Webinars

You’re Addicted to WHAT? Addictions Amongst College Students

A four-year study of college alcohol and drug use, Wasting the Best and the Brightest: Substance Abuse at America's Colleges and Universities, found that 22.9% of college students met the medical criteria for substance abuse and dependence. Family First Aid reports an increase in gambling of 600% amongst teen and college aged gamblers between 2001 and 2005. Other studies suggest that college students are more susceptible to an addiction to the internet than other age groups.

Today the term ‘addiction’ is widely used. In addition to substance abuse, one often hears the term applied to non-substances such as working, shopping, the Internet, gambling, and sex. This leads many to ask:

• What does ‘addiction’ mean?
• Are these things and processes actually addictive?
• Can one really become addicted to Facebook, food, spending, stealing, or electronic gaming? If so, how could you tell?
• Can anything be done about it?

On Thursday, February 17, we held a webinar about addictions amongst the college student population.

Who should attend
College and university administrators, staff, and counselors will benefit from expanding their knowledge in this area in order to help students thrive and succeed. Join us as we define and explore this emerging issue.

For those who were unable to attend, below is a recording of the webinar.

About the Panelists
Stephen Lundrigan, LMHC, is a Clinical Supervisor at AdCare Hospital Outpatient Services and an adjunct faculty member at Worcester State University. Steve maintains a private practice with a special interest in the issues of Emerging Adults and has worked with at-risk teens and young adults in various inpatient and outpatient treatment settings for over 20 years. One of Mr. Lundrigan's areas of specialty is substance abuse and addictions. Mr. Lundrigan has counseled in college settings and served as a consultant to agencies developing treatment programs for young adults. He has also conducted numerous staff trainings and provided therapy for hundreds of teens and college students as they struggle with various forms of addiction.

Lacey Hale has a MA in Counseling Psychology with concentrations in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Child and Family Therapy. Lacey specializes in working with individuals with substance use disorders and especially enjoys working with the Adolescent and Young Adult population. Ms Hale was the Treatment Coordinator at Faith House, a women’s residential facility and has worked as a Rehab Counselor and an Outpatient Clinician at AdCare Hospital.

Robert Lenhardt, LICSW, CEAP is a 20-year veteran of AllOne Health and the Director of Specialty Services His areas of expertise are in workplace violence, crisis response, and substance abuse. His experience includes conducting addiction evaluations and treatment, and advising employers regarding substance abuse at work. He was also a therapist with Project CALM (Counseling for Alcoholic Marriages), a Harvard Medical School research project though AdCare Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts.

*Any information or resources provided during the webinar are for general information and educational purposes only.