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My Blog
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Posted on Wednesday, May 23, 2012 1:47 PM
In a society where we are rewarded for perfection, we are constantly
role playing. We try to show the world that we are flawless human beings
in hopes that we will be liked
and accepted. But the beauty of us lies in our vulnerability, our
love, our deep, complex emotions... our humanness. When we embrace who
we are and decide to be authentic instead of perfect, we open ourselves
up to have true connection with others. There is no need to put on a
show. There is no need to pretend to be something or someone that you
are not. You are perfect the way you are.
I didn't write the above paragraph, a blogger by the name of Amy Chan did. I wish I had written it, I wish I had the inner strength to truly . believe it. Growing up an adopted only child I felt enormous, and entirely self inflicted, pressure to be The Best Little Girl in the World , (apologies to Steven Levenkron). The pressure drove me literally crazy, more and more the older I got. In fact it was at the root of many of my own suicidal tendencies, the feeling I wasn't good enough, the fear that I wasn't what my parents wanted. I still struggle with that, a lot.
Today I was making cold calls for my other business. I don't think I did well, my wonderful mentor says otherwise. I was very nervous, and if you know my employment history you know cold calling used to be something I was spectacular at. I don't know what happened this morning, but I wasn't feeling particularly "on', still am not. But you know what, I've decided to go do the rest of those calls to the best of my ability, the only way I can fsil is to leave them undone. Excuse me, I have work to do. =) Kate
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Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2012 12:27 PM
Back on May 2nd I promised you my views on prescribing psychiatric drugs to young children. I've decided not to give them because I'm really no expert, and certainly not a parent of a child with mental illness. I would;however, like to comment on the comments section below the article. Actually most of the articles I read online feature a comments section often loaded with vitriolic criticism about the author, subject of the article,other commenters, or all of the above.
Why do we as people feel qualified to sit piously in judgment of others? I'm certainly not immune; though I like to think that as I grow as a human being more aware of the glass house I live in I'm less apt to throw stones at other people. Let me give you an example.
When I was 22, seven or so years ago, I had underage roommates in my dorm room who liked to drink booze and smoke marijuana. They drove me NUTS with their noisiness, rule breaking and lack of respect for me. I, in turn, drove THEM nuts with my: militantly sober, virgin "Christian", goody-two-shoes honors student persona, and, yes, constant nagging at them to be more like me. Things came to a head one night, it ended with me in an inpatient psychiatric unit for the first time on a 72 hour hold in full body restraints under a massive dose of Haldol. For all of these years I've seen myself as the blameless victim of injustice at my immature roommates' hands, until Saturday.
I have a new business outside of TLETC, and in this business I have a mentor. People joke that I think this woman walks on water, and I DO admire and respect her tremendously. We were coming home from training Saturday night, her husband was driving, she was beside him, and I was in the back seat. We passed a small ice cream stand called,"King Kone", and her voice lit up:
"Oh honey, remember we had one of those near the dorm back in college! Oh my gosh, it was SO good! Remember those vanilla cones with butterscotch syrup and marshmallows? Those were my favorite. Hot fudge was super yummy too...."
"I sure do sweetheart.", he gave her a smirk full of mischief. I thought it was because we're all wellness coaches, and here she was launching into an almost pornographically lustful description about her ice cream passions.
"Weren't they extra good when we got high?" she asked him. He looked back at me. "When you what?" I asked,as it seemed I was supposed to respond, and I was sure I'd heard wrong. "Y'know." she responded, putting two fingers to her lips and taking an imaginary drag off of an imaginary joint. I think I said, "Oh", or something similarly profound while my mentor and her husband reminisced about 3 a.m. Dunkin' Doughnuts runs completely unaware I was having a psychological breakthrough in the back seat .
Not all people who use drugs wind up on skid row or dead! Some of them turn their lives around, become pillars of their church and have successful businesses that HELP people. I wonder what my former roommates are doing now. I wonder if I've been too hard on them in my mind all of this time, I wonder if I hold some of the blame for how things ended up?
