Five Michigan colleges have partnered to form a virtual panel discussion about addiction recovery.
Each school is being represented by one student that is in addiction recovery. The schools include: Central Michigan University, Eastern Michigan University, Michigan State University the University of Michigan and Washtenaw Community College.
Teresa Herzog is the panel organizer and a collegiate recovery Program coordinator at Washtenaw Community College. She said she hopes the panel can create hope for other young people battling addiction, especially during a national pandemic.
“This panel reflects hope,” she said. “These students have such string endurance during a pandemic and capacity for self-care, and that is really inspirational.”
Herzog said she has hopes that the student perspective will show people they are not alone.
Sarah is a student at MSU and is involved with the MSU Collegiate Recovery Community.
“I never knew other students were in recovery or that it was even possible until I met young people that were in recovery,” she said. “If I can help somebody with my story, I think it is worth telling.”
Alex is a student at Washtenaw Community College. He battled a heroin addiction for nearly a decade before coming clean in 2018.
“Anyone in recovery will tell you that he or she has experienced a real toll (during the pandemic),” he said.
Alex said community is important to him and others in recovery or battling addiction.
“The sense of community that we had has been fractured. Meetings have been disbanded or moved online and part of what makes recovery powerful is the experience of physical copresence in the same physical space. That doesn’t necessarily translate to Zoom meetings.”
Sarah said the community has helped her stay clean for nearly four years.
“That sense of community is so important.”
Sarah said she always struggled in school due to her addiction, but has seen that change after becoming sober.
“Now it’s been on the Dean’s list for multiple semesters, which is crazy because I used to fail everything. I think being clean has changed what is important to me.”
Alex said the panel discussion is important to help others.
“Being in the community over the last couple of years has meant that saying yes to opportunities such as this has become a reflex,” he said. “At the end of the day it’s not really about me, it’s about telling my story in order to help other people and being of use to others.”
The discussion will be held Oct. 12 at 7 p.m.
To join the virtual Zoom meeting, register at familiesagainstnarcotics.org/register and for more information on how to connect with local treatment centers, call 1-800-662-4357