Staying Healthy

1. Staying Healthy • To do your best in college, you need to be of sound mind and body. • Which leads to the subjects of • Sex • Alcohol • Drugs • Handling stress • And using common sense… Play it safe and don't overdo it...

2. Encouragers: Hormones Peer pressure Alcohol/other drugs Curiosity The Media An intimate relationship Discouragers: Family values & expectations Religious values Sexually transmitted diseases Fear of pregnancy Concern for reputation Feeling of unreadiness Sexual Decision Making It's your life, it's your choice!

3. Avoid Sexually Transmitted Diseases Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are diseases that are contracted primarily through sex: intercourse, oral-genital sex, and anal-genital sex. • STDs affect about 1 of every 6 adults. • With certain STDs you may show no immediate symptoms and still pass the disease on to someone else who will suffer. • AIDS can be transmitted by sexual contact, sharing hypodermic needles, blood transfusion, or other direct contact of cuts or mucous membranes with blood and sexual fluid. • Common STD’s are: Chlamydia. Human Papilloma Virus, Gonorrhea, Herpes, Hepatitis B & C, HIV/AIDS There's nothing wrong with making love, but you owe it to yourself to be healthy.

4. Reducing the Likelihood of Contracting an STD • Options for Safer Sex • celibacy • abstinence • masturbation • monogamy • Condoms • COMMON SENSE • Abstinence is the only 100% effective strategy • Assess your partner’s risk status • Obtain prior medical examinations • Use condoms • Avoid having sex with multiple partners

5. Use a methodthat you feel comfortable using. Discuss birth control with your partner. Always protect yourself. There are numerous contraceptive choices, including: Abstinence Oral contraceptives Condoms Diaphragm Spermicides IUD Norplant and Depo Provera Tubal ligation and Vasectomy Protect Against Unwanted Pregnancy Once children enter your life, it changes dramatically!

6. Unhealthy Relationships • Intimate partner violence • Sexual assault • Relationships with teachers Rape and abuse are legally and morally wrong—seek help if you are a victim of sexual assault or are in an abusive relationship.

7. Alcohol • Alcohol is the most widely used drug in our society. • Alcoholism is the third leading killer in the U.S. • Each year about 25,000 people are killed and 1.5 million injured by drunk drivers. • More than 60% of homicides involve the use of alcohol. • About two-thirds of aggressive sexual acts toward women involve the use of alcohol by the offender. Think before you drink...

8. Alcohol: Three Reasons College Students Drink • Social learning: learning by watching others. Major sources of social learning include peers, parents and the media. • Drinking to feel good. • Drinking not to feel bad. What does it feel like: The Morning After?

9. College Students and Alcohol What happens to students when they drink? • 1,400 students a year die. • 70,000 students are sexually assaulted or raped. • 400,000 students have unprotected sex. • 500,000 students get injured. Source:2001 study done by the Task Force on College Drinking

10. Myths versus Realities of Student Drinking:How many have you had? • Number of Drinks Consumed per Drinking Occasion Be honest with yourself SOURCE: Smith, B., Stamper, G. and Grant, R. (2001)

11. Alcohol and Behavior • Blood Alcohol Level (BAC) is affected by: • whether you are male or female • how much you weigh • how fast you drink • how much you drink • Driving, riding a bicycle and other activities are impaired at BAC levels lower than the legal level of .08. • Most people “pass out” at a BAC of .25. Alcohol is FATAL at a BAC of .45!

12. Heavy Drinking: The Danger Zone Excessive alcohol use can cause: • alcohol poisoning causing coma & death • respiratory depression, choking and respiratory arrest • lacerations and fractures • unwanted or unsafe sexual activity • anxiety attacks and other psychological crises • worsening of depression or other conditions Don't let it happen!

13. Long-Term Effects of Drinking Where did my life go? • An alcoholic is medically defined by these symptoms: • Significant tolerance for alcohol. • Withdrawal symptoms. • Uncontrolled overuse of alcohol. • Repeated attempts to cut down on use. • Preoccupation with drinking. • Making new friends who drink. • Continued heavy drinking despite social, academic, legal or health problems.