You know what? I've thought about it, and I do hold some blame for being a sanctimonious pain in their butts. So henceforth I promise to examine my sweeping prejudices against people. It doesn't mean I'll go smoke a joint, but it does mean that I'll be less judgmental about those who choose a different path than I do.
Kate
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Posted on Saturday, May 12, 2012 9:39 PM
Interesting, there seem to be more children diagnosed with psychiatric disorders every day.....Is it due to increased awareness and decreased stigma? Or, is it just another casualty of the post World War II Standard American Diet?
I hope it's the first, I fear it might be the second. I've been learning a lot more about nutrition lately as I set out on a personal quest to permanently release between 50-70 pounds in a healthy way. (Sigh), sometimes ignorance CAN be bliss, when I think of all of the junk I've shoveled in my mouth over the years I feel nauseous now. Well, on to the article from professionals before I bore all of you with my yammering. Kate
(P.S. In the interest of personal accountability and to satisfy any curiosity I've been on my meal plan for 36 days now and have lost just over 7 pounds. At this rate it will be about 1 year from my start date that I reach my personal target weight. Occasional updates about my weight/health might be posted here, or follow me on Facebook if you want more info.)
There may be a link between a woman's gluten sensitivity and the risk
of her baby developing psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia later
on, according to a new study. Researchers from the Karolinska Institute and Johns Hopkins
Children’s Center conducted research that suggests children of women
with high levels of antibodies to gluten -- meaning they had sensitivity to it -- have almost a doubled risk of later developing a psychiatric disorder. "Our research not only underscores the importance of maternal
nutrition during pregnancy and its lifelong effects on the offspring,
but also suggests one potential cheap and easy way to reduce risk if we
were to find further proof that gluten sensitivity exacerbates or drives
up schizophrenia risk," study researcher Dr. Hakan Karlsson, M.D.,
Ph.D., a neuroscientist at Karolinska Institute, said in a statement. The study, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry,
included analysis of 764 neonatal blood samples and birth records of
people born between 1975 and 1985 in Sweden. Of those people, 211 went
on to develop schizophrenia or a similar psychiatric disorder. The researchers were able to use the blood samples to see whether the
study participants had higher levels of IgG antibodies triggered by the
immune system as a response to milk or wheat proteins in the body. "Because a mother’s antibodies cross the placenta during pregnancy to
confer immunity to the baby, a newborn's elevated IgG levels are proof
of protein sensitivity in the mother," the study statement said. The researchers found that the association held true even after
taking into account other risk factors for schizophrenia including the
mother's age and how the baby was delivered. The researchers didn't find
a link between children's schizophrenia risk and women who had high
levels of antibodies to milk proteins. However,
researchers made sure to note that the study merely found a connection
-- not a causal relationship -- between mothers' gluten sensitivity and
their children's schizophrenia risk. The researchers also pointed out that past observational studies have
suggested a link between gluten sensitivity and schizophrenia, noting
that in World War II when there was scarcity in wheat in Europeans'
diets, there was also a lower rate of people being admitted to the
hospital because of schizophrenia. In addition, they noted other
research suggesting that rates of celiac disease are higher among people
with schizophrenia. According to the Mayo Clinic, possible risk factors for schizophrenia
include having a family history of the disease, having an old paternal
age, being exposed to viruses or toxins while in the womb, use of
psychoactive drugs during teenage and young adult years, and being
exposed to extremely stressful situations. There is no known cause for schizophrenia, though researchers think that it has to do with both genetics and environmental factors, according to the Mayo Clinic. |
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Posted on Wednesday, May 02, 2012 9:57 AM
By Margaret Renki
The hidden costs
Beyond the literal expense of doctors and therapists and diagnostic
tests and medications, the social costs of a mentally ill child can be
unimaginable to someone who has never struggled with one of these
conditions. Parents are frequently blamed for their child's bad
behavior. Georgeta Coleman, diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 6, was
expelled from first grade for acting out. When her mom, Mary Ellen, came
to take Georgeta home, a school official told her that if the girl had
had "better parenting," things might have turned out differently. (Even
worse, Coleman, of Pleasant Valley, New York, then had to switch jobs
because her child couldn't go to school and a supervisor wasn't
satisfied with the partial work-from-home arrangement Coleman devised.) Kids also face the stigma of being different. "To see the pain in my
child's eyes because she's trying so hard to be good and 'normal' -- it
rips my heart out every day," says Claudine Boger. But for these moms, perhaps the worst feeling of all is isolation --
the sense that family members, their child's teachers, and even their
own friends have no idea what they're going through. "In the early days,
when I felt like I was struggling the most, being told over and over
that I needed to relax only made me feel like more of a failure," says
Wagner.
