Communication is a Virus - research

AREAS TO RESEARCH - main components to a student's life!

• alcohol
• smoking
• drugs
• work - struggling?
• junk food (sugar)
• energy drinks
• caffeine
• lack of sleep
• living alone
• lack of exercise
• communication
• money
• living the dream - all mounts up and you realise you are over exhausted, poor and have fallen behind in work
• Depression

ALCOHOL

MENTAL STATE

Alcohol alters the brain’s chemistry and increases the risk of depression. It is often associated with a range of mental health problems A recent British survey found that people suffering from anxiety or depression were twice as likely to be heavy or problem drinkers.

Extreme levels of drinking (defined as more than 30 units per day for several weeks) can occasionally cause ‘psychosis’, a severe mental illness where hallucinations and delusions of persecution develop. Psychotic symptoms can also occur when very heavy drinkers suddenly stop drinking and develop a condition known as ‘delirium tremens’.

Heavy drinking often leads to work and family problems, which in turn can lead to isolation and depression. For heavy drinkers who drink daily and become dependent on alcohol, there can be withdrawal symptoms (nervousness, tremors, palpitations) which resemble severe anxiety, and may even cause phobias, such as a fear of going out.

Appearance 

If you’re trying to watch your waistline, drinking too much alcohol can be disastrous! Research from the Department of Health reveals that a man drinking five pints a week consumes the same number of calories as someone getting through 221 doughnuts a year. 

The morning after

If you’ve drunk heavily the night before, you’ll almost certainly wake up with a hangover. Alcohol irritates the stomach, so heavy drinking can cause sickness and nausea and sometimes diarrhoea. Alcohol also has a dehydrating effect, which is one reason why excessive drinking can lead to a thumping headache the morning after.

Alcohol is a depressant, not a stimulant. This means that it slows down the brain and the central nervous system’s processes. You may wonder what you did the night before, feel guilty, low or lethargic.

SMOKING

Short term effects on the Circulatory System include:

• Increased heart rate and increased blood pressure, rarely beneficial to the health in any person. The extra strain on the heart effectively means it could become diseased or suffer complications much sooner than in a non-smoker.

• The constriction of blood vessels compounds this effect, narrowing the space blood has to travel through and making the heart pump harder just to keep the body at a normal state, due to the decreased flow of blood carrying oxygen.

• This constriction is caused by a side effect of smoking: the build-up of fat and cholesterol deposits within the walls of blood vessels.

• Other effects include dizziness, hand tremors and coldness in the fingers and toes.

Short term effects on the Respiratory System includes:

• Smoking increases the effect of irritants on any standing allergies, as well as irritating the eyes and nose itself.

• This happens when smoking paralyses the cillia, the part of the respiratory system which blocks out irritants.

• Another result is the increase in incidences of coughs and colds in a smoker.

Short term effects on the Digestive System includes:

• An increase in acid in the stomach, which can be painful.

• A reduction in appetite, which can help lose weight in the short term. However, along with appetite the senses of smell and taste are also reduced, which results in loss in pleasure in eating and can make food quite boring, as well as being a hazard in certain environments.

• A further effect is bad breath, a direct consequence of each cigarette smoked.

Additionally, physical endurance is hampered by smoking, while mental functions are briefly improved by it, followed by a period of reduced brain activity.






DRUGS

Physical Effects of Alcohol and Drug Addiction

As a person falls deeper and deeper into the throes of alcohol addiction and drug addiction, their friends and family will start to notice that the addict is physically changing. Internally your body will be dealing with intense cravings for the addict's drug of choice (or any drug at all, depending on the addiction). Outwardly, a drug addict can display any (or all) of the following symptoms:

- Bloody noses
- Coughing for no reason
- Lack of coordination or unexplainable drowsiness
- Irregular pupil size
- Eyes moving back and forth rapidly and unable to focus on anything
- Bloodshot or red eyes
- Smokey smell or other drug smells on clothing
- Physical marks on the skin (track marks, rashes, etc)
- Inability to sit still
- Incessant scratching or rubbing
- Infection on the skin
- Drug paraphernalia in pockets or usually within close proximity to the person
- Hair loss
- Excessive carefulness of one's appearance and behavior when the person usually isn't quite so meticulous (could be a sign of a cover up)

Emotional Effects of Alcohol and Drug Addiction

Emotional effects of drug and alcohol addiction aren't always as obvious as the physical effects can be. The truth is that drug and alcohol addictions are usually closely related to an emotional issue that has existed for quite a while. While it is true that an addiction can be physical-the triggers for that addiction are usually emotional. Here are some of the emotional effects a drug addiction can have, both on the addict and the people in an addict's life:

- Increased feelings of loneliness and ostracism
- Increased irritability
- Increased fatigue
- Unexplainable anxiety
- Inability to concentrate
- Feelings of abandonment (for both the addict and the people in the addict's life)
- Stress from strained relationships
- Fear that the addiction is out of control
- Fear of rejection if addiction is discovered
- Fear that even if the addict gets sober, they will no longer be accepted by their social circle
- Anger at people who "don't get it"

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1906419






FAST FOOD

• lack of energy
• increased weight
• lack of nutrients
• high suger - false energy effect
• bad skin
• high fat concente - clogs up veins
• high blood sugar
• high collesterol
• 
  

Side Effects:

Maintaining nutritional balance is not easy with fast food, because there is no control over how they are cooked. For example, some are cooked with a lot of oil and butter, and there may be no option if you want your selection with reduced fat.

The large portions often served at restaurants also encourage overeating. Fast food also tend to lack fresh fruits and vegetables.

