Welcome back to another Recovery Student Spotlight.  This week, we will be spotlighting Katherine*, a senior at DePaul.  Katherine is 32 years old and Psychology major.  She identifies as being in recovery from heroin use and an anxiety disorder.  Katherine attends DePaul’s weekly Collegiate Recovery Community (CRC) meetings to help support her recovery.  

Tell us about the Collegiate Recovery Community at DePaul 

Katherine explained that when she hears “Collegiate Recovery Community,” she first thinks of the word “security.” She spoke about the value that she finds in having a safe group to go to that will listen to her nonjudgmentally.  While she noted that she does not always feel like going to CRC meetings, the meetings are helpful to her recovery as they provide her with structure.  Not only that, but the CRC gives her a sense of accountability to show up to support both her own recovery and the recovery of others.   

Help us debunk some myths about recovery 

When it comes to myths about recovery, one of the biggest myths Katherine wants to debunk is the false belief that substance use disorders are a moral issue.  In fact, Katherine sees substance use disorders as something that has many different facets to it, all of which affect each person in recovery differently.  Since certain substances can become begin to feel necessary for a person with a use disorder to live, this causes a reaction to do things that the person would not normally do.  Because of this, Katherine does not see this as a flaw in someone’s morals. 

Another myth that Katherine wants to debunk is the myth that recovery can only be effective when someone with a substance use disorder wants to recover from the beginning of the process.  Katherine remembers that when she went to a recovery program back in 2017, she did not feel ready to recover.  Seeing that she had the opportunity to go to another treatment program after previously trying to recover eventually made her want to give recovery another chance.  From there, she started to become more physically healthy, which made her more determined to work towards recovery.  Katherine explains that she is grateful to be alive and to have been given the chance to recover, even though she did not feel willing to use these resources at the beginning of the process. 

What do you want the world to know about recovery and the CRC? 

Something that Katherine wants other college students in recovery to know is that it is okay to struggle and seem outwardly successful at the same time.  She explains that this is part of the reason why the CRC is so helpful.  The CRC allows Katherine and other students to be vulnerable in talking about their struggles and feel supported by people who have similar goals to and want to be there to support and listen to one another.  In fact, she claims that the CRC is one of the biggest forces that allows her to continue on her recovery journey because of the peer support that she receives and gives to others.   

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 is shared with permission. 

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. 

It is finally September!  From going back to school to the Fall season approaching, September brings us many things.  One incredibly important thing that September also brings us is National Recovery Month!  This Recovery Month, we wanted to give DePaul students in recovery a space to share their experiences with recovery and mental health to help educate the greater DePaul community.  Each week, we will be shining a spotlight on one student in recovery to talk about what recovery means to them, debunk the many myths surrounding mental health and recovery, and much more.  Without further ado, let’s introduce our first recovery student, Genera*! 

Genera is 21 years old and just finished her Psychology degree this past spring.  She identifies as being in recovery mainly from cannabis and alcohol use, but also mental health and domestic abuse.  Genera attends DePaul’s weekly Collegiate Recovery Community (CRC) meetings (which are now virtual) to help support her recovery. 

Tell us about the Collegiate Recovery Community at DePaul 

When asked about what comes to mind when reflecting on the CRC, Genera first thinks of the word “friends.”  She explains that she feels that the CRC is a place where she can get support from those in the community.  In fact, she sees the CRC as her “home group,” meaning she attends other recovery meetings but DePaul’s CRC is home base. While she does note that she came into her first CRC meeting feeling a fear of being judged, that fear was squashed and she now feels quite close with everyone and enjoys attending meetings each week. 

Help us debunk some myths about recovery 

On the topic of judgement, there are a few myths about mental health and recovery that Genera wants to debunk.  The first of these myths is that having a mental illness or being in recovery is uncommon.  She noted that many people identify as being in recovery and mental health disorders are relatively common.  Similarly, she also spoke about how cannabis is a drug and can, in fact, be addictive.  Many people do not consider cannabis to be a substance that can be addictive, however, Cannabis Use Disorder is a diagnosable condition.   

Another myth she wants to debunk is the idea that recovery is “scary.”  She wants to make it clear that it is not scary, and neither are those who identify as being in recovery.  When it comes to recovery itself, Genera points out that recovery is a process, not a simple destination that one “gets to” like many people believe.  She describes the recovery process as a journey that is not linear.  This nonlinear journey, she explains, is one that those in recovery are always on and working towards. 

Genera wants other DePaul students who may be interested in joining the CRC to know the weekly meetings are both helpful and fun. Since joining herself, Genera has invited a friend to come with her to a CRC meetings, promising that they would like it.  She even went as far as to promise her friend that if they did not enjoy the meeting, she would buy them dinner.  Needless to say, she has yet to buy them dinner. 