And yet, despite the heartache, the expense, the sleepless nights, and feeling judged, these moms remain hopeful. "He's my baby"
says Colleen Webster simply. "I have scars on my arms from his bites,
and they will always be reminders of bad times with my son. But I also
hope they will be reminders of how far we've come. I hope someday
they'll be my badge of victory . |
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Posted on Wednesday, May 02, 2012 9:53 AM
By Margaret Renki
The most controversial disorder
Like Aaron Webster, Rebecca Riley was diagnosed with early-onset
bipolar disorder, but she was put on three powerful medications when she
was 2. Last December Rebecca died of an overdose at her Hull,
Massachusetts, home. She was 4. Rebecca's death ignited a debate over whether it was possible to
diagnose bipolar disorder in younger children. (The number of children
and teenagers treated for the disorder has skyrocketed; the most recent
study estimated that the number of diagnoses went from 20,000 in 1994 to
800,000 in 2003.) But the American Academy of Child and Adolescent
Psychiatry (AACAP) concluded that it wasn't possible for kids under 6 to
be diagnosed bipolar -- and it should be a diagnosis of last resort
for those under 10. That's why Kendall Boger now has a diagnosis of "severe mood
disorder, not otherwise specified." It is the doctor's way of describing
the symptoms of bipolar disorder without giving it the name. For the
past year, Kendall has had auditory hallucinations -- voices in her
head that she calls her "fairies." (She once told her mom that she
wanted to cut a door in her forehead to let them out.) She also suffers
from night terrors, as well as suicidal thoughts: "She tells me that she
wants to die, that she can't live this life anymore," says her mom,
Claudine Boger, whose mother was also bipolar and committed suicide when
Boger was 9. The only real difference between Kendall's illness and adult bipolar
disorder is that her rages can turn on a dime into euphoria: "She
doesn't have an off button," says Boger. "She's the loudest, the most
outgoing, the friendliest. She'll lunge at other kids and hug them very
tight, often scaring them to death." In Kendall, as in other bipolar
kids, these mood swings -- between suicidal thoughts and outrageous joy
-- can happen many times in a single day. Since Kendall was 2, the Bogers have tried an almost uncountable
number of doctors and therapies -- often traveling hundreds of miles to
see specialists who aren't available in rural Idaho. "The day last
December when we first agreed to try her on medication was the worst day
of our lives," says Boger. "My husband and I both cried. But our
five-year-old was hearing voices and asking us to light her on fire
because she didn't want to be alive anymore. We told ourselves it was
the right thing." The side effects were horrible -- excessive drooling, increased
agitation, stomach pain, weight gain. Recently, her parents hospitalized
her for a more intensive search for the right meds, and the combination
of the medications and the tools she learned there seems to be working. Dr. Papolos is reluctant to apply the bipolar label to children
younger than 10, though he makes an exception for kids like Kendall,
where there is a strong family history of the disorder plus suicidal
thoughts and hallucinations. In such cases, he says, the danger of
failing to treat the illness outweighs the danger of the medication
itself. Besides the risk of laying down behavior patterns that are
increasingly difficult to change as children get older, he says, even
very young children are capable of harming themselves or others. Even doctors who are critical of early diagnoses
acknowledge that there are young kids who have very serious problems
and whose families are frantic. The challenge is that medication is too
often their only recourse: "The therapies that work for treating
disruptive behavior disorders in kids aren't readily available," says
Jon McClellan, M.D., an associate professor of psychiatry at the
University of Washington and the lead author of the AACAP's report on
childhood bipolar disorder. Such programs, typically found in
universities or teaching hospitals, employ a one-on-one approach where
parents are coached by therapists to respond in specific ways to their
kids' specific behaviors, but there's a shortage of skilled therapists.
