Chris Banyas
Staff Writer
Seasonal change brings about many beautiful and exciting things. You may have noticed, however, that it seems to be getting dark roughly around the time you finish your lunch.
This change in daylight hours along with other factors can lead to seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, which can cause feelings of depression.
There are many ways to be proactive about SAD.
“Exercise, activity, people that get out more in the winter months seem to be a little less affected,” said Ellie Ryan of the Student Health Center. “And it’s not because they’re getting the sunlight. The thought is that it’s more due to the activity, that they’ve just kind of embraced the winter lifestyle.”
While seasonal affective disorder usually occurs at the same time each year, depression can affect anyone at any time, and tends to affect many more people than SAD alone.
“We’ve got data that shows that students are coming to college with more complex emotional issues. And I don’t like to use the words mental health. It’s mental wellness,” said Donald Paulson, director of university counseling and testing.
“We’re in a very challenging time in our culture where, in part because of cell phones, our human contact has been minimized,” he said.
There are two main avenues of help for students experiencing depression or other mental wellness concerns.
The Student Health Center and the Counseling Center, which is located on the third floor of Graveley Hall South in Room 351, are best equipped to help these students.
“I think the thing to understand is there are factors that people need to be aware of that they need to seek help,” said Ryan.
“Are they not enjoying things that they used to like to do? Are they not getting out like they normally do? Are they feeling like they’re losing all motivation and drive? Are they doing poorly in school or in work or in relationships?” she said.
Binge drinking and drug use are two behaviors which can have a hugely negative effect on individuals who deal with depression, and can even contribute to it.
Exercise and a good social support system can be helpful in fighting depression.
“The first central thing is don’t become sleep deprived. Sleep deprivation is a major health issue that makes it difficult to cope with anything,” said Paulson. “It increases the probability of having a biochemical system that is depressed.”
For many, the hardest part of seeking help is talking to someone else initially. There is much students can do to help others who may be struggling with these issues.
“Be a friend. We text but we don’t listen. That human listening, hearing somebody say something personally to you, keeping it private and honoring that, is a skill we’re losing,” said Paulson.
The counseling services at ISU are free for students and include group and individual sessions.
That’s right, free ninety-nine.
All that individuals need to do is take the first step and reach out so that the people who want to help them are able to.