What do you want the world to know about recovery and the CRC? 

First, Genera wants everyone to know just how wonderful she believes the CRC is.  She notes how welcoming the meetings are and the fact that they are free, making recovery more accessible. She also wishes more people knew about the CRC.  She believes that because of the stigma that surrounds recovery and mental health, people tend to be more secretive about being in recovery and seeking out help with recovery.  Genera wishes that more people knew about the CRC because she believes that the connections she has made during meetings and the support that these connections have provided her have saved her life.   

Finally, Genera wants the world to know that people in recovery are strong.  In explaining the strength of those in recovery, she emphasizes that anyone can be in recovery.  Not only can anyone be in recovery, anyone can be in recovery from anything.  From substance use to mental health to an unhealthy relationship, she believes that anyone can work towards recovery. 

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 is shared with permission 

About six months ago, nearly everyone experienced a change of plans in some way, shape, or form.  For many DePaul students, the plans of going to in person classes, sports practices, club meetings, and having outings with friends were no longer a possibility.  In fact, the quick, drastic change in and of itself may have been just as daunting as no longer being able to do all the things we are normally used to doing.  Going into autumn quarter, plans for a new school year also look different than they have during past years.   

In a Psychology Today article, writer and psychotherapist, Bryan E. Robinson describes the connection between uncertainty and anxiety in the context of the current pandemic.  He explains that due to the way our brains are made to help us survive, any situation that gives indication of lack of certainty creates a feeling of stress.  The brain wants to keep us safe, meaning that if something unexpected happens, it makes it seem like more of a threat than it might actually be and causes us to question if we are able to safely get through it.  With changing plans and constantly questioning the certainty of the near future, it is easy to see how this consistent stress and anxiety can work its way into aspects of our everyday lives and begin to affect the quality of our daily living.  

This sense of unpredictability may be starting to spike as we reach back to school season as it can be hard to plan for the upcoming school year and even harder to think about the possibility of another plan being changed.  If you feel uncomfortable because of the possibility of plans changing, here are a few things that may be helpful: 

• Focus on what you can control.  For some, having a predictable routine is helpful for feeling like they have a stable schedule.  This may look like creating consistent morning and night routines and taking breaks from schoolwork or technology around the same times every day. 
• Find ways to get what you feel like you are missing from plan changes.  For example, the idea of taking online classes may work fine for some people when it comes to learning the material, but the social aspect of going to classes is what they miss.  If this is the case, it is always possible to contact classmates to set up study and discussion sessions via video chat.   
• Take time for self-care.  Stress is stress.  Whether you are stressed out by the start of the school year being different from past school years or you feel like you are missing out on fun events, it is important to address your physical and emotional needs.  Dedicating time for self-care activities every single day can help with easing the stress that this uncertainty may bring.  It may help to work self-care practices into your daily schedule to ensure that you take time to do these practices and to give yourself another consistent thing to plan on. 
• Talk to someone.  If you feel as though the negative emotions of the constant change of plans over the past six months has become too much for you to handle on your own, reach out to someone.  For some people, talking to a friend about their stress is helpful.  For others, it may be more beneficial to reach out to a therapist for guidance with adjusting unhelpful thinking patterns.  Do what you think is best for you!   

It goes without saying that this is a stressful time.  Beginning a new school year is stressful enough without a pandemic.  However, HPW wants to help support you and ease as much anxiety as possible.  Whether it be through 1:1 appointments or helping you find support that fits your needs, we want to do everything we can to reduce as much stress during this time as possible.  Be sure to connect with us via email, phone call, or social media.   

Take care, DePaul! 

Since social distancing and online learning began many months ago, the seemingly simple solution to these new social and learning obstacles has been Zoom (or really any other video chat program).  However, if your days have included going from Zoom call to Zoom call with lectures and socially distanced get-togethers and game nights, there’s a chance that you have experienced some amount of exhaustion from being on call after call.  This exhaustion is known as “Zoom fatigue”.   

There are many ideas about why people are experiencing Zoom fatigue.  In general, most seem to think that it is a combination of too much screen time and the pressure that video chatting puts on us socially.  For example, it is harder for the brain to process non-verbal cues when it is using a video on a screen as the only way of receiving these cues.  Simply put, picking up these cues on a video is less natural than doing so in a face-to-face conversation, causing more stress on the brain.  These factors, along with the fact that video chatting is the primary way class lectures and meetings have been taking place the past few months, are cause for physical and emotional exhaustion.   

