The Lion's Roundtable (Guest: Annette Baldwin)
Download MP3Good day. This is Amber Narro on ninety point nine, the Lion. I'm here at the Lion's Roundtable. I have my friend, Annette Baldwin, with me, and she's gonna talk to me about collegiate recovery. She's gonna talk about dry January, and we're gonna remind ourselves about how awesome the Merry Market was in December and how much we're appreciative of all the people in the community.
Dr. Amber Narro:Welcome, Annette. Glad to have you. Glad to be here. Excellent. Excellent.
Dr. Amber Narro:Alright. Annette, you are the director of collegiate recovery here on campus, and talk to us about what that is real quick before we jump into dry January and why it's so important for people to pay attention and keep that spirit alive if you're doing it. It's only two weeks left.
Annette Baldwin:Absolutely. So collegiate recovery is basically a wraparound support services to support our students who identify as in recovery, whether that's alcohol or drugs or even eating disorders. So while they're in here trying to get their higher education, we're also busy supporting them in maintaining recovery.
Dr. Amber Narro:Excellent. Annette, when you are talking about recovery from their addictions, you guys really promote sobriety. This isn't just come in and we'll let you go less. Right? This is a serious we're quitting.
Dr. Amber Narro:This is a this is a thing where we need to clean up our lives.
Annette Baldwin:The collegiate recovery program, we definitely advocate for abstinence based recovery. Now, I do have to say this, is that out of our space, we do harm reduction groups. We will meet you wherever you are and support you, hopefully moving you towards wellness. But, yeah, collegiate recovery, we like abstinence based people.
Dr. Amber Narro:Indeed. For me, I I think that that's where I would be if I were in that space for sure. I think that that's a safe place to be, which is why I think that dry January is so important to get people kicked off. New Year, new feeling, New Year's resolution kind of kind of mindset set. You know, one of the things that we have in the luxury of this life is Sundays and New Year's, I think.
Dr. Amber Narro:We can start the new week every seven days. Every year, we can start over again if we haven't been successful before. Talk to me about dry January and why this is an important time for people.
Annette Baldwin:I love dry January. So I didn't know this, but well, maybe once a year I'll I'll learn it because we we Dry January is just so cool. It's actually started in England. So it really started as not really a quit forever, just like a let's look at your relationship with alcohol. So I think, you know, it's kind of like a marriage sometimes, Amber.
Annette Baldwin:Mhmm. You know, sometimes it's like being married. It's sometimes, you know, you have to step aside and figure out what's going on in your marriage. Right? Right.
Annette Baldwin:Just like sometimes, every now and again, you gotta take a minute and look at what you're doing with alcohol. Like, what is your relationship with alcohol? So dry January is just an opportunity to kinda step back, take a little break, and maybe do some things maybe you wouldn't otherwise do sober or do some more sober activities. And it it's a way of, like, really looking at, like, what you're doing with it.
Dr. Amber Narro:You know, it's interesting that you say that. It made me think about all sorts of things. You know, I haven't drank for two and a half years now. Look at you. It is it it's been wonderful.
Dr. Amber Narro:I love it. But going up into that, I didn't have an issue drinking. I really feel like I could've put it down at any point. Right? But it was getting to the point where I was just like, man, I just like a glass of whatever.
Dr. Amber Narro:Right? And I'm just this is what I want at night, and this is my thing. And I felt like I was starting to kinda lean on it a little bit. You know? Definitely wasn't, you know, interrupting anything in my life, but for all sorts of reasons, I decided to put it down.
Dr. Amber Narro:And two and a half years later, can tell you that my skin feels better. My body feels better. I feel like obviously, I'm more alert and engaged and aware and involved,
Annette Baldwin:you know,
Dr. Amber Narro:all of those important words to be in this world.
Annette Baldwin:It's funny how you phrase it like that too because, you know, when I was learning you know, I'm an addiction person. I I just fell into it. That's my love, you know? I love substance misuse, anything, research, all the stuff, right? But when I was learning, when I was a wee counselor, that we would talk about, you know, where you really wanna be in life choices.
