Welcome back to another Recovery Student Spotlight. This week, we will be spotlighting Josh*, a senior at DePaul. Josh is 22 years old and a Public Relations major. He identifies as being in recovery from Depression and Anxiety. Josh attends DePaul’s weekly Collegiate Recovery Community (CRC) meetings to help support his recovery.
Tell us about the Collegiate Recovery Community at DePaul
When reflecting on what the CRC means to him, Josh thinks “support.” He feels that the CRC is a place that others can fit in and be comfortable with each other. Noting that he is a transfer student, he explained that the CRC is somewhere that he was able to find a community at DePaul. In fact, Josh said that if someone were to ask him about the CRC, he would begin with sharing just how fantastic the people in the group are.
Josh talks about those in the CRC so highly because he appreciates their commitment to bettering themselves. However, not only are they committed to bettering themselves, but they are also committed to helping support others on their journey to bettering themselves. Along with the CRC being a supportive place, Josh also wants to make it known just how welcoming the group is. Most importantly, Josh likes that the CRC is a place where people seem to understand each other and their struggles.
Help us debunk some myths about recovery
The biggest myth that Josh wants to debunk is that people in recovery do not try hard enough to recover. He describes that struggling with substance use or mental health can be quite a heavy burden. While it certainly can be a heavy burden, Josh shares that those who do not personally deal with these struggles typically do not understand just how heavy of a burden they can be. Because of this general lack of understanding, those who do not struggle with substance use or mental health issues typically do not see all the work that goes into recovery, leading to the false belief that those in recovery are not trying hard enough to recover. However, Josh emphasizes that those in recovery actually work quite hard to live the best lives possible.
What do you want the world to know about recovery and the CRC?
The first thing that Josh wants the world to know about recovery is that those who are in recovery need support from everyone. Josh mentioned that, while groups like the CRC are important for support, the support of friends, family, and loved ones is just as important. The most important thing, however, that Josh wants the world to know is that those in recovery should not automatically be seen as “leaders” when discussing the topic of recovery. What he means by this is that, while many people in recovery want to speak about their experiences, just as many simply do not feel comfortable being open about it. Josh explained that struggling with substance use and mental health is something that some people prefer to keep private. Because of this preference for privacy, it would not be fair to expect all people in recovery to openly share their experiences. In general, he wants people to know to not push those who want to keep their stories private to share, but to instead listen to those who are open to sharing.
If you would like more information about DePaul’s Collegiate Recovery Community, feel free to email the Office of Health Promotion & Wellness at hpw@depaul.edu. Check back next week for another Recovery Student Spotlight interview! Happy Recovery Month!
*Name has been changed to respect the student’s privacy.