One individual shared their experience in college with using Xanax via The Muse. They stated, “…Doing cocaine led to taking Xanax to come down, taking Xanax led to more cocaine to wake up, and the combination led to the reintroduction of alcohol in my life.”
College students are at an extremely high risk for abusing substances, and for a number of reasons. The freedom experienced during college often leads many to experiment with substances, and peer pressure can have a similar effect. Xanax has become a popular drug to use recreationally for students in college, which is generally used to treat anxiety. In 2018, Vice magazine highlighted that Xanax affects GABA receptors in the brain, “…sort of like the brakes on the brain. It calms everything down.”
There are many pressures that come to college students, such as the pressure to fit in, pressure towards making good grades, achieving expectations held by family and friends, and more. Young adults are at an increased risk to use substances like Xanax during this time, especially if they feel there’s no other way to work through the symptoms their experiencing. In 2018, an individual shared on The Odyssey that Xanax is rarely ever taken “just once” by college students. Not only that, but Xanax is often mixed in with other substances, where overdose is at high risk.
How can we protect young adults from abusing Xanax? A 2016 study conducted by researchers from California Polytech State University found that drug abuse prevention interventions can be effective for college students, as they influence their knowledge on these drugs, their perceptions of risk, and enhance their self-efficacy to prevent prescription drug abuse. For parents who witness their college student struggling with Xanax addiction, treatment is needed.
Avalon Malibu is a world-renowned, California state-licensed mental health and substance abuse recovery center. If you are ready to seek treatment to develop the tools you need to overcome life’s obstacles and be on the road towards happiness, health, and well-being, call us today at 888-958-7511 for a consultation. It’s never too late, and there are people here ready to help you.
