With the college years being one of the busiest, and probably, the most stressful part of a young adult’s life, there definitely is a lot of risk for college students to experience a number of health issues. But aside from physical afflictions, there is also a possibility of experiencing mental and emotional health problems, if you do not take care of yourself. Here are some of the most common problems that can affect your mental and emotional state in young adulthood.
Insomnia and Sleep Deprivation
Getting enough sleep is one of the most important things that we should do to maintain a healthy mind and body. Not getting enough sleep may lead to some chronic illnesses, mental health problems, and accidents. Two common afflictions are insomnia and sleep deprivation. Insomnia is the inability to get sleep, even though there are plenty of opportunities. People with insomnia struggle to get sleep or to stay asleep. Sleep deprivation, on the other hand, is a voluntary loss of sleep, which can be due to late night studying or partying until dawn or many other possible causes.
Self-Harm: Cutting
This form of self-injury can be very frightening to other people, especially to parents. It not the same thing as a suicide attempt, but it may look like it is. Cutting is when a person literally makes small cuts on his or her body, usually on the limbs. It is usually a way of coping with emotional pain. This mental health problem can also be a symptom of a mental health disorder, such as anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and more. Seeking professional help is essential.
Suicide Risk & Depression
These two mental health problems are often related to each other. Depression is a very serious problem, as it is usually the primary cause of suicide. People who experience clinical depression feel unhappy and often lose interest in living. A depressed person may have problems sleeping, eating, socializing and other normal things in life. This constant unhappiness may also lead to suicidal thoughts and actions. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in young people. This is why it’s important to seek help when depression sets in.
Hidden Learning Problems: ADHD
Attention deficiency hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a major learning problem for a number of college students. Students with ADHD may struggle adjusting to a new life of living on their own, trying to balance their education and their social life. They may feel overwhelmed or disorganized, making it difficult for them to focus on their studies and learn. If you have ADHD, it’s important to seek help from your family and loved ones to help you live a more organized life in college.
Eating Disorders
The most common eating disorders include bulimia, anorexia, and binge-eating. With bulimia a person eats an unusually large amount of food, and to counter the effects of overeating, he or she may exercise excessively, force vomit, or take laxatives and diuretics. People with anorexia, on the other hand, tend to think that they are overweight, even though they’re already very thin and underweight. Because of their excessive consciousness of their weight, they may restrict the amount of food they eat and over-exercise. As for binge-eaters, they tend to have no control of the amount of food they eat. Because of this, binge-eaters tend to be obese or overweight.
Alcohol & Illegal Drugs Abuse
This problem is very common during the college years. With so many parties and social gatherings happening, there are plenty of chances for students to overindulge. Alcohol and drug dependency can lead to lots of personal and physical problems. It may affect how you function in school and affect your perception of things in life.
Remember that if you are ever experiencing any of these problems, don’t hesitate to ask for help from your family or from health and guidance professionals in your campus.
If you or someone you know experiences mental health issues, it is important to seek help from a qualified professional. Our Resource Specialist can help you find expert mental health resources to recover in your community. Contact us now for more information on this free service to our users.
Author Bio: When Matt Shealy is not working at his laptop, he enjoys playing golf, wake-boarding and surfing in his home state of Florida. Matt grew up in a family of technologists and engineers, so it was only natural that he found himself interested in the never ending possibilities that the internet has to offer.
The opinions and views expressed in this guest blog do not necessarily reflect those of www.rtor.org or its sponsor, Laurel House, Inc. The author and www.rtor.org have no affiliations with any products or services mentioned in this article or linked to herein.
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