So when parents say they've "tried everything," says Dr. McClellan, they
probably haven't, but only because they're unable to get the help they
need. |
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Posted on Wednesday, May 02, 2012 9:50 AM
Edited by Margaret Renki
When families are in crisis
There's no blood test or genetic marker for mental illness. Doctors
rely on their own assessment of a child's behavior -- and a parent's
reporting of it -- to make the call, and sometimes arrive at a
diagnosis after a single visit. When the diagnosis isn't right, or the
prescribed treatment doesn't work, parents end up going from doctor to
doctor in hope of relief. Susan Wagner of Oklahoma City has a "bright, wonderful six-year-old
son with an alphabet soup of diagnostic labels in his medical file."
Henry has been diagnosed with ADHD, NLD (nonverbal learning disability),
SID (sensory integration dysfunction), and GAD (general anxiety
disorder). As an infant and toddler, he didn't interact with his
parents, slept poorly, and was in constant motion, even when Wagner read
him a story. "Before Henry was diagnosed, I spent a lot of time
second-guessing myself and wondering if I was just imagining all these
quirks," she says. "As difficult as it was to hear that my son really is
different, it was also a huge relief to me because it meant that I was
not a horrible mother." In the two years since his diagnosis, Henry has gone on to do many
things his doctor said he would never do -- such as show love and
empathy for his brother, Charlie, 5. But finding the right treatment for
Henry's array of problems remains a challenge. The Wagners have tried
three different schools, occupational therapy, dietary changes, sticking
to a predictable schedule -- and, finally, medication. In one
six-month period, Henry tried four different ADHD drugs; all caused
problematic side effects like insomnia and facial tics. Wagner is still
looking for the right therapy, or combination of medication and therapy,
to help him. "At every step of the way, I have felt simultaneously that
I was doing exactly what I needed to do to help my son and that I was
completely failing him," says Wagner. Those who decide not to put their children on medication can also
have a difficult time. Mary Tyson's* 5-year-old son, Justin*, was
diagnosed at age 3 with ADHD, but he's not on Ritalin. "My child's brain
is still developing, and we don't know what these drugs will do to him.
I'm also concerned that if we start medicating him now, we will never
teach him to help himself when he feels out of control," she says.
Instead, she has opted to modify Justin's diet and treat his allergies,
which seems to help somewhat, though the outbursts are far from over.
"He can be defiant and violent, and when he gets into one of these
episodes, there's no reasoning with him," says Tyson. "Keeping him from
hurting himself or someone else is what we do." The decision not to medicate has earned Tyson the disapproval of her
son's therapist and pediatrician -- and even members of her own
extended family. "It's so isolating to know that my own family doesn't
understand," she says. Though doctors recommend caution in prescribing medication to a
child, most agree that ADHD meds have been around long enough and
studied extensively enough to be considered generally safe. "Ritalin
doesn't hurt anybody if used properly; it's just a performance enhancer.
