College Drinking: The Escape Route No One's Talking About

(👉 If your teen is struggling to self-regulate, stay aligned, or stay focused... keep reading. This might explain why, and what to do about it.)

A jello shot in their hand. A knot in their stomach.

Drinking on college campuses.

Why does it happen?
Why is it so pervasive?
And what’s actually going on underneath the surface—because let’s be honest, it’s not just about the freedom to party.

I talk with teens and young adults every day. It’s one of my greatest joys to hear their perspective.

And because I show up as a strategist, mentor, teacher, and trusted guide—not a judge—they tell me the truth. The raw stuff. The stuff they’re not going to say at the dinner table.

Point being: I get to hear what most parents never will.

So let’s go there.
👇

Most college students are running from something.

Insecurity. Anxiety. Fear of failure. Overwhelm.
And for too many—an “oh sh*t” moment when they realize:
I don’t even like what I’m studying… and I have no clue how to fix it.

College is pitched as the best years of your life.
But no one prepares them for the mental load and pressure of that...

The stress.
The identity crisis.
The pressure to “get it right.”

According to the American College Health Association, over 60% of college students report feeling overwhelming anxiety, and nearly 40% experience depression severe enough to impact their functioning. Yet they’re expected to smile, succeed, and socialize—all while figuring out who they are and what they want from life.

So for many, alcohol becomes an easy escape.

It’s unfortunately a socially accepted way to numb. An easy way to avoid the awareness that the life you’re building doesn’t feel like yours.

Dissociation, baby.

Not because they’re irresponsible. Because their nervous system is exhausted. Because what they were taught to do is "push through" even when the plan stops making sense.

The Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs highlights that emotional distress is one of the top predictors of high-risk drinking in college students.

Not rebellion. Not wildness.
Distress.

And the stakes are high:

• Over 1,500 college students die each year from alcohol-related unintentional injuries (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)

• About 1 in 4 students report academic consequences from drinking—missing class, falling behind, doing poorly on exams

• Over 50% of sexual assaults on college campuses involve alcohol

We normalize the parties. But we are ignoring the pain.

Parents often assume the drinking means their kid is rebellious, or even just having fun. But often, it’s an SOS. A response to internal pressure they don’t know how to talk about.

Behind Closed “Doors”, This Is What I Hear:

• “I seriously feel like I have no time to rest… I am always running. And I don’t even have that many classes..."

• “I drank 4 Monsters today and I can’t sleep. Might as well go out.”

• “I failed my test because I didn’t study. I wanted to, but my friends wanted me to go out. I didn’t know how to say no.”

• “No, my parents don’t know. I don’t want to tell them. I just want them to be proud of me.”

Every one of those kids had an avoidable challenge.
If they had the tools, the strategy, the support, and the accountability…
They wouldn’t feel so alone. And they’d feel more confident getting back to center.

And those toxic coping methods?
They wouldn’t hit the same. They wouldn’t become go-to coping mechanisms. Because when young adults are supported, aligned, and resourced—they don’t have to escape their lives to survive them.

But most students are never shown how to regulate emotions, how to course-correct when things feel off, how to trust their own intuition and guidance system, or how to self-advocate when something isn’t working.

So they flounder. They hide. They numb. And because drinking is normalized—even glamorized—they take a shot instead of asking for help.

But here’s what’s really happening underneath it all:

When students feel overwhelmed, out of alignment, or trapped in a version of success that doesn’t fit them…

They don’t always realize it right away.

Until it hits them.

That “oh sh*t” moment.

When they look around and realize:

• Their major doesn’t fit

• They’re falling behind

• The dream job isn’t what they thought

• They’ve been chasing someone else’s version of success

And suddenly, the stress isn’t just about grades.
It’s about identity.
Direction.
Meaning.

They stay out drinking until 3am to avoid the silence of their dorm and the stack of work they don't know how to start.
They skip class because walking in late feels humiliating.
They pick up new habits to quiet the anxiety that feels increasingly out of their control.

All because no one ever taught them how to reassess or change course—without shame or fear of failure.

🎓 According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, only 27% of college grads work in a field related to their major.

A lot of “just finish what you started.”
A lot of young adults who kept pushing down their intuition until it stopped talking.

And we’ve normalized that, too.

But let’s be honest:
It’s not normal to spend 4–8 years and tens of thousands of dollars on a path that doesn’t lead you anywhere fulfilling.
What a damn waste.

College doesn’t have to be a breeding ground for burnout, identity confusion, and substance dependency.

It can be a place where young adults learn to pivot with purpose.
Where they develop self-awareness and real-world resilience.
Where they build habits that don’t sabotage their future.

Inside Summer of Success, we help them:

• Build emotional regulation skills to manage stress in real time

• Clarify what actually lights them up (even if they’re unsure)

• Learn how to pivot without shame when things aren’t working

• Develop confidence and self-advocacy in academic and social settings

• Replace escape-based coping with conscious, resilient habits

• Cultivate the skills they were missing, preventing this mess from the get go

If your teen or young adult is already showing signs of overwhelm, disengagement, or burnout during senior year or the first year of college...

If they’re pulling away, questioning their path, or sliding into unhealthy patterns just to cope...
These aren’t just growing pains—these are big red flags.

They’re not signs to watch passively. They’re warning sirens telling you something needs to shift before they go off to college—or before the next semester digs the hole deeper.

👉 There are TWO WEEKS LEFT to register for our Summer of Success program. We start June 1st.

This is a 4-month immersive experience built to equip young adults (and rising college students) with the tools, clarity, and strategy they actually need to thrive—so college doesn’t become an escape, a pressure cooker, or a downhill spiral.

One of last year’s grads said it best:

"Living by Coach Alex's advice has been incredibly beneficial. She truly relates to the struggles in my mind and in the world around me. With her help, I’ve gained a clear understanding of my potential and how to direct my own path—something I couldn’t have done without her."
— D.B., College Freshman

🚨 If your teen is already showing signs of overwhelm, disengagement, or burnout—this is the moment to act.

Let’s chat about what’s really going on, what they need, and if Summer of Success is the right fit.

👉 Send me a message (here, on facebook, or instagram)

OR

👉 Click here to book a time for a conversation.

No pressure—just a chance to get clarity and figure out the next steps.

Warmly,
-Alexandra Holt
Life Strategist for Young Adults 👑

P.S. Know someone who’s watching their teen spiral under the surface?
Please forward this to them before it’s too late.