Annette Baldwin:King
Dr. Amber Narro:cake.
Annette Baldwin:You know, like, I got offered king cake this morning. Uh-huh. You wanna be in a place where you can take it or leave anything. Right. You know, like, well, I feel good anyway.
Annette Baldwin:I don't need a piece of king cake. You know what I mean? But if I have king cake, I'm not gonna need another piece. You see what I'm saying? And I think when people who partake in a way that's like the most healthy have the ability to like take it or leave it.
Annette Baldwin:And they have they use it in a way where it's balanced. You know what I mean? Like I have a variety of things in my life. And I always give myself all the choices. Where I think when things get kinda little not healthy is when you start narrowing in where it's like, you know, I only do this or I only feel normal if alcohol is in the pitch picture,
Dr. Amber Narro:that kind of stuff. Indeed. We one of the things that I found out that I didn't that I didn't appreciate about that time is that it really wasn't the the the glass or the alcohol that was making me relax in the evening. It was that moment. Right?
Dr. Amber Narro:Mhmm. Where I would just sit down and have my glass of something. Okay? And it I found out very quickly that it didn't have to be alcohol related. Right?
Dr. Amber Narro:I Correct. Love teas. I absolutely love what I call my spritzer, which is cranberry juice and seltzer. That's it. I mean, it's got like, I sometimes put, like, a little bit of melatonin in it or something like that, which is, you know, just kind of a relaxing kind of thing for me.
Dr. Amber Narro:Definitely teas. I've tried every tea. A warm a warm glass of tea now for me or a warm, sorry, cup of tea sounds so much more inviting than any other time in my life. I absolutely adore it. And that's the time in the evening.
Dr. Amber Narro:Right? And it's just something warm. I think that's all I wanted. I've done it with hot cocoa now and all sorts of other things. And it is just it's that time in the day that was more important than anything.
Dr. Amber Narro:So I appreciated being able to step back from that and realize that I didn't need that glass of something, that it really truly was that time that I needed. Right? Correct. So I appreciated that. Annette, what if I've missed the boat for dry January?
Dr. Amber Narro:What if I'm just starting right now?
Annette Baldwin:Oh my gosh. You can start anytime.
Dr. Amber Narro:Of course, you can.
Annette Baldwin:You you can start anytime. I know we're kinda moving into mid January but anybody can participate and, you know, start where you're at. Right. You know what it took me
Dr. Amber Narro:a really long time to say is that I don't drink. Correct. Was a really weird thing for me to kinda cross over from that spot to and I've honestly just started saying that. I don't drink.
Annette Baldwin:Yeah. Alcohol is weird, but especially in Louisiana, it's the only Yeah. It's one of the only things that you feel like you need to come up with an excuse as to why you don't drink. I think I know I'm also a person in recovery, but like for a while I was always well, I just don't do it well. I just don't drink well.
Annette Baldwin:Mhmm. Yeah. I had to tell people that. But yeah. Mine was I think
Dr. Amber Narro:what I would say is I'm not drinking right now. I'm not drinking right now. Yeah.
Annette Baldwin:Then Or tonight or Right.
Dr. Amber Narro:And I don't know, you know, you're the counselor. You tell me. I don't know if it was me being afraid to make that promise to myself that I don't drink, but I don't drink. You know? And I I I just I don't.
Dr. Amber Narro:And it's not something that I do anymore. And and I'm almost I I was afraid to say it for quite some time for fear that I was gonna break the promise to myself, I guess.
Annette Baldwin:Oh, that's
Dr. Amber Narro:You know?
Annette Baldwin:Could could be true too.
Dr. Amber Narro:Yeah. But I don't I really don't want it anymore, so it's I I feel like it's safe for me to be in that space now. But remember the other night when we were at a restaurant and I ordered a I ordered a mocktail when I was out with a bunch of friends and, you know, just kinda wanted to be cool at the party. And I've got my little mocktail out and he, the waiter, in a joke, puts mine in front of in front of somebody else. And I got real testy about that.
