Cardinal Recovery is a peer-led support program for students navigating addiction and mental health challenges. We host sober social events, recovery allyship trainings, and weekly all-recovery meetings—private spaces to discuss your experiences with peers and build tools for mental well-being. If you're struggling, please reach out—you're not alone.
Connecting to Support at Cardinal Recovery
On The Rich Roll podcast, psychiatrist Dr. Anna Lembke defines addiction as a “continued compulsive use of a drug or behavior despite harm to self and/or others.” Addiction, therefore, encompasses not just substance use or gambling, but also more “normalized” behaviors such as phone usage, shopping, or even patterns of thinking. At a high-achieving place like Stanford, addiction may serve as an escape from stress, anxiety, or feelings of inadequacy. The stigma around addiction as a lack of discipline or personal failure can push people to hide their struggles and isolate themselves, fueling the addiction cycle.
How, then, can we combat addiction? First, we must recognize that addiction is a disease, not a moral failing. Addiction hijacks the brain’s reward system, triggering an excessive release of dopamine. Over time, the brain’s reward pathways adapt so that more of the drug or behavior is needed to maintain normal dopamine levels, causing painful withdrawals and dependence. Understanding addiction’s biological basis is the first step to dismantling harmful misconceptions that drive stigma and shame.
Next, if you are struggling with addiction, there are resources available, including Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS), TimelyCare, and one-on-one meetings at the Substance Use Programs Education & Resources (SUPER) office. I am a staff member of Cardinal Recovery, a peer-led support program under SUPER for students navigating addiction and mental health challenges. Information about our events can be found on the SUPER website or on the mailing list (recovery_news@lists.stanford.edu). You can also visit Rogers House in person to learn more about our programming.
We host regular sober social events, recovery allyship trainings, and weekly all-recovery meetings on Fridays 5:00 - 6:00 pm at The Well House computer cluster. These meetings serve as private spaces where you can discuss your experiences with peers and work on tools for mental well-being. Finding a supportive community is crucial to recovery; as journalist Johann Hari famously said in his TED Talk, “the opposite of addiction is connection.” If you are struggling, please reach out—you are not alone.
Written by: Jean Chun, Class of 2026
Resources
Stanford Resources
- Office of Substance Use Programs Education & Resources (SUPER): SUPER provides research-based alcohol and drug prevention education, early intervention services, recovery support, and harm reduction programs for the Stanford community via peer educators and professional staff.
- Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or challenged, know that you are not alone in these difficult times, and there are CAPS therapists committed to helping you work through what you are struggling with. Schedule an appointment by calling 650.723.3785 on weekdays from 9am-4pm. Crisis counseling for urgent concerns, call: 650.723.3785 and ask for the “on-call counselor,” available 24 hours a day.
- TimelyCare: A virtual medical and mental health care service that is available to any enrolled students at no cost 24/7, 365 days/year. It is offered as a supplement to the extensive existing in-person and virtual services offered by Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Vaden Medical Services, and other Vaden and on-campus resources.