It is all relative

The Wellness Promotion Department has been a guiding light for the students on UNC-Charlotte's campus. We hold classes on sex, drugs and other informative information college students should have pertaining to their health. Especially the susceptibility to STD's and STI's. We have also been trying to tie in a program dedicated to helping with addiction. In doing so we had some positive feedback and than after time the numbers decreased. Just like anything else, it will not happen over night, it is not the instant gratification of the process but long term results.

Debbie, Carol and I attended the 3rd annual Collegiate Recovery Conference down at Kennesaw State in Georgia. It was a great opportunity to talk to the people that have helped make this program so successful and learn some of the specific routes they have taken to implement a productive and demanding environment.  The stigma is no joke, but breaking those barriers has been possible given the proof in the pudding! More people can't help but notice this is a huge problem.

Doctors and many smart dedicated individuals spend a lot of their precious time with kids, adults and families working through addiction. The alcohol and drugs have profound effects on your life when you enter the later stages of the progressive illnesses facing addiction. It is imperative to help the 18-25 year old crowd to understand the severity it can reach if not addressed. These are some of the things covered during the conference. There was also a lot of hope, experience and happiness shared by other students making it one day at a time. The students who have asked for help with this disease are now able to turn back around "full circle" and share it with other individuals who would like the guidance. This my friends is what makes this advocacy so beautiful!!!

The campus AA meeting is about the same, we have been doing some new things to attract more people. Such as, attending meetings around campus and making business cards with our meeting information on it so it can be easily put in a wallet. I have been told recently to take my time and given the advice that a solid foundation has to be established before something can flourish, but "if we build it they will come" I love that movie!!!

Just for today, no time to stand still or take steps backward...makes it very hard to be moving forward in a positive direction!

Have any questions please contact Debbie at 704-687-7414 or e-mail me at hillbelk@gmail.com

More to come...other recovering students...