Dr. Amber Narro:I was like, look, don't, you know, what's in that? Like, you need to tell me what's in that because Right. I'm I'm not and it didn't have anything I don't think that if I have a drink that I'm gonna go back into it. I wasn't, you know, I could take it or leave it when I when I was having a drink.
Annette Baldwin:Uh-huh.
Dr. Amber Narro:But now it's it's real testy. Like, I don't mess with that. You know, when somebody is saying that they don't drink, tell me what it's like for somebody. And I guess it's because I do know people who are addicted and and what that, I guess, what that that pull is.
Annette Baldwin:Well, I mean, I know I have friends in recovery and they would tell you they would liken drinking to an allergy. Like, I'm allergic to it.
Dr. Amber Narro:Or Right.
Annette Baldwin:If I accidentally get it, you know, I will have some sort of reaction. You know, which I'm feeling real nerdy this morning. I'm sorry. But like, you don't think of biology. You know what I mean?
Annette Baldwin:Like, I think a lot of drink you know, we're we've been talking a lot about, like, thoughts and feelings related to alcohol, but, like, your biology remembers, you know? So certain smells and obviously taste and obviously reactions in the body. I have friends that like, if they go out to eat and they're asking like, what's in the salad dressing? Like, they don't wanna be exposed to alcohol in any way, shape, or form because they're worried not only about thoughts and feelings but how their body's gonna be like, oh, I remember this.
Dr. Amber Narro:Like, this
Annette Baldwin:had some, you know, some good things about it, you know, and let's minimize some terrible things. So you off you know, you have to respect people's choices. Not to mention now, I mean, I think it's no different than having like a lot of people are allergic to peanuts or, you know, they're diabetic, you know. So if someone tells you they can't have it, then,
Dr. Amber Narro:you know That's some respect.
Annette Baldwin:Respect that It could be something absolutely physiological, you know, that could endanger somebody. Right. I just felt myself getting real, you know, kinda bent up about it a little bit. You know, putting it in
Dr. Amber Narro:front of somebody, you know, as a joke, I'm just going, no, no, no, no, don't, that's not funny. Right.
Annette Baldwin:Because it can be a slippery slope.
Dr. Amber Narro:Right. And and I don't have the slippery slope, but I know people who do and I
Annette Baldwin:just Absolutely. Absolute,
Dr. Amber Narro:you know, respect for that. And I'm I'm not saying that to defend myself in any sort of way. It's just that I've really just learned that. And I I can't express how important it is for you not to talk to somebody who has made that decision Right. And say, oh, just one won't hurt you.
Dr. Amber Narro:Or just, you know, it's gonna be fine. You can do it again tomorrow, or, you know, you can do dry February instead of dry January.
Annette Baldwin:You know? Like,
Dr. Amber Narro:what's that
Annette Baldwin:about? I think that that's the beauty of dry January though is, like, I think when you do step back and, you know, take a little break, you do become a lot more way observant of, like, what happens in drinking culture or like at the restaurants or like at the club. I remember, man, when I first was in recovery, I had, you know, I had a friend from like out of state. They wanted to go to New Orleans. And, like, you know, sometimes, like, going out into the clubs when you are completely conscious and sober, you see things a way lot differently.
Annette Baldwin:You're like, I was like, oh my gosh. Like, this is not safe and warm like I thought it was under, you know, when I was under the influence of of alcohol. So, I mean, I think, anyway, that's just another benefit of dry January is really being more conscious of like what happens whether it's like drinking culture or like in your body or all the fun things. 30 enough, thirty one days, is that enough to know? I would say, I mean, it depends on the context and it depends on who the person is and what their relationship is with alcohol.
Annette Baldwin:I think anything is better than nothing.
Dr. Amber Narro:Yeah.
Annette Baldwin:Absolutely. I mean, if that's what gets you started, absolutely.
Dr. Amber Narro:Absolutely. Asking the questions.
Annette Baldwin:Don't quit quitting was
Dr. Amber Narro:what I was told. Indeed. Indeed. Do you need help surrounding that?
