When to Return to College after Treatment
Often parents are quick to talk timeline - getting their adult child back into college. If they took a break from college to seek treatment, the pressure of returning to school to ensure they do not fall behind their peers can feel crushing. College is not going anywhere, and it will certainly be there when the young adult is healthy enough to return. But how do you know when it is time? That is a great question we want to explore.
To make sure it is clearly stated, treatment is not a quick fix. Whether we are talking about mental health, substance abuse, or both, it is important to mention that it takes awhile to for the mind and body to heal. Although the young adult or parents may be beyond eager to get them back onto campus, doing it prematurely invites failure. If the young adult is driving the return to college, the parent needs to listen to the mental health professionals in the recommended timeline. By holding the boundary of telling them they cannot go back to college, it forces the young adult to slow down. This allows them to build the strength and resilience needed to be successful when returning to campus.
Stability in recovery takes time. The stabilization period can be between three to six months. From the addiction treatment lens, that will encompass three months in a residential level of care, and three subsequent months starting off in extended care. From a mental health recovery lens, that encompasses three months in a residential level of care, and then three subsequent months starting off in a step-down or transitional level of mental health care. Notice that neither of these options mention a drop-off in care or returning immediately to campus with outpatient services. Why? Because they do not work. It is like going straight from learning to swim with floaties in the shallow end to immediately diving off the deep-end unsupervised. It is too much, too soon.
Another way to identify if your loved one is ready to return to college is if they are too ill to volunteer or have a job. During their extended care or transitional care placement, if they are still struggling to participate in that capacity there is no way they would be able to successfully complete college coursework. With the start of each passing semester and the ability to watch their peers having the time of their life on social media, it will pull hard on the heartstrings to get the young person back on campus. Post addiction treatment, returning to the same campus with the same friends still around opens the door to relapse. Looking at transferring and finding a collegiate recovery program could be the difference between sobriety and recovery.
Lastly, for chronic mental health, it can’t be said enough that taking time away from college takes precedence over achieving the college diploma before the age of 21. If your loved one is diagnosed Bipolar and just experienced their first manic episode, the next twelve months will be filled with a ton of ups and downs. Between stabilization, medication, therapy, and learning to live with a lifelong diagnosis, this is not an ideal time to be in college. Show support for your adult child by letting them know that college will be there when they are healthy enough to show up.
No timeline will be the same for a young adult. Regardless, it’s safe to say that a minimum of six months is necessary between leaving college and getting treatment and then returning to campus. The ideal separation includes a full twelve months through a continuum of care. If you push the college timeline, you jeopardize the health of your adult child. Adding to their mental health by factoring in acute stress related to school failure will only stretch out the recovery process. Think about the mental health over timeline for college diploma.
To navigate this process of knowing where to look for stabilization, or where to enroll for extended care, hire a professional. This is not a journey you want to navigate alone, and you will want someone in your corner to ensure you understand the “why” behind the clinical recommendations and timeline.
For questions or comments contact Joanna.
