Obstacles faced by students when dealing with an addiction

As a student with an addiction, you may find yourself facing a variety of obstacles:

• Concentration problems. When you have an addiction, you may experience concentration problems as a result. You might need additional time in order to compete your degree programme.
• Difficulty communicating. You may find it hard to talk to others about your mental health disorder. This can make it extra difficult for you to cooperate in a group setting.
• Anxiety or stress. Maybe you find your degree programme or internship stressful. When you struggle with anxiety or feelings of panic, it can be difficult to spend time with large groups of people. As a result, it may drain a great deal of your energy to attend a lecture, where you might also have difficulty concentrating.
• Problems with the attendance requirement/fixed class schedule. When you have an addiction, you might not always be able to attend class or go to your internship. This could be because you do not feel well enough to attend a lecture.
• Problems with tests/exams or in class. It might be hard for you to concentrate in class or during a lengthy test or exam. You might need adjustments in order to take the test or attend class in a way that works for you.
• Money problems. Not everyone can have a part-time job in addition to their studies. You might also have debts because of your addiction.
• Lack of energy. It is possible that – due to your addiction – you will often feel tired, for example because you are having trouble sleeping or because of the effects of drugs and alcohol (if that is what you are addicted to). This may result in obstacles to completing your degree programme or taking part in an internship.

These obstacles are difficult for you and have a negative impact on your study progress. When you have an addiction, it can be hard to share your struggles with other people or to ask for help. See the ‘This is what I might need’ section to learn about the kinds of help your educational institution might be able to offer. If you feel deeply depressed and/or are experiencing suicidal thoughts, please do not hesitate to call 0900-0113 and talk to someone about it.

Support and facilities for students who have to deal with an addiction/addict

A variety of adjustments and/or facilities are available that may be helpful to you during your degree programme. Often, educational institutions will have a large number of employees that may be able to help you or refer you to someone else when you have a mental health disorder. Try to find out who can offer you further assistance at your educational institution, e.g. a student psychologist. If you do not know who to talk to, maybe you can confide in one of your lecturers or contact your study adviser and ask if they can point you in the right direction.

COMMEN., a platform with stories about mental health, has created an overview (Dutch) of where students at a number of large educational institutions can go for psychological help. If your educational institution is not listed here, visit the website of your research university or university of applied sciences to find the contact details for the student psychologists.

As a student with a mental health disorder, you might have a need for the following:

• More lenient attendance requirement. It might help if the number of occasions on which you were required to be present was reduced. You could also discuss the possibility of taking fewer courses at a time. If you struggle to attend classes in person – for instance, because you suffer from anxiety or have physical symptoms – you can ask if it is possible to attend class online.
• Financial schemes. It is possible that your study progress will be delayed as a result of your condition. Various schemes are available to help cover the costs of such a delay (wholly or in part). 
• Guidance and advice. Most educational institutions have one or more student psychologists on staff. They can provide short-term, solution-oriented help with study-related problems and/or problems of a personal nature. If your problems are so severe that you cannot wait for an appointment, you have the following options:
  • Contact your own general practitioner during their opening hours.
  • Outside of opening hours, you can contact the local after-hours clinic.
  • Check out the site: https://jongerenhulponline.nl/ for (online) help with social-emotional problems and find the way to the right agencies, care providers, websites and companies. 
  • If you are having suicidal thoughts, please contact 113 via the website or by calling 0900-0113.
  • For all other emergency situations, you should always contact 112.