DEPRESSION Has a case of the winter :j blues hit you? Is the cold it weather and rain getting you | down? How about school? it Midterms and papers creeping up7 Is your lack of social life jj or unhealthy relationships ;t causing you distress? All of if these things along with nu ll merous others are common | causes for sadness and de | pression in a college student's life j| it's a part of life to have it good days and bad days; to ex it perience stress; to undergo a if loss or disappointment, or to | simply be down This is espe | cially true in the college years it which immerse us with con ii stant change within ourselves it as well as in our environment | in fact this can even be ii healthy and give us the ;i chance to explore different it coping mechanisms that work it for us; to learn about our t| selves and how to take care of ft ourselves. Overcoming unhap ii pi ness in our lives can be very tt empowering and increase our it self efficacy in the long run. It ;; is important to be able to dis it tinguish the difference be i; tween normal sadness and de it pression in order to prevent ft other mental health disorders that go along with depression such as addictions, eating dis orders, social withdrawal, and suicide. Overcoming depres sion is the first step to preven tion of these as well as creat ing a happier individual. There are three factors that can be used as guidelines in identifying the difference be tween sadness and depres sion The first one is the inten sity. Feelings of gloom, dis content and hopelessness are common to both sadness and depression In sadness, these feelings have an identified cause and a solution that marks the end to these feel ings In depression these feel ings are not only felt, but in vade your mind body and spir it Life becomes an exhausting effort Sadness is fairly short in duiation and lasts no more than two weeks Depression is more chronic and is beyond the level of employing individ ual coping skills. The last dis 11 net ion is how these feelings are affecting your life as a whole If these feelings take over your perceptions, ac tions. and behaviors in all as pects of your life, then it is de pression The most effective way of combating depression is to combine self-help methods along with professional help. Self-help methods that aid de pression are basically things to take care of yourself. These include proper sleep, eating a balanced and adequate diet, setting time aside daily for re laxation. an exercise program, stress management strate gies. social support and posi tive thinking. Professional help can provide you with guidance and skills to over come your depression as well as an assessment of the un derlying causes of depression. This is perhaps the most cou rageous and positive step a person can make in develop ing a happier lifestyle Depression is common among our college population due to the fact that we are constantly changing within ourselves as well as being ex posed to a plethora of new ideas in the classroom and among our peers. We are ad justing m a real pressure situ ation and that causes confu sion and distress which can in turn lead to depression. This can be a very exciting and pleasurable time Take care of yourself- beat the blues. by Ginny Ehrlich SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION ◄ LACK OF PLEASURE IN ACTIVITIES THAT USED TO BE ENJOYED. ◄ GENERAL LACK OF ENERGY ◄ LACK OF MOTIVATION FOR TASK COMPLETION AND SOCIAL INVOLVEMENT ◄ FREQUENT CRYING. OFTEN WITHOUT AN IDENTIFIABLE CAUSE ◄ LOW SELF ESTEEM AND SELF WORTH ◄ FEELINGS OF LONELINESS ◄ IRRITABILITY ◄ TROUBLE SLEEPING OR CHRONIC FATIGUE. ◄ DIFF1C ■ l.TY CONCENTRATING ◄ UNDEtA • ING ANXIETY ◄ PHV ■ AL SYMPTOMS SUCH AS STOMACH ACHES OR CONSTIPATION. IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS AND THEY HAVE PERSISTED FOR MORE THAN TWO WEEKS. PLEASE SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP Alas for my friend the book. It may not tell me what I want to hear but at least it shuts up when I want it to! HEALING THE CHILD WITHIN by Charles Whitfield. M D. This book describes and develops the concept of adult children of troubled or dysfunctional families in general. The child within refers to the part of each of us which is ultimately alive, energetic, crea tive and fulfilled THE COURAGE TO HEAl • A Gmde * W<>men Stir vivors of Child Sexy ;! Abuse by Ellen Bass & Laura Davis. This inspiring personal guide offers hope and on couragement to every woman who was sexually abused as a child and those who are around her AFTER THE TEARS: Re burning the Per: onal L so es of Childhood by Lori Dwinell. This book provides guidance and solid treatment direction for Adult Children of Alcoholics, to help work through grief, loss and depression ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS by Janet Woititz This book helps ACOAs understand what happened to them during their childhood, how their charac ters were affected by their parents' addiction and flow to get unstuck in adult life TAKE THAT BREATH-4 lt\ Just taking a deep breath, holding it and then releasing it can help you relax. It sounds simple enough but pay atten tion to your breathing. Chances are it is shallow and irregular during times of an ■ • ty and tense n Taking a deep breath or i diaphragmatic" breath using the muscles at the base of the lungs is the core of all relaxation technigues Deep breathing however is not the usual type of breathing one employs in day to day activities Try deep breathing and note the difference. • First place your left hand on your chest with your thumb on your collar bone and your little finger just between your breasts. • Now place your right hand on your ab domen with your little finger on your na vel and your thumb touching your little finger of your left hand which is still on your chest. • The next step is to inhale, but for a deep breath your right hand must move first Like an empty glass, you must fill from the bottom first, so you need to fill your lower lungs first. • Just like the glass filling with water from bottom to top. do so with your lungs and fresh air. • Your ■ tire lungs should now be full of air and as your lungs are fully ex pan -:> i . .