With many DePaul classes being online this coming Fall, it is important to have strategies to protect ourselves from Zoom fatigue.  Here are a few ways to prevent and combat Zoom fatigue: 

• Take breaks from your computer (especially between calls).  Use these breaks to take care of personal care needs.  This could include making yourself a meal, going outside for a walk, stretching, or even just drinking a glass of water.   
• Change up your work environment.  Even if you are on calls in your bedroom or living room, try to change up the room itself or the specific spot you sit to take calls so that the room feels different from when you are on call to when you are relaxing.  This could look like changing the lighting of the room or sitting at a desk instead of on your bed.  This change will help your brain differentiate when it is time for work and when it is time for relaxation.  
• If possible, use audio only and only have your video on when you are speaking or contributing to the conversation.  This way, it is easier to focus on what is being said, as opposed to what you are doing or what you look like during the call. 
• Find ways to socialize other than through video chatting to ensure that “hanging out” with your friends and family is still fun.  This could include writing letters or having “Netflix Parties”.  This is a great time to get creative with ways to connect with friends and family! 
• Be mindful of your technology use habits even when you are not on video calls.  Be aware of your social media scrolling habits to reduce the amount of distressing news you may be consuming.  Also known as “doomscrolling”, endlessly looking at news and media about distressing topics can negatively impact mental health, so it is important to keep track of and adjust these habits.  Similarly, the blue light that is emitted from our screens can have negative effects on sleep patterns, as well as other areas of health.  This may be reason to consider setting limits on technology use.   
• As always, pay attention to your needs.  Take time every day for self-care activities to care for your mental and physical well-being.  Have a list of things you can do at any time to allow yourself to take a break and focus on your health. 

The uncertainty of what this upcoming academic year will bring is likely to cause some nervousness and anxiety as we prepare to (virtually) return to classes.  Now is a great time to assess your own worries and create a plan for adjusting to these changes and managing the emotions that may come from these changes.  By beginning with learning how to reduce your chances of Zoom fatigue, you are already taking steps to learning how to create healthy habits regarding technology use.  Continue to take time to develop your own self-care practices so that you have healthy tactics to turn to that will help you handle stress and its effects.  Remember, HPW is always here to help you with becoming your healthiest self, either through 1:1 support or providing resources.  Remember to Take care of yourself, take care of each other, take care DePaul!  

Hello DePaul Family,

Today, we held our last Wellness Wednesday session via Zoom. Wellness Wednesday was started in a response to a primarily virtual campus due to Covid-19. Never could we have guessed that on top of having to adjust to online classes and exams, our students would also be faced with increased levels of stress, fear, and increased social unrest due to the nationwide outrage against Minneapolis PD in their killing of George Floyd along with the countless numbers of Black lives that have been lost to police brutality. DePaul has announced a plan to formulate some sort of university standard for faculty regarding final exams, but as of right now students should plan to take their exams as originally scheduled.

Today’s Wellness Wednesday revolved around how to succeed in the already stressful finals period with the increased difficulties of an online format and the distress resulting from the current environment. The main points that HPW wants to hit on are reducing stress from finals, tips and tricks to succeeding in the online format, and ways to practice mindfulness to manage stress of both our academics and our mental health. The link for the recorded session can be found at

https://depaul.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=4d08a046-fff7-4bd2-8e99-abcf01317be3

Tips for coping with finals:

1. Schedule a time to focus on studying! By designating a specific time, you can push yourself to study for that allotted time without making excuses to not study.
2. Make sure you’re eating and sleeping enough.
3. Don’t forget to figure in personal time. It is important to maintain a balance between school work and taking care of yourself so that your brain can rest!

https://psychcentral.com/blog/7-tips-for-coping-with-finals/

Taking online exams:

1. Prepare ahead of time! Make sure you understand the test format and procedure.
2. Check your computer! Make sure you have the write tech to run the exam – we cannot assume that professors will accept technological issues as an excuse and be understanding, unfortunately.
3. Try to carve out a quiet place where you can focus to take the exam – it can be difficult, especially if you are home with your family but do your best to let others know that you need to focus.
4. Keep an eye on the clock during the exam. Because it is a different format than you are probably used to, you may move through the exam at a different pace.
5. Make sure you don’t leave the test page! Opening a new tab or even refreshing the page may interfere with your exam.

Tips for Taking Online Exams

Practicing mindfulness:

There are many ways to incorporate mindfulness in your daily life, and it is an especially useful practice during a time such as now due to the benefits of decreasing stress and improving mental focus (both useful during finals week). Try to practice your mindful breathing – focusing on inhaling and exhaling for a certain period of time. You can also practice a walking meditation, and focus on your steps as you move around.

As always, the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness is available for 1:1 support if you need resources, or just want someone to talk to. University Counseling Services and the Center for Students with Disabilities are also available to support students and the Dean of Students Office will be available to approve accommodations related to attendance or course work negatively impacted by current events. Please take care of yourself as we move through these uncertain times.