By Annie Wilcox, Features Editor
US News wrote an article titled “5 tips to avoid depression in college.” The article gives the following five pieces of advice to solve the pervasive issue of depression on college campuses:
- Exercise
- Don’t be a hermit
- Use school counseling services
- Keep in touch with friends and family and finally,
- Go to sleep
While these are all excellent pieces of life advice, depressive disorders can be debilitating for a person and make simple tasks like exercise, nearly impossible. Depression is characterized by periods of sad or anxious feelings, a lack of energy and motivation, and changes in eating and sleeping habits. It is a permeating and complex mental illness, and according to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly “30 percent of college students reported feeling so depressed that it was difficult to function at some time in the past year.”
The pressure for college to be the best time of a student’s life is an impossible standard. College students have high expectations to maintain their GPA, be social, stay active, make connections and fill their schedules with activities. This balancing act can become a burden very quickly, especially if there are underlying issues that go unaddressed. Even with constant contact with peers, friends, and faculty, they still feel alone with their illness which suggests a wider underlying problem.
I sat down with Tim Corbitt, the director of counseling at the Torrey Health and Counseling Center, to gain a deeper understanding of the illness and how it persists at St. Lawrence.
The college lifestyle is a delicate and challenging one where students attempt to balance a heavy workload, sleep, nutrition, exercise and a social life. The high stress of classes, extracurricular activities, adjustment into school and anxiety about the future are a few of the many anxieties that college students face in their daily life. Corbitt stated that “anything that taxes a person on an emotional level will over time, if the person doesn’t take care of themselves, begin to exhibit some symptoms.” Without properly taking care of oneself, these stressors can begin to take a toll on a student’s health.
One of the common anxieties that students face throughout their time at college is adjustment. College is the liaison between high school and adult life. Tim Corbitt made an excellent point when he said that “the stressors experienced by freshman are some of the same stressors experienced by seniors. They are going through the same type of transition.” The transition from high school to college and from college to the work force is a transition into the unknown which can cause anxiety and depression for many students.
College can be really challenging and paying attention to the thoughts and feelings of others can pass us by in the bustle of our lives. However, it is important to look out for friends and peers and know when something is wrong. Corbitt suggests that if a friend is starting to show some symptoms of depression, expressing concern and asking how they are doing is a huge help. If the situation if more concerning, such as severe changes in sleeping and eating habits or skipping classes, that would be the time to connect them with counseling. He also suggested that you can work together with them through the counseling process.
Counseling is not just for serious depressive disorders. With the anxieties of daily life, such as relationship problems, test anxiety, homesickness, which are problems that everyone experiences, counseling can be a healthy outlet for treatment. Tim Corbitt suggested that “normalizing the need for everyone to talk to someone about problems and getting help is part of being a human.” He continued to say that counseling, as opposed to personal relationships, can offer confidentiality, privacy and a trained professional. With the stressful nature of college, students should feel welcome to take advantage of the counseling center. The staff is talented and helpful and can offer help in times of stress and need. Counseling is about solving life problems, which affect everyone. As the US News article suggested, use the St. Lawrence counseling services to help yourself lead a healthy and happy college lifestyle.