-nr shoulders might even rise slight , i ) allow for a full and complete expan; n of your lungs • Hold ' it breath a few :m Js ; let it out • Re: a these steps again and feci your bony physically relax as you let fresh an fill you and leave you. In contrast, most of us shallow chest breath This type of breathing occurs most often under stress: the upper chest moves and the deep flow of air is not permitted. Most people use only the top 13 of their lungs in normal everyday breathing, denying the remaining ■' 3 re newal of fresh air. So in times of stress, if we can remember to take a deep breath, we just might realize that our stressors are not that bad or even with another breath or two. a solution or a new approach may come to mind. By Veronica Joll Alcoholic and Dysfunctional Families Where does low self esteem orig inate? Why is it that close relation ships fill some people with fear: an inability to trust and an inability to see oneself as worthy and worth while? Where does a lack of self ef ficacy come from: a feeling of capa bility and self confidence? Adult children of alcoholics and dysfunc tional families possess these com mon characteristics and this topic has become the theme of numer ous books, seminars and psycho therapeutic interventions. For countless young adults grappling with their sense of self and ability to grow close to others, the healing process begins in undoing the dam ages of childhood of growing up in a dysfunctional environment. Denial in the lamil\ system occurs ulien e\er\one at tempts to hide the secret of the addiction. Low self esteem (little self-worth) can be the result of years of mes sages which say "you're no good Whether blatantly expressed or in directly told through innuendoes that you don't, can t, won't, meas ure up to some ideal, the cumula tive effects are a feeling of worth lessness. In an alcoholic or drug addicted family system, the parent(s) display a wide range of moods and commu nicate mixed messages. Denial in the family system occurs when ev eryone attempts to hide the secret of the addiction. For a child, this means not developing close friend ships for fear the secret will be dis covered. A drunk parent isn't drunk •they're upset or sick So the child learns early on that what they see isn't real. This may be translated into "I can't trust or believe anyone even myself " At times the parent may make promises they later break So the child who needs boundaries and consistencies in their world has none. They grow up in a topsy turvy world, never know ing when it will be topsy or turvy The origin of a dysfunctional fam ily instills m the child a lack of self efficacy. The achievements a child attains may tie minimized or ig nored or fall short continually. The mistakes a child makes may be highlighted Translated into adult hood, the adult child has no sense of validation; an ability to trust one's accomplishments and ac knowledge these as missing. The parent may also blame the child for their own shortcomings and frus (rations This only deepens the scars The adult child of an alcoholic or dysfunctional family may have been abused emotionally, physical ly, sexually or all three. The most difficult part is to acknowledge these early experiences and the havoc they wreak in adult life. These events are not the fault of the child and blaming oneself is a difficult barrier to overcome. Acknowledging these experi ences in oneself is the first step to healing Seeking help is the next The Counseling Center offers one on-one counseling and recovery groups in areas related to adult children and sexual abuse. Several related books are also available at the Student Health Center Health Education Library. Also see the booklist and community referral list in this issue I lu < minstlino ( i nit r nMVrs suppoi i oroiijis lor: \«1111( ( hildi rii ol Mroliolit s \( () \ \\ iimt'ii < >111\ Kiiiiuii: dt i ism ii makino and lilt u it limit di iio> m alinliol Ntviiai Vliiisf .is urll .is one on mir Iht-r.ip\. < .ill 44<> 12 I Im mm t iiifurmalimi. In I .iiir ( oiiiiI n: \diilt ( htItli t i) ■>! \k iilinlit's 68.< <>5.M and 344-N55<> \l \ in m tin lamih and tricnds ol add it Is 741-2S41 by Daneel Hennagin I ilitm Beth Gaiser Dim ini "I Hi .illli I (tin ati<>ii Joanne Frank Health t (tin .iinti Beth Gaiser Raymond Boyle Laurene Sheilds. Carmel Crowe Chnssy Bloome Valerie Shannon Annie Dochnahl 1.11 mil Ik mum Melissa Nelson Beth Gaiser t\« i Iti.ilili Vifusim: Dana Hiatt Anna Dudey Heidi Reeder Melanie Steed Ronni Jolt Daneel Hennagm. Gmny Ehrlich Matt Gnpp Lynette Low Lori Novich I’liiilmiihii Jennifer Archer. Teri Boring Alice Cannon Sandi Dailer. Jim Finch Wendy Morris I Ik Will Non in .1 liensletlei s|miisoii(l I»v lln Siudi ill Health ( ( lilt i . .iikI pnuliiietl In tin Ik.iIiIi tdm .il mui si.ill \tilli (lit assistant e nl (lit |).nl\ I iiu i .ild \ll .ii Ik It s .hi m i illt'ii In slililt ills .iikI (ills fm (Ik Ik.iIiIi i-(ltKalion program. II \ou h.m am ipies (lolls. Miuvit slioils (it .11 ( interesfrd III i«>i111 lli iilinu an article. please tall Kelli (•aisei .it U<> 44m. in Ml 12: M) \ IW