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By: The Next Step Magazine Back to NextStep Resource Center
This article is provided by The Next Step Magazine, a publication that helps students prepare for life after high school. Visit them at www.nextSTEPmag.com

College Problems
Not every problem is easily solved. Here are eight for which you’ll need expert help. Check out the links for more info on how to get it.

Divorce Depression Eating Disorders Social/Anxiety Disorders Credit Problems Rape Substance

Divorce
Most statistics say that nearly one out of two marriages will end in divorce. While the presence of divorce in society is common, it does not make it easier to cope with the effects of having divorced parents. Being a college student is difficult enough, and trying to please two sets of parents can often be frustrating and demanding. You may find yourself torn in various ways with multiple expectations placed upon you. The fact is, you can’t please everyone. It just isn’t possible, and it’s too much to ask. If you would like to learn new ways to cope with being a child of divorce, comb through these helpful sites.

Depression
Are you constantly tired? Have you lost or gained excessive amounts of weight? Do you turn to food and sleep as a source of comfort? Have you experienced long periods of depression, feelings of helplessness, or lack of confidence and self-esteem? These are all signs of depression. Though depression is common, it is serious. If you let depression go untreated, you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed, similar to a drowning sensation. Talking to a counselor is a great way to let out your feelings and find help. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to someone you don’t know, try talking to someone you can trust, like a friend or family member. To learn more about the signs of depression and how to receive help, refer to these sites.

http://www.campusblues.com/soanx.asp
http://news-info.wustl.edu/tips/page/normal/4198.html?emailID=0
· http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/students.cfm
· http://www.depression-screening.org/index.htm (are you depressed?)
· http://ub-counseling.buffalo.edu/depress.shtml (coping with depression)
· http://www.utexas.edu/student/cmhc/booklets/depression/depress.html (what is depression/what to do about it)

Eating disorders

Open a magazine or flip on the television and you will see images of scarily thin young women. Look at a newspaper and you will read about the ever-increasing rate of obesity. You can barely make it through the day without encountering eating disorders. College students face a series of eating disorders: bulimia, anorexia nervosa, binging and purging and overeating. Some students overeat when they are stressed, nervous, or bored. Other students deprive themselves of food in order to achieve the body they think society demands. Whatever the case, eating disorders can lead to serious health problems, both mentally and physically. If you think you have an eating disorder or you know someone who does, check out these sites to learn more about the causes, symptoms and prevention of eating disorders.

· http://www.campusblues.com/healthy_eating.asp

· http://www.counseling.swt.edu/bro/bulimia.htm (bulimia)

· http://depts.washington.edu/scc/eating.html (general info/signs you have an eating disorder)

· http://www.nmu.edu/www-sam/cnsel_ctr/eating.htm (body image)

· http://www.d.umn.edu/hlthserv/counseling/
ED/eating_disorder.html (questionnaire)

· http://www.utexas.edu/student/cmhc/booklets/eating/eating.html#anchor269764

(general info and additional links)

Social Anxiety/shyness
Upon entering college, you have to acclimate yourself to an entirely new environment and a new set of people. While some people can easily adjust to these changes, others may feel like they have lost all sense of comfort and security. If you find yourself feeling nervous, uncomfortable, experiencing headaches and stomachs, and dreading encounters with new people and situations, you aren’t alone. Social anxiety and shyness is extremely common, especially among young adults. However, this doesn’t mean you will never make new friends and will be living a life filled with nervous anxiety. Here are a few helpful sources that will make you less of a wallflower and more of a social butterfly.

       ·           http://www.campusblues.com/tooshy.asp

       ·          http://www.campusblues.com/studentoflife_6.asp

       ·          http://www.counseling.swt.edu/bro/homesickness.htm (homesickness)

· http://www.couns.uiuc.edu/Brochures/loneline.htm (loneliness)

· http://www.utexas.edu/student/cmhc/booklets/panic/panic.html (panic attacks)

· http://www.utdallas.edu/student/slife/counseling/anxiety.html (overcoming social anxiety)

· http://www.counsel.ufl.edu/selfHelp/relaxation.asp (relaxation exercises)

Credit problems
Do you find yourself living off of Ramen soup? When you see a preview for a new movie do you say, “Wow, I can’t wait until that comes out on DVD?” Does your laundry pile up weeks at a time until you can bring it home to save quarters? If you answered yes to these questions, you are like many of your peers; you’re a poor college students. While a credit card may seem like the perfect solution, it won’t seem so perfect when the bills come rolling in. Many college students find themselves immersed in debt by the time they graduate, and that’s before they have to start paying back tuition loans. For advice on how to successfully save and spend your small income, refer to these great sites.

· http://www.campusblues.com/moneyprob.asp

· http://www.careprogram.us

· http://www.counseling.swt.edu/bro/money.htm (money management)

· http://www.uwec.edu/counsel/pubs/Money.htm (money management)

· http://www.collegeboard.com/article/0,3868,2-10-0-9139,00.html (credit cards)

· http://www.youngmoney.com/credit_debt/articles (list of articles on various money issues)

· http://www.nysscpa.org/sound_advice/money_8.12.02.htm (tips for credit cards)

Rape

Rape occurs on every many campuses. In most campus rapes, the rapist is someone known by the victim. To protect yourself against rape, do not put yourself into dangerous situations. Never walk alone, carry a cell phone, and always let your friends or family know where you are, who you are with, and when you will be back. There is no excuse for rape. If you are a victim of rape, it is normal to experience feelings of shame, guilt and denial. Just remember, it is not your fault. If you would like to learn more about the prevention of rape, or if you would like helpful resources if you have been raped or know someone who has been raped, please check out these sites.

· http://www.campusblues.com/reabu.asp

· http://www.campusblues.com/drugs7.asp

· http://www.campusblues.com/drugs1.asp

· http://www.nmu.edu/www-sam/cnsel_ctr/rape.htm (acquaintance rape)

· http://www.utexas.edu/student/cmhc/booklets/rape/rape.html (becoming whole again)

· http://ub-counseling.buffalo.edu/alternatives.shtml (tips to prevent vulnerability)

· http://www.utexas.edu/student/cmhc/booklets/maleassault/menassault.html (male rape victims)

· http://www.couns.msu.edu/sap/rapedrugs.htm (date rape drugs)

Substance abuse
Substance abuse is the continual use of both drugs and alcohol. If having a good time requires the use of drugs and/or alcohol, if your motivation and ability to complete work is becoming minimal, or if you are acting in ways contrary to your normal personality, chances are you are forming an unhealthy addiction. To learn about the prevention of substance abuse or to find out if you think you are abusing drugs/alcohol, check out these sites.

· http://www.campusblues.com/alc6.asp

· http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/

· http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/tests/a/aa040130.htm (provides info and quizzes to help you realize if you are drinking unhealthily)

· http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/ (provides resources for treatment facilities)

· http://www.alcohol-drug-treatment.net/treatment_approaches.html

Ray Lauenstein is the author of Baseball: Playing Outside the Lines and The Making of a Student Athlete. He also holds a Masters Degree in Sport Psychology and gives seminars on Mental Skills Training and the Recruiting Process. If you would like him to speak to your team, booster club or other group please contact him via the online form or call 1-617-835-1836.