In general, people with high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease must be much more careful about choosing fast food, due to the high content of fat, sodium, and sugar.

ENERGY DRINKS

• he long-term effects of energy drink ingredients are that you may be addicted of this drink & addiction of any thing is harmful.
• In these types of drinks it has not been mention any where that whether any medical conditions or related prescription medication will react with them.
• Energy drinks must be taken properly because the ingredients used in it are powerful enough to affect your system & body.
• Ingredients used in these drinks can affect your heartbeat and blood pressure. This arouses awareness from medical specialists who have conducted studies about the effects of energy drinks.
• However it doesn't means that harmful effects of these types of drinks can't be prevented. The problem is only how to drink & in what amount that can be easily digested.
• Don't ever try to make energy drink an alternative for the lost water in the system while doing exercise because the caffeine in the energy drink can leave a dehydrating effect on your body. You should prefer to have something natural during exercises.
• The most important point is that you should never combine energy drinks with alcohol because energy drink is a stimulant while alcohol is a depressant. You can imagine yourself the contrasting effect that this combination can bring in your system.

Fructose and sugar content can also have certain side effects. When an energy drink has a high sugar content, it can have a laxative effect, as well as causing a sudden "crash" when the sugar leaves the bloodstream and the energy high disappears. Clearly, the energy-producing ingredients in the energy drinks result in a desired effect: a stimulation of the nervous system that can also cause changes in neurotransmitters, making people feel more energized. However, if caffeine is the ingredient primarily responsible for creating this energy high, drinkers should be aware that high levels of caffeine can have both laxative and diuretic effects.


CAFFINE

Top 10 Harmful Side Effects of Caffeine

List of harmful side effects of caffeine complied from Google

1. Caffeine makes your heart beat abnormally fast which is very harmful for people with highblood pressure or a history of heart disease.

2. Caffeine constricts the blood vessels in your brain causing many people in get massive headaches.

3. Caffeine is a strong diuretic causing your body to become dehydrated and the #1 symptom of dehydration is fatigue.

4. Some people experience tremors after drinking caffeine. That's thought to be due to over-activation of the central nervous system.

5. One recent report from the US revealed women who drink in excess of one cup of coffee every day is only half as likely to be able to get pregnant as those who drink no coffee at all.

The odds are considerably worse if women drink more than two cups a day. Then they are nearly 5 times less likely to be able to get pregnant as women who drink no coffee at all.

6. Caffeine can cause tension or stiffness in your neck, shoulders, jaw, hands, legs or stomach.

7. Caffeine can cause mood swings or periods of depression during the day.

8. Caffeine can cause coldness in the extremities, especially in your hands and feet because it restricts circulation. This is very common side effect in women.

10. Caffeine can cause you to wake up feeling tired because it inhibits your bodies ability to sleep properly and get into REM sleep. Caffeine may also cause insomnia.

MONEY/DEBT

Being in debt can make you feel

• That everything is out of control and there is nothing you, or anyone else, can do about it.
• Hopeless, especially if your debt is getting worse.
• Embarrassed to talk to anyone about your financial situation.
• Guilty - that the problem is your fault, even though it's been caused by your mental or physical health problems.
• Depressed and anxious.

STUDENT DEPRESSION

• common problem which isn't always noticed - no teachers or parents around. 
• change in lifestyle, diet, subject, city, new stresses can all be a contributing factor, students are learning how to live for themselves and sometimes it can all get a bit overwhelming

http://www.ehow.com/list_6386399_causes-depression-college-students.html

• Problems with depression and anxiety are common among college students, due to the unique amount of stressors in a student's life. According to Hilary Silver, M.S.W., a social worker and mental health expert, "Students experience many firsts, including new lifestyle, friends, roommates, exposure to new cultures and alternate ways of thinking."

Life Changes

• College students are often subjected to an unfamiliar environment with limited access to the people and places they've always known. While some young people thrive in this type of situation, many students find it unsettling and become depressed.

Increased Responsibility

• College students must deal with more responsibility than ever before. Dealing with academic demands, greater financial responsibility and control of their own time management are all very stressful experiences, especially all at once. This amount of stress often leads to depression.

Substance Abuse and Addiction

• Alcohol and drug use are a common part of social life on many college campuses. Young people often turn to these behaviors as a way to fit in or to feel relief from other pressures. Some students develop substance addictions, leading them toward depression.

Downward Spiral

• Depression is often caused by a combination of factors, so what is known as a "downward spiral" effect often occurs. For example, a student who uses alcohol to relieve the stress caused by financial difficulties can become addicted, which in turn worsens his or her depression.

Why do college students get depressed?

Some college students get depressed for the same reason that people get depressed in the general population-- chemical imbalance, genetics, a history of abuse, family problems, the death of a loved one, a traumatic event in one's past, and many other reasons as well. The onset of depression often happens when someone is in their late teens and early twenties-- right during the college years. Factors in a typical college student's lifestyle can help cause and contribute to depression, including:

• The stressful experience of trying to balance classes, work, social life, and other conflicting expectations.
  Uncertainty about money.
• Uncertainty about the future after college.
• Homesickness and the experience of leaving one's family for the first time.
• Problems with romantic and sexual relationships, which many students are experiencing for the first time.
• Sleep deprivation and poor sleep habits.
• Poor diet and exercise habits.
• Alcohol (especially binge drinking) or drug abuse
• Sexual assault, which is a common problem on college campuses.
• Eating disorders, another common problem.
• The anxiety of coming out to family and peers as a homosexual, another common college experience.
• Dorm and friendship "drama."