Holiday tips for students in recovery

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Ivana Grahovac was a White House intern and a Milan runway fashion model. She also was a heroin addict.

Grahovac, who has been sober for almost eight years, is now the director of the University of Texas' Center for Students in Recovery . It's one of a handful of programs in the country that provides a structured sober lifestyle alternative for students and staff who have struggled with substance abuse.

Grahovac, who lobbied for the end of the war in Croatia as a child, said the "aha" moment for her career path came while she was completing her master's degree in social work at the University of Michigan.The University of Michigan campus had a lot of partying but almost no resources for students in recovery.

On a campus like the University of Texas, football and holiday season are synonymous with heavy drinking. KXAN News asked Grahovac to come in to talk with Anchor Erin Cargile about what the warning signs are for those who might have a concern about drinking too much. Grahovac said being unable to stop drinking -- or a feeling that drinking is out of control -- typically is a red flag that it has become a problem.

In the face of expectations to drink -- whether it's a student at a football tailgate or an adult at a holiday party -- the best defense for those who want to remain sober is a good offense. Always have a non-alcoholic drink in your hand, Grahovac said, and it provides no excuse for people to offer you a drink. It's also easy to say you have health problems that stop you from drinking alcohol or taking drugs.

Grahovac will be the keynote speaker for a gala for the New Milestones Foundation at the Four Seasons on Monday night. New Milestones Foundation raises money to provide mental health services to children and teens in the Austin area through Travis County Integral Care. The focus is the entire family and not just the child with the addiction or mental health issue.

Grahovac was profiled here in the The Daily Texan.