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Sometimes the multitude of life’s changes that occur during your
college years can trigger serious depression. At this vulnerable
time, the smartest thing you can do for yourself is to seek help.
If your feelings of constant stress and sadness go on for weeks or
months, you may be experiencing more than just difficulty adjusting
to life’s changes. Seek assistance from a doctor or mental health
professional, the university counseling service, or the student
health center. While in treatment, there are a number of steps you
can take to help you cope on your way to recovery.
- Carefully plan your day. Make time every day to prioritize your
work. Prioritizing can give you a sense of control over what you
must do and a sense that you can do it.
- Plan your work and sleep schedules. Too many students defer
doing important class work until nighttime, work through much of
the night, and start every day feeling exhausted. Constant fatigue
can be a critical trigger for depression. Seven or eight hours of
sleep a night is important to your well- being.
- Participate in an extracurricular activity. Sports, theater,
fraternities and sororities, the student newspaper – whatever
interests you – can bring opportunities to meet people interested
in the same things you are, and these activities provide welcome
change from class work.
- Seek support from other people. This may be a roommate or a
friend from class. Friendships can help make a strange place feel
more friendly and comfortable. Sharing your emotions reduces
isolation and helps you realize that you are not alone.
- Try relaxation methods. These include meditation, deep
breathing, warm baths, long walks, exercise – whatever you enjoy
that lessens your feelings of stress and discomfort.
- Take time for yourself every day. Make special time for
yourself – even if it’s only for 15 minutes a day. Focusing on
yourself can be energizing and gives you a feeling of purpose and
control over your life.
- Work towards recovery. The most important step in combating
depression and reclaiming your college experience is to seek
treatment. Your physician should communicate to you that remission
of symptoms should be your goal and work with you to determine
whether psychological counseling, medication or a combination of
both treatments is needed.
For more information
Contact your local Mental Health Association or
National Mental Health
Association
2001 N. Beauregard Street, 12th Floor
Alexandria, VA 22311
(800) 969-NMHA
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