How Can I Get Help and Attend Rehab If I Can’t Leave School?

The fact that you are trying to fit rehab into your life signals that you are ready to make a commitment to recovery, but, yes, it can be hard to move past your first few steps when you don’t think you can miss out on school. In some ways, people do use school and work as excuses to avoid the addiction treatment that they need.

It’s important that you not get caught up in excuses. You have to take your decision to investigate rehab and keep moving forward with that intention. Once you take into account how effective treatment can be for you, you will see that you simply have to go.

If you still feel this is impossible because of your school schedule, the following discussion should help you to get over that feeling. Whether you are a college or high school student, you can find a way to make your time in rehab mesh with your commitment to your education.

You have no reason to put off finding a treatment program. To find a rehab center that will meet your needs, call 800-430-1407Who Answers?. Our experts are waiting to give you the attention that you deserve.

Accept That Your Addiction Is Marring your School Performance

Addiction among high school students is on the rise.

Even if you are extremely high functioning, your drug and/or alcohol use is having an impact on the quality of the work you are producing and on your classroom behavior. Even if you have good grades, it doesn’t mean you are getting what you need to be out of the classes and creating strong networking bonds that can help you as you move forward.

People who suffer from an addiction frequently:

• Miss classes
• Arrive late
• Develop specific absence patterns (like only showing up on test days or missing every Monday)
• Contact teachers to explain “emergencies”
• Fail to meet deadlines
• Hand in chaotic or incomplete assignments
• Provide excuses for an inability to complete work or get it in on time
• Have problems with critical thinking skills
• Have problems with other students
• Argue or become aggressive with instructors or other students in class
• Become socially isolated

Most instructors are committed to you and to your education. They would prioritize your health and wellbeing and will work with you to carve out a space for rehab or help you to find a time when such a move is possible. Although it is best for you to attend rehab as soon as possible after you decide it is a viable option, you may have to wait for a break between quarters or semesters.

High School Students

You wouldn’t expect it, but nonmedical use of prescription drugs is highest among young adults. The following percentages of people used prescription drugs nonmedically last year:

• 12- to 17- year-olds: 6 percent
• 18- to 25- year-olds: 12 percent
• Age 26 or older: 5 percent

High school students have addictions. It is commonplace.

If you are considering inpatient rehab, you know that you will have to live at the facility, as you would in a college dorm. This means you will not be able to attend class. In such a situation, you and your parents will need the cooperation of the school and of your instructors.

There are rehab centers specifically designed for adolescents and they often offer classrooms and instructors that can teach you or help you to work through assignments provided by your current teachers. They will provide academic support.

What Should I Do Before Entering Drug Rehab?

College Students

When you think of college drug use, you might think of study drugs like Adderall. But Adderall use is actually decreasing and cocaine use is on the rise. Further, marijuana use among college-aged individuals is the highest it has been since 1980. College campuses are not strangers to addiction.

Because your instructors have a different relationship with you, the terms are short, and absence policies tend to be rigid, it isn’t likely that you can miss a large chunk of class. This rules out inpatient care. However, you can meet with specific instructors to see if there is an alternative or you can ask for incompletes in classes you cannot complete because of rehab commitments.

Consider Outpatient Care

Your best option is to become an outpatient program participant and to work with your existing schedule, attending sessions during times not already dedicated to classes. This allows you to continue schooling and to only miss a class of two while being treated.

To find an outpatient rehab center that can work around your school schedule, call 800-430-1407Who Answers?. Don’t let excuses hold up your recovery; keep moving forward.