University is an exciting time for young people but it also comes with a lot of risks. Peer pressure, new surroundings and often a new-found sense of freedom, can result in many young people trying drugs and excessive amounts of alcohol for the first time.
Ketamine and cocaine are two drugs that we see an increasing amount of young people using and trying when they are at university, and what starts as something that feels like harmless fun, quickly turns into something more sinister.
Trying drugs at university is often told as part of the experience, but for some young people, this is where addiction starts. From recreational use to habitual using and addiction, it is a slippery slope and sadly one that we hear about a lot. One in ten young people will not be able to stop.
One use is all it takes to send them on a slippery spiral towards addiction, but we are here to help.
Ketamine and cocaine are often found at parties and passed around between young people. Whether a young person goes with the intention to take drugs or not, it is easy to see how one thing leads to another and young people feel pressured into taking part.
Young minds are often easily swayed and as a result of wanting to ‘fit in’ or seem ‘popular’, drug use can start at this point.
At university, we often see drugs mixed with alcohol, which makes using even more dangerous, and it is very difficult to know when enough is enough.
As well as overdosing, addiction is another very real risk of taking coke or ketamine, and living a party-lifestyle away from home can mask a problem like this as ‘having a good time’.
Ketamine and cocaine are both illegal drugs, and possession could result in being arrested, aside from the personal risks that they pose to young people.
Ketamine addiction and cocaine addiction are increasingly common in young people under 24, and we are seeing more and more patients come through within this age bracket.
If you are a young person seeking support, or you are a loved one of a young person who needs support with ketamine addiction or cocaine addiction, then reach out to Help Me Stop.
We offer non-residential rehab programmes to break the habits of drug addiction, with four week treatment programmes in our London clinic, and six week programmes online. All our services come with a year of aftercare service to make sure you or the young person has the tools they need to stay stopped.
Call us on 0208 191 9191, or email enquiries@helpmestop.org.uk to discuss how we can help.
University should be an exciting and promising time, don’t let drugs stop that from being your reality. We are here to help you stop and to support you in your life path. A life without drug addiction is possible, and filled with more opportunities than you know.
Our team has lived experience in drug and alcohol addiction, so they know first hand what addiction looks like on either side.
Get in touch and let’s talk about how we can support you.