But Ritalin is candy compared to Risperdal and other antipsychotics,"
says Dr. Diller. "Every few months a new danger -- like Type 2 diabetes
is discovered with these drugs." In August the Food and Drug Administration approved Risperdal to
treat kids over 10 with bipolar disorder. But that doesn't stop medical
professionals from recommending it and other antipsychotics for little
kids. Five-year-old Kendall Boger of Dover, Idaho, once received a
diagnosis of a developmental disorder because of her uncontrollable
rages and a recommendation for Risperdal after a short consultation with
a psychologist she'd never seen before. Her parents didn't fill it. |
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Posted on Wednesday, May 02, 2012 9:47 AM
Edited by Margaret Renki
Colleen Webster* never imagined she'd need to medicate her own child.
Webster, who has a master's degree in special education, is an expert
in behavior modification. Then Aaron* was born. "Early on, we knew
something wasn't right," says the Charlotte, North Carolina, mom. Even
as an infant, he was irritable and anxious -- so anxious that Webster
had to make sure he was the first baby to arrive at daycare every
morning so the whole staff could help him adjust. By age 2, Aaron was
given to uncontrollable rages: biting, hitting, spitting. Friends told
Webster that her baby's behavior was just an extreme version of the
terrible twos. It took five doctors for Aaron to get a diagnosis at age
4: early-onset bipolar disorder. Therapy had no effect on Aaron's outbursts. Webster and her husband
finally agreed to try medication, but watching what the drugs did to
Aaron was, she says, literally nauseating. Meds for attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) made him manic and anxious: "He was
cowering in my husband's armpit." An anticonvulsant caused
hallucinations: "He would shriek that he saw bugs." A tranquilizer made
him extremely uninhibited: "He would do things like pull his pants down
in public and rub his private area." Aaron, now 6, is currently doing well on Seroquel, an antipsychotic,
and lithium, long prescribed for classic adult bipolar disease. He's
affectionate, responds appropriately to discipline, and is able to go to
school in a regular classroom. "I know there are many people who
believe that parents use these kinds of drugs as a quick fix," says
Webster. "But every time he has to try a new medication, I'm a nervous
wreck -- I spend hours researching the pros and cons, I call his school
repeatedly to see how he's doing. I watch him like he's under a
microscope." But, she says, the alternative to meds is even worse: "No one knows
what it's like to have a child who bites through your skin when he
doesn't get what he wants, who threatens to kill you -- and then, a
minute later, comes to you with tears running down his face, so
remorseful, and says, 'Mommy, I want to go to sleep and never wake up.'" Drugs: Lifesaving or dangerous? Moms like Colleen Webster often feel harshly judged by other parents,
who wonder how a young child could possibly need not just one but
several big-gun psychiatric medications. It doesn't help that the
medical community is divided on the issue. Many doctors think young
children now take too many dangerous drugs, the long-term effects of
which aren't yet known. But others believe these are lifesaving
medications for life-threatening conditions. The issue has become
tormentingly complicated. No one knows how many children are being diagnosed with mental
illness -- ranging from bipolar disorder to more recently recognized
conditions like oppositional defiant disorder -- and being treated for
them. According to one study, behavioral medications for children
accounted for 17 percent of all spending for pediatric drugs, more than
even antibiotics and allergy drugs. And a study in Pediatrics
showed that 19 percent of all pediatric visits among 4- to 15-year-olds
involve a psychosocial problem requiring attention or intervention,
making such problems the most common chronic reason to consult a
pediatrician. Cultural changes could explain the rising tide of pediatric
prescriptions. Overcrowded classrooms can make teachers less tolerant of
students who are unable to sit as still as their classmates --
sometimes to the point of recommending that parents consider meds.
