College culture contributes to alcoholism
Lucas Burgess
Issue date: 11/4/04 Section: Alcohol InDepth
Alcohol plays a prominent role in college life, but the risk of alcoholism often is downplayed among students.
Thirty-one percent of college students have been diagnosed with alcohol abuse and six percent have been diagnosed with alcohol dependence in the past 12 months, according to the College Drinking Prevention Web site.
Truman offers services to students to curb this risk, but many students do not seek help until they get in trouble, said Brian Krylowicz, director of University Counseling Services.
"A lot of times the people that come into our center are often because of alcohol violations on campus," Krylowicz said. "People who are alcoholics or drink excessively often don't see themselves as being that much of a problem until they get into some legal trouble on campus or a DUI or they had a horrible incident that kind of wakes them up."
Krylowicz said that students who have friends who they think might have a problem should suggest that they seek help.
"I think the first thing is to be honest and direct with the friend," Krylowicz said. "Make it real clear that 'I'm not saying this because I'm a jerk, I'm saying this because I'm your friend.' If someone really thinks it's a problem, sometimes you have to put the friendship on the line to assist [in helping]."
According to the College Drinking Prevention Web site, about 25 percent of college students reported academic consequences of their drinking, including missed class and overall lower grades.
Some Truman students say they think the University has taken good steps in preventing alcoholism.
"I think the fact that this is a dry campus probably does make a difference," sophomore Jordan Bergsten said. "It's not like you can't get alcohol here, but it makes it harder."
Bergsten said he thinks alcoholism probably is more common than students think.
"I wouldn't mind bringing [alcoholism] out in the open a little bit more because you do see a lot of alcohol consumption by people in college," Bergsten said. "I think it's probably a bigger problem."
Bergsten said Truman should employ more methods to educate students about alcoholism.
"It would be good to advertise the different kinds of help they do have on campus," Bergsten said. "I really don't think that a lot of people feel that they have a problem in college [with alcohol] just because it's such a big part of the culture. I think somebody could be an alcoholic in college and not even notice it because so many people around them are going out and drinking."
Students who have difficulties with alcohol consumption can get help from the Student Health Center and University Counseling Services.
Ann Bradley, spokesperson for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, said she appreciates colleges trying to help students.
"It's nice to know that colleges across the country are showing concern with [alcoholism]," Bradley said.
An alcohol addiction is possible to recover from, and many people are able to change their lives with some help.
Father Bill Kottenstette, chaplain of the Catholic Newman Center was an alcoholic for more than 30 years before he acknowledged that he was addicted.
"My whole life was involved with alcohol and either not trying to drink or trying to drink as much as I could," Kottenstette said.
He said he was a continual drinker and had to worry about somebody finding out he was an alcoholic every day.
He said he would do more work than what was required of him so that people wouldn't suspect anything.
"It was fear," Kottenstette said. "Always a fear of getting caught drinking."
Kottenstette said he realized he was an alcoholic after having trouble with the law.
"What woke me up was when I got into a crash and wound up in a ditch," Kottenstette said. "When I came to, I was handcuffed to the top bunk in a jail cell. That made me realize that it was time to change."
With the support of counseling and friends, he said he recovered from alcholism.
"[Being cured] was a grace of God. It's something I celebrate and I talk about because God truly did something for me that I could not do for myself."
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Thirty-one percent of college students have been diagnosed with alcohol abuse and six percent have been diagnosed with alcohol dependence in the past 12 months, according to the College Drinking Prevention Web site.
Truman offers services to students to curb this risk, but many students do not seek help until they get in trouble, said Brian Krylowicz, director of University Counseling Services.
"A lot of times the people that come into our center are often because of alcohol violations on campus," Krylowicz said. "People who are alcoholics or drink excessively often don't see themselves as being that much of a problem until they get into some legal trouble on campus or a DUI or they had a horrible incident that kind of wakes them up."
Krylowicz said that students who have friends who they think might have a problem should suggest that they seek help.
"I think the first thing is to be honest and direct with the friend," Krylowicz said. "Make it real clear that 'I'm not saying this because I'm a jerk, I'm saying this because I'm your friend.' If someone really thinks it's a problem, sometimes you have to put the friendship on the line to assist [in helping]."
According to the College Drinking Prevention Web site, about 25 percent of college students reported academic consequences of their drinking, including missed class and overall lower grades.
Some Truman students say they think the University has taken good steps in preventing alcoholism.
"I think the fact that this is a dry campus probably does make a difference," sophomore Jordan Bergsten said. "It's not like you can't get alcohol here, but it makes it harder."
Bergsten said he thinks alcoholism probably is more common than students think.
"I wouldn't mind bringing [alcoholism] out in the open a little bit more because you do see a lot of alcohol consumption by people in college," Bergsten said. "I think it's probably a bigger problem."
Bergsten said Truman should employ more methods to educate students about alcoholism.
"It would be good to advertise the different kinds of help they do have on campus," Bergsten said. "I really don't think that a lot of people feel that they have a problem in college [with alcohol] just because it's such a big part of the culture. I think somebody could be an alcoholic in college and not even notice it because so many people around them are going out and drinking."
Students who have difficulties with alcohol consumption can get help from the Student Health Center and University Counseling Services.
Ann Bradley, spokesperson for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, said she appreciates colleges trying to help students.
"It's nice to know that colleges across the country are showing concern with [alcoholism]," Bradley said.
An alcohol addiction is possible to recover from, and many people are able to change their lives with some help.
Father Bill Kottenstette, chaplain of the Catholic Newman Center was an alcoholic for more than 30 years before he acknowledged that he was addicted.
"My whole life was involved with alcohol and either not trying to drink or trying to drink as much as I could," Kottenstette said.
He said he was a continual drinker and had to worry about somebody finding out he was an alcoholic every day.
He said he would do more work than what was required of him so that people wouldn't suspect anything.
"It was fear," Kottenstette said. "Always a fear of getting caught drinking."
Kottenstette said he realized he was an alcoholic after having trouble with the law.
"What woke me up was when I got into a crash and wound up in a ditch," Kottenstette said. "When I came to, I was handcuffed to the top bunk in a jail cell. That made me realize that it was time to change."
With the support of counseling and friends, he said he recovered from alcholism.
"[Being cured] was a grace of God. It's something I celebrate and I talk about because God truly did something for me that I could not do for myself."