Annette Baldwin:Yes. I believe In dry January, you've mentioned this before that it could be dangerous. It could be dangerous. A lot of people don't know that.
Dr. Amber Narro:Talk to your doctor. You know,
Annette Baldwin:we always look at like, well, I mean, I don't wanna minimize heroin and fentanyl and cocaine like the No. Of course not. Heavy drugs. But a lot of people do not realize that alcohol is probably one of the drugs that you can die from when you detox. Folks that are like daily drinkers, you might really wanna consult your physician before you decide to take a cold break from alcohol because it can definitely affect your blood pressure.
Annette Baldwin:You might need to consult your physician, particularly if you're daily drinking.
Dr. Amber Narro:Yeah, because you gotta imagine your body's depending on that now as part of your chemistry.
Annette Baldwin:Well, you know. So. Was it like chronic alcoholism? You feel more normal with alcohol in you than when it's not in you. So you kind of make that transition.
Dr. Amber Narro:Wow. Thank you for that. I appreciate that. What kinds of efforts are is Collegiate Recovery having in this kind of new year to help students?
Annette Baldwin:New year. We are in the middle of planning the Louisiana Recovery Capital Conference. So, I was working on the schedule of speakers. That's a two day conference, March. It's one of the fundraisers for Collegiate Recovery that affects our endowment for students in recovery and So long term sustainability for our that's here on campus.
Annette Baldwin:We do have a couple of medical doctors coming. They're gonna talk about emerging adults and substance use, as well as what's happening with fentanyl and treatment of opioid use disorder. We also have a couple really good speakers on the family and working with young people, emerging adults, misuse. Who else do we have speaking? We have some other folks coming in talking about what it's like working in substance use and how to take care of yourself.
Annette Baldwin:We also have our very own Doctor. Angela Wood. She'll be speaking on motivational interviewing. Love that, she's
Dr. Amber Narro:a social worker here at Southeastern. Love that.
Annette Baldwin:She's real good.
Dr. Amber Narro:Talk to me about the conference and who can come, who's it open to, how do you get more information?
Annette Baldwin:So we have a discounted rate for faculty and staff, so our social workers or LPCs that may need some continuing education. This is a continuing education event for professionals, so we're only charging like $60 for 12, which is mighty cheap. Professional community is 120 for twelve hours, which is still pretty cheap. And then our students is a discounted rate of $30. But again, when we do Louisiana Recovery Capital, this is also an invitation for our treatment providers to come in and showcase what they're doing and network with these community providers who are offering treatment.
Annette Baldwin:So it is an educational conference, but it's also an excellent networking conference where I get, I know personally I get the updates on what treatment centers are doing what and who they're serving and who's working with the clients. So then I use my experience with Louisiana Recovery Capital Conference to then help refer people to treatment, you know, to fit people to treatment where they need to go.
Dr. Amber Narro:I love that. To fit people to treatment. What types of treatment are there, Annette? I mean, you're talking about fitting people.
Annette Baldwin:You know, it sounds like. We have the whole gamut of.
Dr. Amber Narro:You're going to the store in Toronto?
Annette Baldwin:The police. We'll be here which is, you know, the phone crisis line all the way through Palmetto Addiction Recovery in Rayville, Louisiana. They do inpatient support here at Southeastern. I believe Victory out of Lafayette is gonna be there as well. River Oaks Hospital will be coming in.
Dr. Amber Narro:Very familiar names to this program.
Annette Baldwin:Yeah. So, our, I should say our neighbor, Long Branch Treatment in Aveda Springs will be there. Oh, we also have Odyssey, eating disorder coming in as well. Oh, we have eating disorder speakers too.
Dr. Amber Narro:Very good. So. Annette, when you think about the what the Collegiate Recovery Program is doing here for Southeastern students, when when you first started this, obviously, you get to see people have some great, experiences and and some, turnarounds in their lives. Talk to me about some of the people and, give me some stories on some folks Oh, man. Who have just absolutely turned it around with Collegiate Recovery.
