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Spring 2016聽| By Susan Frith

Brett Watson, 麻豆精品 S�09, had no intention of becoming the face of recovery at UCF.

In fact, while earning his first degree at UCF, he never missed an opportunity to party 麻豆精品 S� a habit he indulged until it finally took its toll.

It took a couple of lost jobs and a DUI arrest before Watson realized he didn 麻豆精品 S檛 have his drinking or drug use under control and that he needed to seek treatment. Now that he 麻豆精品 S檚 back at UCF, pursuing a second degree in social work, he hopes to help students like him stay sober. But he realizes the social nature of college doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 always make that so easy.

麻豆精品 S淥n a campus with 60,000 students, 麻豆精品 S� he says, 麻豆精品 S渨hat are the chances of people crossing paths and saying, 麻豆精品 S極h, you 麻豆精品 S檙e trying to stay sober, too? 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�

To make it easier for those paths to cross, Watson serves as activities coordinator for (CRC), which connects students trying to manage school and sobriety. The program points students to resources and social opportunities on campus, including academic coaching, a treatment clinic and 12-step meetings run independently of the university. Students can now request a sober roommate in their campus housing application, and anyone who wants to have fun without alcohol or drugs can join Sober Knights, the social arm of CRC, which organizes game nights, comedy club outings and other activities.

This student-led initiative is part of a nationwide movement to address the rise in substance abuse among the nation 麻豆精品 S檚 youth and make college more accessible to those trying to stay drug- and alcohol-free. A decade ago there were only 14 colleges in the United States with recovery communities. Today there are more than 150, including Penn State, the University of Alabama and the University of North Carolina.

The programs have emerged out of necessity, according to Ivana Grahovac, executive director of Transforming Youth Recovery, a nonprofit that creates and supports student-recovery communities. 麻豆精品 S淏etween 1999 and 2009 there was a 143 percent increase in the number of students seeking treatment for a substance-abuse disorder, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淪tudents [needed] support on campus when they got out of treatment. 麻豆精品 S�

Universities are starting to brand themselves as recovery schools 麻豆精品 S� because it is the right thing to do and also because there 麻豆精品 S檚 a market for these communities, says Tom Hall, UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 director of . 麻豆精品 S淲e want to create a campus that says 麻豆精品 S業t 麻豆精品 S檚 OK to be in recovery. 麻豆精品 S� When folks in recovery don 麻豆精品 S檛 have that support, they may become isolated and depressed or anxious, 麻豆精品 S� says Hall, who counsels students who are actively using and trying to quit as well as those who 麻豆精品 S檝e emerged newly sober. 麻豆精品 S淭here is only so far you can white-knuckle it before you have to get away, or you relapse. 麻豆精品 S�

Watson says he has the advantage of age and a familiarity with UCF to help him maintain sobriety, but he knows how difficult it can be for students to navigate a new place. They buy into the myth 麻豆精品 S渢hat everyone on campus gets hammered and does drugs, 麻豆精品 S� says Chris Burns, a graduate student in social work who started CRC through an internship in Hall 麻豆精品 S檚 office. In movies about college, Burns says, 麻豆精品 S淓verybody 麻豆精品 S檚 got a red Solo cup and is losing their mind. 麻豆精品 S� But, he adds, that doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 mean students can 麻豆精品 S檛 have memorable experiences without drugs and alcohol.

UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 recovery community has 10 to 15 active students, and Watson and Burns expect that number to grow as more people become aware of its existence. Based on national statistics, Burns thinks there are nearly 1,000 students on campus who are seeking help for substance abuse and dependency.

The biggest challenge is overcoming the stigma of addiction. And Watson and Hall remain sensitive to those who, for personal or professional reasons, wish to keep their recovery under wraps. One student, for example, said he couldn 麻豆精品 S檛 be a member of the CRC because he was concerned it would prevent him from getting a security clearance to work in the intelligence field.

That stigma aside, Hall hopes that students will eventually come to UCF specifically for its recovery community.

Watson would like to see the CRC expand to include other issues students may be trying to overcome, from eating disorders to self-harm. 麻豆精品 S淚 think a lot of people who struggle with these things have been suffering in silence and [are] afraid to ask for resources, 麻豆精品 S� he says.

In the meantime, Hall and Watson plan to grow UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 recovery community one student at a time. When Watson spoke in some of his classes about the CRC, one student came up to him with tears in her eyes. 麻豆精品 S淚 wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 even sure I was going to be able to stay through this semester, 麻豆精品 S� she said. 麻豆精品 S淚 didn 麻豆精品 S檛 know if I could make it through the stress of school and being in this environment, but knowing you guys exist and I can reach out, I think I can do it now. 麻豆精品 S�

And for Watson, that makes being the face of recovery and sharing his story worthwhile.