2008 Woodie Awards
Fighting College Depression
Gavi Nadel
Issue date: 3/29/05 Section: Science & Technology
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As if adolescence doesn't have enough changes, along comes college, which constitutes a complete upheaval of daily life. At this stage, many kids move away from home and start life on their own, and for the first time they are able to stay up as late as they want, study when they want, and are in charge of their own life. Depression is often a byproduct of this change, and in fact, research indicates that 30% of college freshmen report feeling overwhelmed by college life and 40% report seeking help from their student-counseling. If left untreated, depression can lead to eating disorders, alcohol and drug abuse, and even suicide.
Aside from external causes of depression that college students face, many people can get depression as a result of brain chemistry and genetics, only treatable with medication.
Depression exhibits itself in numerous symptoms that can persist from weeks to months. A few of the symptoms are consistent, including sad or empty feelings, lack of interest in things that previously brought pleasure, fatigue, insomnia, trouble concentrating, and thoughts of death or suicide. The good news is that there are several things can be done to fight depression in college:
1) Carefully plan your day and make time every day to prioritize work. Prioritizing can give you a sense of control over what you must do and a sense that you can do it.
2) Plan your work and sleep schedules. 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.
3) Participate in extracurricular activities because these activities provide a welcome change from class work and can lead to meeting people who have similar interests.
4) Seek support from other people. Friendships can help make a strange place feel friendlier. Sharing your emotions reduces isolation and helps you realize that you are not alone.
Aside from external causes of depression that college students face, many people can get depression as a result of brain chemistry and genetics, only treatable with medication.
Depression exhibits itself in numerous symptoms that can persist from weeks to months. A few of the symptoms are consistent, including sad or empty feelings, lack of interest in things that previously brought pleasure, fatigue, insomnia, trouble concentrating, and thoughts of death or suicide. The good news is that there are several things can be done to fight depression in college:
1) Carefully plan your day and make time every day to prioritize work. Prioritizing can give you a sense of control over what you must do and a sense that you can do it.
2) Plan your work and sleep schedules. 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.
3) Participate in extracurricular activities because these activities provide a welcome change from class work and can lead to meeting people who have similar interests.
4) Seek support from other people. Friendships can help make a strange place feel friendlier. Sharing your emotions reduces isolation and helps you realize that you are not alone.