By Alyssa Crutcher
Today’s youth are facing an epidemic of drug and alcohol use with numbers higher than ever before. Facing addiction can be incredibly difficult, and the walk to recovery can be increasingly long. While the journey can be tough and extensive, reaching that destination is extremely rewarding. This is proven by Meredith Dauria.
The abuse of alcohol, drugs and other substances has increased substantially over the last several years. By the time they reach 12th grade, 46.6% of teens have tried illicit drugs, according to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, and 62% of teenagers in 12th grade have abused alcohol.
In 2018, the amount of college students who abuse drugs was at 45%, with alcohol abuse being at 74.6%, according to Research.com.
Meredith Dauria, senior, has found her passion in helping those who struggle with addiction through her involvement with Razorback Recovery, NWA Harm Reduction and volunteering at the Northwest Arkansas Community Correction Center (NWACCC).
Razorback Recovery is a club on campus not many students know about, Dauria said. Its purpose is to help students seeking recovery from drugs, alcohol and other substances.
With her own background in alcohol and drug abuse, Razorback Recovery has provided an outlet and a sense of community for her, she said.
“That’s why we have Razorback Recovery,” Dauria said. “Because with my experience, and I know a lot of other people’s, it can be lonely when everyone is turning 21 and going out to party on Dickson (but) you’re newly sober and not comfortable with doing that. Just because I don’t use doesn’t mean I don’t know how to have fun.”
Dauria battled addiction during her teenage years. She had resentment against rehab, the doctors and therapists who were trying to help her because she felt they didn’t know what was going on in her head, she said.
After a relapse, Dauria faced many consequences due to her use of drugs and alcohol and decided to become completely abstinent.
She has been clean from drugs and alcohol since Oct. 17, 2018.
“When I got clean from drugs, I didn’t just get clean,” Dauria said. “I changed my life completely. I have the same personality but a different character. What I do behind closed doors now is a lot different. I used to lie, steal and cheat without hesitating before. And now I’m a good person. I have morals I live by and I have a reason to be good.”
Because of this, Dauria says she has found her passion in helping adolescents who are experiencing the same thing she went through.
“I started doing it because I wanted to be involved in something I care about,” Dauria said. “I wanted to help other young people who struggle with what I struggled with and believe that there was no one else like them. Because I know it was very hard for me to find my people.”
Dauria is a nursing major with a minor in substance-use disorders and plans to focus on substance abuse and addiction with her career.
At the NWACCC, Dauria helps host meetings for Narcotics Anonymous, a 12-step program encouraging abstinence from drugs. During the meetings, attendees can talk about their experience and are able to provide and receive help.
“We’re really there just as support for the women and to show them, because a lot of them are there for drug charges and have addiction problems, that this way has worked for us and it can work for them too,” Dauria said.
While doing her mental health clinicals for nursing, Dauria met a teen boy at a rehabilitation center that she connected with on a personal level, she said.
At first, it was unclear whether or not Dauria would be able to talk to the boy. Her tech was afraid he may bond with her and feel abandoned when she needed to leave.
“These people aren’t used to kindness,” Dauria said. “They’re not used to structure, they’re not used to consistency.”
Eventually, Dauria was able to have a conversation with him and felt fulfilled, she said.
“He was very introspective for his age,” Dauria said. “He was saying things that I didn’t recognize about myself until I had years clean. We just had a lot of similarities.”
Dauria was unable to keep in contact with him, but will never forget their interaction, she said. It was her first time she was able to use her experience to help someone.
“The whole reason I wanted to get involved in this kind of stuff is because I wanted to be the person who knew what they were going through and experienced it at a young age,” Dauria said. “I was the outlier and I don’t want them to think they’re (outliers) too. The fact that I ran into him at that place, so unexpected and (forming) that bond, it just makes me really happy to make an impact on someone’s life.”
After she graduates, Dauria plans to pursue a career as a mental health nurse working in a rehabilitation center with adolescents long-term.
The feeling she gets showing people in her position that they are not outliers and knowing she is leading people in the right direction is incredibly rewarding, she said.
“It’s a good feeling to get to show people who are in my position that they are not alone, that they are not crazy. Someone has been through exactly what they’ve been through,” Dauria said. “I do this because I know I’m making a difference. Especially with my volunteer work, I’m saving lives.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance or drug abuse, you can contact Razorback Recovery through their email, razrecov@uark.edu. RRC meetings happen every Tuesday from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. You can also follow their Instagram to stay up to date on events and other announcements.