend noticed these behaviors and recognized there might be a bigger problem. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e been really isolated recently ... and I鈥檓 really worried about you,鈥 she said.
Having her friend reach out helped Sara feel supported in making a change. She now feels healthier and more connected on a path of recovery. 鈥淚t鈥檚 strengthened our relationship [to have her] there and supporting me the whole way,鈥 she says.
Reflecting on how substance use impacts us and our relationships is a good way to explore whether there鈥檚 a problem. It can be helpful to think about actions in terms of values鈥攄o our friends鈥 actions align with the person we know they are? Does how you act align with who you want to be? How do you feel after an experience involving alcohol or other drugs?
If the answers to these questions suggest someone is living outside of his or her values, it might be a sign something needs to be addressed.
It鈥檚 also good to consider how often people may be using substances, or if they have difficulty stopping. If someone鈥檚 plans seem to always revolve around using or getting alcohol or other drugs it might be time to explore the free support resources and opportunities for CU students.
Free resources and social options for students
For social opportunities that can help someone to make connections or explore interests that don鈥檛 involve substance use, check out the student organizations with the , the or . Check out the Fri-Yay Nights, a weekly event series where people can make connections and build community while attending a variety of events.
If you鈥檇 like to talk to someone about helping a friend or yourself with substance use, peer mentors, free support meetings and recovery, coaches are available through the CU Collegiate Recovery Center, located in UMC 414.
Counselors also are available through Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) in C4C N352, or you can drop by for an informal consultation at one of CAPS鈥 Let鈥檚 Talk locations across campus. CAPS also offers a Relationship Hacks workshop where students can learn skills around interpersonal relationships.
Health Promotion also offers a variety of classes to support students as they reflect on their relationship with substance use.
*It is illegal to consume alcohol or marijuana under the age of 21, to use prescription drugs if you are not the prescription-holder or to use other illegal substances.
**Name changed to protect privacy.