Addiction is an epidemic that is spreading through university campuses and college dorm rooms in the form of substance abuse, promiscuity, eating disorders and more. Addiction hits college age people through environmental influences, peer pressure and stress. Some cases of addiction are brought about because of mental disorders while other cases of addiction spawn mental disorders. This age group is particularly susceptible to bad decision making because it is the first time in their lives that they are on their own.
The environmental influences that surround college students are things that many of them are encountering for the first time, such as drugs, alcohol and offers of sex. Often times, people do not know themselves until they are put into life situations that they have never experienced before, and many college age people discover weaknesses they have for pleasurable substances and acts that they were not previously aware of.
Sometimes, it is peer pressure that leads college students to addiction. This is just as real during college years as it is in high school and grade school years. Many people who are introverted or lack confidence feel labeled as “lame” or “a downer” if they do not party and be experimental, so they allow substances and sex to be pushed on them. One way a person might discover they have addictive tendencies is when they are unable to give up something that someone else pushed on them.
And lastly, stress is a major cause of addiction among university and college students. Stress is a primary cause of addiction in any demographic, but college age people are particularly prone to stress for a number of reasons. One is that college is legitimately difficult and stressful. Expectations are high and course loads are heavy. Another reason is that college is the age range when many people discover addictive tendencies and mental disorders they did not previously know were there. This can cause a total breakdown of the person’s coping abilities.