4th Newsletter to Students:
Addictions
The experience of student life sets new rules, limits and challenges. The distance from home and the new sense of autonomy offer students the chance to bring to the spotlight the mood for experimentation and exploration of their personal boundaries. Who has never thought: «I’ll drink a bit more, who will tell me to stop? », «I’ll try and smoke a cigarette, if I don’t like it I’ll quit», «I’ll sit a bit more on the computer, and play just one more game. I am sure I can control things in my own interest». Undoubtedly, in student life time is all yours and the autonomy of your choices is probably your own affair. But, because both time and autonomy are new privileges, things very often take an unpleasant turn and the «funny», the «innocent» and the «safe» mode easily turns to addictions to substances or/and habits which are extremely harmful to your physical and mental health.
What does addiction mean?
- Addiction is the internal urge for someone to repeat a behavior regardless of the results of this urge and without being able to do without the object of his/her addiction.
Studying in the University is a period of life during which someone tries to discover the limits of the self. But, through this journey some people overcome those limits and develop addictive behaviors to substances, habits or activities. Special attention is needed in this new way of life, because as much as those new habits might seem innocent or harmful, they are not. Even if this is the case, the situation is reversible as long as one realizes that the most important addiction, is the addiction to life.