Annette Baldwin:You know, I mean, I think it was year one or two when I turned to Doctor Emerson. I was like, man, I could retire doing this. We're working with people who are identifying in recovery. They're really on this like really good path. We're just like keeping them there, right?
Annette Baldwin:We're trying to figure out how to support them the best to keep them on that path.
Dr. Amber Narro:They're proud about it too. They'll tell you in class that they're they're in the recovery program.
Annette Baldwin:Absolutely. Absolutely and you know, it's it is. It's it's a little different than just what I was doing before like being a counselor. I'm not gonna name names but I will tell you that we did have a student go to treatment before Christmas, right? And the vibe is completely different because we sent all the students wrote cards to that student in treatment.
Annette Baldwin:And so over Christmas, the student called me and said, man, I got this package when I was in treatment and I've been opening one card per day. And I mean, I think it's something we don't do well as a society. Like if someone goes off to treatment, we tend to be like, oh, they're in treatment. We're gonna hands off on that. Let them alone.
Annette Baldwin:When them deal with their someone's in treatment for a substance use disorder, it's no different than having like breast cancer or heart disease. Like, we put love into those people. We need to put people, you know, we put, we should be putting love into those people but also trying to turn their life around. They're having to, you know, commit to treatment, you know, pulling themselves out completely into this inpatient program. But that was really precious that we were able to do that.
Dr. Amber Narro:Yes. And I agree with what you're saying. These people need love. We often shun people who have addiction issues, you know, whether it be those hardcore drugs, alcohol is a big one for sure, eating disorders as a choice. Right?
Dr. Amber Narro:You have a choice. If you would want it to get better, you'd just make the decision. Right? And we talk a lot about that, Annette, about not really having a choice. Again, let's talk to our public who is not addicted, who may or may not have a quote, unquote healthy relationship with, with substance.
Dr. Amber Narro:What is what is your advice to these individuals who might have somebody in their life who is struggling?
Annette Baldwin:Man, I would offer help and figure out how to most effectively offer them help. You know, you've gotta know what the resources are. I'm gonna tell you it's you know, if I'm if I need a new doctor, you know what I mean, I have to go you know, typically, I go to my friends and say, hey. Who's the best general practitioner in town? I'm I'm in town looking for a doctor.
Annette Baldwin:Right? We kinda have to do that for substance use treatment as well. And it's you have to know what the resources are and figure out what is gonna match what you can do for your person through insurance. And talk to as many people as possible as far as trying to find the right fit. I do kind of worry about, you're in a vulnerable position when you have a family member with substance use disorder.
Annette Baldwin:Doing a Google search when you pick your treatment center, you might need to do more than that. You might need to ask a lot of questions kinda like how you buy a car, you know, like you ask a lot of questions before you buy that car. So I would definitely find out what your resources are. And then the other thing, the other thought is, you know, you kinda have to approach it. I think so many people get get stuck.
Annette Baldwin:It is so easy to get stuck behind fear, and, you know, of, like, I just want this person to go to treatment, but also maybe sometimes thinking outside the box of how to creatively make pathways to make it easier for that person to go to treatment. Right. Meaning, you know, I'll watch your dog. You know, like you have a little puppy and that's gonna stop you from going to treatment because you're worried about your puppy dog. Let's find somebody that is super trustworthy so that's not a worry for you.
Annette Baldwin:And I think in the past we've kind of labeled that as resistance, but for some people that's like a legit concern. Who's gonna watch my kid? Who's gonna watch my dog? Who's gonna take care of my house while I'm having to go take care of myself? So there's different ways to kinda look at it.
Annette Baldwin:I would get your own therapy. I would get your own counselor. It's so much harder than people think it is. You know, it's not black and white. There you're kinda writing the book as, you know, you're putting words on the paper, writing the book as it's happening.
Annette Baldwin:And every situation, a lot of times, is is contextually kinda different.
Dr. Amber Narro:Indeed. Annette, yesterday, I talked to Jordan Smith Kenning with the STEM Center, and she was talking about the rec and the events that are happening at the rec Yeah. This weekend. And in December, you had Merry Market at The Rec. Absolutely.