14. What to Do If You Have a Drinking Problem… • Admit that you have a problem - this is a difficult thing to do, but it’s the first step in helping yourself. • Listen to what others are saying to you - chances are if you have a problem, someone close to you has told you about it. Stop denying it and realize they are trying to help you. • Seek help for your problem - there are lots of resources to help you that are confidential and are led by people who have successfully combated their substance abuse problem. Admit your problem and get help!

15. Drugs:Depressants, Stimulants, andHallucinogens • Depressants (downers): drugs that slow down the central nervous system, bodily functions and behavior. • Stimulants (uppers): drugs that increase the activity of the central nervous system. • Hallucinogens (mind-benders): drugs that modify an individual’s perceptual experiences and produce hallucinations. No thank you!

16. Why Do People Take Drugs? • Drugs help them adapt to or escape from an ever-changing, stressful environment. • Drugs can reduce tension and frustration, relieve boredom and fatigue, help us ignore the world’s harsh realities. • Drugs can provide brief tranquility, joy, relaxation, kaleidoscopic perceptions, surges of exhilaration. • Drugs offer practical uses; keeping you awake to study, for example. • Drugs are also used for social reasons; making us feel more at ease around others. For better or worse, to alter consciousness…

17. The Increase of Drug Use By College Students Remember: many drugs are illegal, and if you are caught using them, you can go to JAIL! • Many college students take drugs more than they did in high school due to: • greater freedom from parental supervision. • high levels of stress and anxiety associated with academic and financial concerns. • peer use of drugs for recreational purposes.

18. Tobacco: Don’t Smoke Bad idea! • Smoking accounts for more than one-fifth of all deaths in the U.S. • It causes 32% of coronary heart disease cases in the U.S. • It causes 30% of all cancer deaths in the U.S. • It causes 82% of all lung cancer deaths in the U.S. • Passive smoke causes as many as 8,000 lung cancer deaths a year in the US.

19. Dealing with Stress… money Grades term papers classes relationships tests peer pressure parents

20. The Stress Response • Adrenaline makes: • Blood pressure go up. • Quickened heart rate. • Constricted arteries. • Dilated pupils. • Decrease in effectiveness of immune system. • What causes it? Stress has many sources, but major life events (like a death in the family)and daily hassles are most closely linked to stress production.

21. Physiological changes can include: Rapid breathing Fast heart rate Tension Upset stomach Heart problems Insomnia Headaches Psychological changes can include: Confusion Trouble concentrating Poor memory Irritability Frustration Depression Experiencing Stress Being "stressed out" makes you miserable...

22. Grades and competition Professors and class environment Too many demands Papers and essay exams Career and future success Studying Intimate relationships Finances Parental conflicts and expectations Roommateconflicts What Do College Students Stress Over? Ouch! • Which causes: • Lack of motivation • Lost sleep • Low attendance • Poor grades

23. Managing Stress • Try to avoid stress. • Stress is a personal perception: work to change your responses to stressful events. • Modify your lifestyle. • Get enough rest • Get enough exercise • Get proper nutrition • Learn relaxation techniques. • Keep things in perspective.

24. Pursue and Maintain Physical Health • Develop Healthy Behaviors and Address Problems • Exercise Regularly • Get Enough Sleep • Eat Right • Don’t Smoke • Avoid Drugs • Make the Right Sexual Decisions

25. Coping with stress… • Coping with stress is essential for making your life more productive and enjoyable. • Coping means • managing difficult situations • solving personal problems • reducing stress and conflict • If you don’t currently cope with stress effectively, you can learn to do so. • Learn to see stress coming. Be prepared. Believe it or not, I can handle this. You can do it if you want to: It's your choice!

26. See Stress As a Challenge Rather Than a Threat • What is stressful often depends on how you interpret events. • To cope successfully • See the circumstance as a challenge to overcome rather than an overwhelming, threatening stress. • Have good coping resources such as friends, family, a mentor, and your college counseling center. Ordeal tempers the soul!

27. Seek Emotional Support • In stressful times, family, friends, classmates, and coworkers can reassure you that you are a valuable person who is loved. • Knowing that others care about you can give you the confidence to tackle stressful circumstances. • Recognize the potential support in your own life. • You can also improve your ability to cope by joining community groups, interest groups, or informal social groups that meet regularly. A burden shared is lightly borne...

28. Stay Healthy! • Your health is arguably your greatest asset. • You owe it to yourself to maintain it properly. • The result of maintaining your health is a happy, productive life. NO! YES!