Western Courier

Issue date: 9/14/05 Section: News

The University Counseling Center is open to all students. They advise students to pay special attention to others who may be experiencing depression.

Adjusting to college life gives students reasons to feel down. If these negative feelings do not go away, an afflicted student may have clinical depression.

According to the National Mental Health Association Web site, 10 percent of college students have been diagnosed with depression.

Students experiencing depression may show a variety of symptoms, including a persistent sad or empty feeling, feelings of guilt or helplessness, loss of interest in hobbies, difficulty concentrating and making decisions, insomnia or over-sleeping, appetite changes, restlessness and thoughts of suicide.

According to James DiTulio, University Counseling Center director, students who are experiencing these symptoms may abuse substances to alleviate them.

"People try to change their mood with drinking, drugs, sex, gambling (and) any other addictive habit. If they do this, they will just end up with another problem on their hands," DiTulio said.

If a student is experiencing these symptoms, Western Illinois University provides services on campus to help diagnose and treat depression.

The UCC has eight licensed staff counselors to help students with their personal concerns, including depression. The counselors can provide written and verbal assessments to determine whether a student is experiencing a negative mood or is clinically depressed.

"We offer both non-medical and medical intervention for students with clinical depression. Students can be treated with talk therapy and/or medication," DiTulio said. "A combination of both is usually most effective."

If a student is experiencing depressive symptoms, the National Institute of Mental Health Web site suggests seeking treatment. The Web site provides tips for individuals experiencing depression. According to NIMH, a depressed individual can help himself or herself by breaking large tasks into smaller ones, spending time around other people, confiding in someone, participating in activities, exercising and postponing important decisions until the depression has lifted.

The Wisconsin United for Mental Health Web site offers tips for students who are feeling down due to the stress of the college experience. The site states that students should eat right, exercise, get enough sleep, eliminate alcohol use, keep their living spaces organized, attend classes regularly, get involved with activities, communicate with their family and form healthy relationships on campus.

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