Dr. Amber Narro:I haven't talked to you since then about the outcome of that. How were we able to do this year in raising money for people? How did it go as a two day event? Talk to me about the the aftermath of this, if you will.
Annette Baldwin:We, you know, I think oddly, I I sent out the applications, I'm gonna say oddly, like a month earlier than usual. And we had more vendors interested in a two day market than a one day market. So we had no problems getting vendors in the door. We had a full market. We raised what we wanted to raise for sure.
Annette Baldwin:No, I think the two day was actually better than the one day.
Dr. Amber Narro:Mhmm. How'd the vendors respond?
Annette Baldwin:Vendors are well, per usual, vendors were pretty happy. I think the next step for the market is to get more consistent vendors. We wanna maybe pull in more of the market of vendors that consistently do Christmas markets kinda similar to Rumi's. You know, but they, yeah, they were pretty happy. I mean, there's there's vendors that make a lot of money.
Dr. Amber Narro:It's, well, I know. There are and. They're they're
Annette Baldwin:they're they know how to do it.
Dr. Amber Narro:They they kill it. As a as a every so often vendor myself in these events, I've I've heard other vendors at that event say that that's their best show of the year. So Yes. It depends on their product, you know, obviously, and How they sell it and Absolutely. But I think that they do a wonderful job.
Dr. Amber Narro:So you guys raise a bunch of money for people with who are in substance abuse Well, yes.
Annette Baldwin:Recovery. So the market really helps us with our scholarships, our in out scholarships in our programming. It helps us send our students in recovery to North Alabama when we go camping.
Dr. Amber Narro:In out scholarship, what is that?
Annette Baldwin:It's the short term scholarship. If it comes in, it goes out. So every semester, we give scholarships. That's kind of the the definition of that.
Dr. Amber Narro:Well, excuse me. Idiot Okay. Amber, you should've known that. Right? Love it.
Dr. Amber Narro:Love it. Thank you for that, Annette.
Annette Baldwin:No worries. No worries. But we'll we'll be doing it again next year as well.
Dr. Amber Narro:Indeed. Alright. Well, I know that you're probably already prepping for that. Do you have a date for it already for the for the November merry market?
Annette Baldwin:I do have a date, but I'm gonna keep it secret. Oh. Only because I haven't
Dr. Amber Narro:Finalize it with the Pennington. We need
Annette Baldwin:to finalize it with the Pennington. I wanna put a date out and then the Pennington's ton's not available.
Dr. Amber Narro:Absolutely. Eric Amon, thank you for all your help with that by the way. Sure. Thank you. Year after year.
Dr. Amber Narro:I promised yesterday when I was talking to Jordan that I would do a shout out to him again on Friday and we'd make this officially the Eric Amon, the rec center, Pennington Center
Annette Baldwin:Gratitude Show.
Dr. Amber Narro:Gratitude Week. Yes. Yes. On on air. So we appreciate all of the help that they give us there in hosting a variety of events here at Southeastern and and supporting the efforts of many, many places on campus.
Dr. Amber Narro:And that's what that's what the meaning of the things that we do is. Right? That's we're all working together and trying to support each other, and I really feel that spirit around Southeastern. And I appreciate all of you who are in there, including yourself in that. We appreciate you being here.
Annette Baldwin:Thank you.
Dr. Amber Narro:Thank you for coming, sharing about dry January
Annette Baldwin:Dry January. Yeah.
Dr. Amber Narro:About the conference that's coming up March
Annette Baldwin:March.
Dr. Amber Narro:Here on campus, as well as all of the efforts that you guys are doing to help people in recovery here at Southeastern and really beyond. So thank you very much. Thank you. We appreciate you. And thank you for listening here on nine point nine, the Lion.
Dr. Amber Narro:We've been at the Lion's Roundtable with Annette Baldwin. She's with Collegiate Recovery here at Southeastern, and she'll be back to talk all things recovery in the future with us at some point. So join us again, Thursdays and Fridays at 09:00. We'll be right here. Y'all have a great day.
Dr. Amber Narro:I'm Amber Narro.
