Rates of ADHD in Adult Women Rises

A recent study shows that the number of women, ages 20-44 years old, taking ADHD medication has increased by more than 250%.  A possible reason for this is the fact that as children, girls show less external symptoms such as hyperactivity than boys do.  Girls who have ADHD are usually just thought of as being lazy and uncaring.  This study points to the fact that marriage and parenthood usually help a woman see that they have a problem, a problem that they or their parents didn't see when they were younger.  As a parent, it is important to be calm and organized, many parents dealing with the stresses of both work and taking care of their children.  When a woman realizes that she is having extreme trouble doing these tasks, it is a tell tale sign that she should go in for help and see what is going on.  Another fact that this study presents is that mothers are much more likely than fathers to come clean about the problems they are having and are much more likely to go to a psychiatrist to get help.  I think this is a relevant study to being a college student because you hear about many students taking ADHD medication when they have an exam the next day or a major project when they have not been diagnosed with this condition.  I think that it's important to listen to your body and your mind and if you feel that you have to take medication that you haven't been prescribed to pass a test, then maybe it is time to go see a psychologist and get referred to a psychiatrist for medication purposes.

Where You Live Can Affect Physical and Mental Health

In an interesting study conducted in Atlanta back in the nineties, researchers found that women who moved to affluent communities had significantly lower percentages of having diabetes and being obese.  This is important because it is also known that people living in lower SES conditions have  higher chances of having a mental disorder and if we use common sense it can be inferred that people who live in affluent communities are more likely to be healthy all the way around.  What is most interesting about this study is that people actually changed when they moved.  It's not like they had lived in an affluent community their whole life and were tested next to people who lived in lower SES communities their whole life.  As far as being in college, this could mean that maybe we should pick a nicer dorm or apartment over another dorm or apartment complex that isn't so nice and we should decorate the dorms and apartments in a way that looks and feels nice.  Keeping organized is also important.  Always remember that not all research has a cause and effect relationship, this is just a correlation of as the communities affluence goes up, health problems go down.

It's Hard Out Here... when you go at it alone

So there is this place on campus, maybe some of you have heard of it...it's called the Strom Thurmond Fitness and Wellness center. At "the strom" you can find endless resources to help you with one of the most important elements to achieving and maintaining optimal physical health: exercise and physical activity. Already play a sport? Awesome, there is an intramural sports program that is always looking for more members. Not really the sports type? How about group fitness? Whoa, that's intimidating. Or at least that's what most people think who have absolutely no interest in working out on equipment alone, but want to get fit think. Now I am a little biased I know, but group fitness in my opinion is one of the best things that can happen to a college student who is short on time, money, and motivation. It is convenient, effective and most importantly FUN. Seriously, there are so many different formats that anyone can find a class that they genuinely enjoy. For $20 dollars a semester you have unlimited access to all the classes you can physically stand!

Maybe working out is not number one on your list of priorities right now. That's perfectly understandable. But something I would recommend if you want to make positive choices for your physical and mental health as you are about to take on yet another semester of difficult courses..is to schedule in a group fitness class or even just a designated time to work out. If you treat the class or time block as you would your academic classes, you will find yourself accountable for being healthy and rarely able to make excuses not to work out. It's important to remember that the lifestyle you form now will set the pace for the rest of your life. Diet, exercise and an over all healthy lifestyle will reap long lasting benefits that only come from smart decisions in youth.

Here are some links to help you get started, and to know you don't have to go at it alone!

