Perfectionists, research shows, can become easily discouraged by failing to meet impossibly high standards, making them reluctant to take on new challenges or even complete agreed-upon tasks. The insistence on dotting all the i’s can also breed inefficiency, causing delays, work overload and even poor results. Perfectionism can hurt health and re lationships, too. It is associated with anorexia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety, writer’s block, alcoholism and depression. Such problems may be prevalent: a 2007 study that evaluated more than 1,500 college students revealed that nearly one quarter of them suffered from an unhealthy form of perfectionism.  read full article

This is not to say that striving to perform your best is unhealthy. But it may be detrimental if it’s getting in the way of your actual ability to succeed.  If you are a Wesleyan student who feels you are suffering ill effects from your own perfectionism, the Office of Behavioral Health for Students can offer you free and confidential assistance. Call 860.685.2910 for an appointment.

UPDATE: A second swine flu update was sent to the Wesleyan community on April 29.
UPDATE: As of April 30, the CDC and the World Health Organization are now referring to the new virus as H1N1 Influenza A.

If you do use and are wondering how your use stacks up, take the online marijuana assessment to get personalized feedback and advice on how to reduce or eliminate your use.  

You will be asked to enter your Wesleyan email and password to access the site; however, your data is in no way linked to your name. All data is aggregated and offers compete anonymity for you.

ASHA is sponsoring free testing for several sexually transmitted infections; testing will becompleted by staff from the State Health Department. Tests for gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia and HIV will be offered. 

Date: Thursday, April 9, 2009
Time: 11:00am to 2:00pm
Location: Eclectic 

If you miss this, you can contact Health Services at 860.685.2470 regarding their testing services. 

Image from here. 

Mid-terms can be a high stress time for many students, perhaps contributing to increased tobacco use amongst those who smoke.  For those who are former smokers, this kind of stress can be a trigger point for returning to past habits. 

While relapse can be a reality when establishing any new healthier habit,  it should not be viewed as complete failure. It simply indicates a moment of “two steps forward, one step back” and provides the opportunity to recommit to your healthier habits. 

In a recent article, the Mayo Clinic shared a variety of suggestions on how to maintain your commitment to being smoke-free. These are as simple as being vigilant of situations that might trigger tobacco use to more concrete reminders of how costly smoking can be as a habit, with cigarette prices at $5 per pack. 

Read the full article here to find a few suggestions that could work for you. 

Wesleyan Resources: 

Health Services’ Smoking Cessation Resources

WesWELL Tobacco Education Resources

photo credit: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The perception is that 20-somethings are youthful and robust, in the peak of their health.

But a report released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that young adults have their fair share of health woes.

A third of 18- to 29-year-olds, a demographic the insurance industry calls “young invincibles,” are cigarette smokers. A quarter are obese, as the rates among young adults have tripled in the past three decades. Nearly two-thirds of young adults reported not having regular leisure-time physical activity.

“At that age, people tend to be healthy but take it for granted,” said Dr. Jennifer Shu, CNNhealth’s Living Well expert. “Diabetes and heart disease start at much earlier ages now. The obesity and cigarettes can impact how young you might be when you get a serious illness.”

And when young adults get seriously ill, they can find themselves in a bind: A third of people ages 20 to 24 are uninsured. They are too old to qualify for their parents’ insurance, looking for work or in a job that doesn’t provide health insurance.

read full article…

Wesleyan Resources: Health Services offers Wesleyan students health care for illness, injury and well visits and coordinates the university’s student insurance plan. Call 860.685.2470 with questions.

We can post it here on the WesWELL blog for you!

At least three days before your event, email the following information to Lisa Currie (lcurrie@wes): 

• Name of your Event
• Day and Date
• Start and End Time 
• Location
• Admission charge, if any
• Is this a Wesleyan-only event or can anyone attend? (We will assume Wesleyan-only, unless you say otherwise)
• A detailed description of your event. If it is a speaker, you may wish to include a biography or link to their website, if available. 
• Photos or clip art to illustrate the post are accepted , too, but please keep them tasteful (we reserve the right to not use submitted images). 
• Contact person/information, in case someone has a question

It’s that easy!

STUDENT-RUN
GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP
(Sponsored by the Office of Behavioral Health for Students)

MEETS:   Tuesdays
TIME:   8:00 p.m.
LOCATION:   Group Room #212
(2nd fl., Davison Health Center)

Intended to create a network of support for
those who have experienced the death of a loved one.  
Please feel free to come and leave when it’s convenient for you.  
If you have questions, please contact: Margo (917/691-7312).

In 2007, overall, 36.6% of adults aged >18 years reported ever being tested for HIV. For both men and women, the percentage of persons who ever had an HIV test was highest among adults aged 25-34 years and 35-44 years and lowest among adults aged >65 years. The percentages who had ever had an HIV test were higher for women than men in age groups 35–44 years and below, not significantly different for men and women at ages 45–64 years, and higher for men than women at ages >65 years. 

Or to put it graphically: 

This means that about one-third of college-age individuals have been tested for HIV.  And significantly fewer men than women.  As much as testing is promoted — not just for HIV — and as much as services are made available to students, the vast majority are not taking advantage of them.  And it also leaves everyone at increased risk since they do not know their HIV status. 

Wesleyan Resources

• Health Services recommends annual testing for HIV and offers Wesleyan students options for testing as does the Oasis Center in Middletown. Details can be found here. 
• WesWELL offers health information and resources on HIV and AIDS here. 

Discussion Questions (share your thoughts in comments below)

• What are some of the reasons why someone might choose not to get tested? 
• What impact, if any, does choosing not to get tested for HIV have on your sexual behaviors? 
• Why might the testing patterns be different for men and women? 
• Other thoughts?