Parents are more willing to consider a drug, even for their kids,
because advertising by pharmaceutical companies has destigmatized the
whole idea of medication. And because of the way insurance companies
reimburse physicians, doctors may be more likely to prescribe drugs than
therapy: "A psychiatrist who schedules four medicine checks in an hour
earns about twice as much from an insurance company as he would for
forty-five minutes of counseling," says Lawrence H. Diller, M.D., a
behavioral pediatrician and the author of Should I Medicate My Child? Many critics note that with drug-company payments to doctors on the
rise, it's not surprising that prescription writing has also increased. The New York Times
found that in Minnesota (the only state that requires doctors to report
payments from drug companies) payments to psychiatrists were six times
higher in 2005 than they had been in 2000. During the same period,
prescriptions for antipsychotics rose ninefold. And yet, as Demitri Papolos, M.D., coauthor of The Bipolar Child
and director of research at the Juvenile Bipolar Research Foundation in
Maplewood, New Jersey, notes, "These families are constantly in crisis.
Every day is heart-wrenching." Dr. Papolos, who advocates treating kids
with drugs when appropriate, says, "Early intervention makes a big
difference in terms of what happens in the life of the family." |
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Posted on Friday, March 30, 2012 11:26 AM
I just read a short article yesterday about a mother charged with murder for shooting her daughter in the head. Apparently the two women, both adults, had a suicide pact because they, " Had mental illness and wanted to die." I understand wanting to die, I really do, but how much pain would a MOTHER have to percieve her DAUGHTER to be in to shoot her in the head? The saddest thing, other than the daughter dying of course, is that now the mother has been criminalized and will not receive the help she needs to deal with her mental illness, or her guilt. This is another reason why we need better mental health care in this country, mental illness KILLS, and it can be treated, if we just remove the stigma associated with it. |
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Posted on Friday, March 09, 2012 5:39 PM
While you may know how to thwart some illnesses (wash your hands to
help prevent colds or eat healthy and exercise to decrease your risk of
heart disease), schizophrenia, a mental disorder that makes separating
fantasy from reality difficult, is a tougher condition to prevent. Schizophrenia affects roughly 1 percent of the global population.
"Schizophrenia seems to be a persistent aspect of the human condition,”
says Ken Duckworth, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard
Medical School and medical director of the National Alliance on Mental
Illness. The early stages of schizophrenia are called prodrome and usually
begin in a person’s late teens and twenties. This phase typically
involves a person hearing imaginary things or having strange thoughts.
It may last for weeks or years before schizophrenia may develop.
While most research and clinical trials are focused on how and why schizophrenia develops, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology
explored the role of early intervention in preventing relapses in
schizophrenia. It found that intervening after the first episode of
schizophrenia can reduce the extent of future psychotic symptoms,
such as hearing voices, seeing things that aren't there, and having
delusional beliefs. Other research is exploring ways to predict the
onset of schizophrenia with the help of special brain scans.
Even though scientists are not certain why someone develops
schizophrenia, research suggests that at least three areas are involved:
genetics, the environment, and early drug use. Schizophrenia: Reducing Genetic Risk
For those who do not have family members with schizophrenia,
the risk of developing schizophrenia is relatively slim. The odds are
higher among people with a sibling (5 percent) or parent (10 percent)
with the disease, and highest for a person with an identical twin with
schizophrenia (about 50 percent). Some diseases have clear genetic markers, allowing for accurate
prediction of risk, but schizophrenia is much more complicated: Several
genes may be involved in determining its risk. Schizophrenia: Reducing the Environmental Risk
"'Environment' is very broad," says Dr. Duckworth. "It's anything that isn't covered by the genetic roll of the dice." Theories about environmental factors linked to schizophrenia range
from a virus in the second trimester of pregnancy to a childhood injury
to neglect. Environmental factors are hard to control, especially since
they seem to affect people differently. - Stressful life events. "Clinically, the first
onset of schizophrenia is associated with 'the first breakup' — moving
away from home and facing a life of human vulnerability," Duckworth
says. Postponing independence indefinitely by refusing to leave your
parents' home may delay the onset of schizophrenia if you carry the
genetic markers. This approach, however, has obvious costs in terms of
quality of life, he says.
- Traumatic childhood experiences. Studies have
found that people who experience an adverse event in childhood are
considerably more likely to suffer from mental illness as adults.