http://www.fitsugar.com/Tips-Starting-New-Fitness-Class-710296

http://www.shapefit.com/group-fitness.html

http://campusrec.sc.edu/fitness/group/schedules/

Depression Becoming More and More Common

A scary, new study shows that 1 in 10 adults are on an antidepressant medication and 1 in 25 adolescents aged 12 to 17 are taking antidepressants.  Also, researchers found that more people should probably be on antidepressants than actually are.  The survey that was conducted included 12,000 people and researchers discovered that many people have depressive symptoms but are not on any type of medication for depression.  One major flaw in this study is to consider how many people just went through a traumatic experience or who were just having a bad day.  It is scary to imagine that more than 1 in 10 adults should be on an antidepressant.  It almost seems that if all of our problems are now being solved with medication because we show some depressive symptoms.  It is important to remember that there are many people who are greatly affected by this terrible disease but we have to wonder how many people just make up symptoms so they can get medication. Being in college can be stressful and really take a strain on us sometimes. It is important to stay healthy, get sleep, eat right, etc in order to keep our mental health at an A+ level. If you ever feel like life is getting too much to handle, remember there are free therapy sessions offered through USC and there is no reason not to use these helpful sessions to clear our minds and remind us of what is important. 

It's Hard Out Here... when there are so many bright colors

So you're going down the grocery aisle, it's the one you love the most. Brightly colored boxes with eye-catching graphics and innovative package designs overwhelm you and you don't know where to start. Soon your entire buggy is filled with all the colors found on the front of the box of Lucky Charms resting on top of the gigantic mound, and the scary thing is, everything is pre-packaged. Same thing happens when you approach the hot line in Russell House or any buffet style spread..so many options, such a small plate. Classic solution: a little bit of everything, then you want some more of whatever that was, and you pair that with some bread and whoa...there's a dessert bar.

No wonder they're saying that diversity causes obesity. I know that everyone is entitled to options, but let's face it..the more unhealthy ones you have, the more likely you will chose them. This article definitely surprised me as I read past the headline. I was thinking that eating different foods from around the world was causing this when actuality, it's as simple as the amount of color choices found in a bag of m&ms.

Read this, and maybe you'll find yourself not so frustrated by the "lack of options" on campus...but then again you may be a super hero with indestructible will power. Everyone does have a kryptonite though, mine is cereal that has animated characters on the front. But is it the actual food that's your weakness, or just the fact that it's an option?

Read more, only because you can:

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/8F0eef/www.fooducate.com/blog/2011/07/26/could-food-diversity-be-causing-obesity

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/diverse-food-options-blamed-for-rising-obesity-2320028.html

Its Hard Out Here...when your stomach is screaming at you and you've already used your "swipe"

We all know that feeling, for some of us early risers it hits us around 9:00am or 10:00am....for those who are up later, it perpetuates the debate of breakfast at lunch time or skipping breakfast and going for lunch. This is hunger, and it is a relentless, unforgiving force of nature that we have no choice but to confront several times throughout the day. If we choose not to, it will cause all sorts of fun side effects including: inability to focus, loud and embarrassing noises coming from the abdomen (usually in a quiet environment), and even severe headaches. Now as fun as that sounds, I would rather compromise. I have found a way for us busy college students to do this in a perfectly healthy way with the help of others out there fighting the same battle against mid-meal period hunger pangs. Below are the links to sites that contain the prized information we need to know the difference between a snack and a meal. These two are way to commonly confused, therefore not contributing to optimal physical AND mental health which is everyone's goal right?? Okay well mostly everyone I would imagine. Happy Snacking!

Yayyy for low-calorie snacking!

http://www.wholeliving.com/photogallery/sweet-snacks-under-200

http://www.shapefit.com/best-snacks.html

http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/top-20-healthy-snacks

Why Sleep is Important for a College Student

I am awake doing my blog at 3:45 AM because the fire alarm at my apartment complex has been going off for almost an hour on multiple occasions.  What's worse is that there is no actual fire or threat.  Someone thought it would be clever or funny to pull the alarm and now it will NOT stop going off.  The weekend is supposed to be a time for a college student to catch up on their sleep (atleast for me) and the fact that my place of living is taking away that right is a major issue.  An article on recovering from workweek sleep loss says that women cope better with sleep deprivation than men do..so that's good to hear!  Through a sleep a study, researchers found that a weekend of "catching up" on sleep is not enough to heal the sleep deprivation we acquire during the week.  This article is an interesting read and I encourage everyone to check it out because it is very important for every student to understand how important sleep is to attain success.  

Sincerely,

A really tired college student