Adverse events include witnessing or being subjected to abuse and
neglect, the death or incarceration of guardians, placement in foster
care, and having caretakers who suffer from mental illness or substance
abuse.
"Mental illness is higher in families with abuse and neglect,"
Duckworth says. "Perhaps the only meaningful prevention strategy is to
reduce abuse and neglect in families." This is a worthwhile goal, even
if it can't completely eliminate the risk of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia: Early Drug Use
There is strong evidence to suggest that illicit drug use,
particularly marijuana, may worsen the course of schizophrenia, but the
role drugs play in the onset of schizophrenia is harder to determine.
Duckworth says it is possible that marijuana may trigger schizophrenia
only in people who have a genetic risk for this disorder. But not all
people with schizophrenia have used drugs, and not all drug users go on
to develop mental illness. A genetic counselor might be able to help assess your risk more
accurately by taking a complete family medical history. Even so, more
research is necessary to determine how genetic markers and environmental
triggers work together to cause schizophrenia. |
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Posted on Monday, February 27, 2012 5:51 AM
There is hope if you're struggling, you can make it through college depression....trust me I did =)
Kate
College is full of stresses, challenges, and changes. While much of
the college experience is a lot of fun, it can feel overwhelming for
many students. According to studies, nearly 50 percent of all college
students say that at one time or another they feel depressed enough that
it affects their ability to function, and about 15 percent of college students qualify as clinically depressed. Depression in College: Know the Signs Everyone goes through rough patches or has a day every now and then when they feel down, sad, and even hopeless, but real depression is more than that. The student who goes from being socially engaged and following a
normal routine to retreating from regular school and social activities
could very well be depressed, says Kaveh Zamanian, PhD, a clinical
psychologist and owner of East End Psychological Associates in
Louisville, Ky. When basic daily activities like eating and sleeping are
affected, depression could be to blame. Other warning signs of depression include: - Feeling irritable or moody
- Feeling very sad or even just empty
- Frequent crying
- Thoughts of dying or suicide
- Aches and pains without an identifiable cause
- Losing or gaining weight
- Feeling tired or lacking energy
- Feeling helpless or hopeless
- Problems concentrating
- Changes in appetite
Students with symptoms that aren’t quite as severe may have what's
considered low-grade depression, a condition that could go for months
without even realizing it, says Zamanian. You might feel like you’re
going through a tough time, but you can't quite put your finger on
what's behind it. If you feel down and have serious symptoms for a week or two, or
experience more subtle warning signs for a longer period of time, it's
time to seek help. Depression in College: Reaching Out "The first step would be to go to a capable professional," says Zamanian. "Counseling centers are the best place to start." While it's normal to be nervous and hesitant about admitting that
you think you're struggling with depression, asking for help is the best
thing you can do for yourself. "At college counseling centers, the staff is really receptive,"
notes Zamanian. "They're knowledgeable, and there's confidentiality." In addition to seeking treatment, which could involve therapy
sessions and medication, find ways to reconnect with campus life and
your routine: - Ask for help from friends, rather than keeping to yourself. Try
social activities with your roommate or other students in your dorm.
- Allow time for relaxation and personal time each day; deep
breathing, meditation, or just reading a non-required book will give you
a break from everyday stress.
- Make a plan and a schedule for each day; this is important for better time management in general, and to help you stay on top of schoolwork.
- Set a sleep schedule. Though sleeping too much during the day
can be a sign of depression, try to get a solid seven or eight hours
every night.
- Join a club or other group to reconnect with social activities
on campus. Pick one that you have a strong interest in to get the most
out of it.
- Focus on getting better. That means keeping any appointments for
talk therapy, if prescribed, and following all of your doctor’s
recommendations.
You don't have to struggle through college with depression. As soon
as you spot the warning signs, take action and get help. Don't be shy,
and don't be embarrassed — you certainly aren't the only one. Take
advantage of the resources your school has to offer you, and get your
life back on track. |
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