Written by Ivy W. Mwangi 6th May,2019

I conducted a research among university students on why they don’t seek counseling when experiencing anxiety and depression. Most students said that they feared being judged or labeled by their friends and classmates.

Stigmatization is one of the fundamental reason adults especially youths don’t seek help among other reasons such as; feeling ashamed, not knowing how to tell people, and not knowing how to express themselves.

One way to reduce stigma in campus is when students talk to fellow students. through sharing personal stories and experiences. They should open up and talk about mental illness, importance of seeking help, and encourage a message of hope to one another; because clearly depression is affecting a lot of people especially the youths.

Sharing and talking about mental health is the only way to open and change people’s minds regarding some of the myths and misconception people have. In addition, it would also encourage others to seek help, create a feeling of approval or validation regarding their own mental health and at the long run reducing stigma.

Mental health care and well-being means that you can still have mental health disorders but still live a happy life;not everyone has the same challenges. Some need ongoing medication and counseling, another may need a support group or counseling and others may be okay in engaging in exercises or community services. All they need is acceptance and love to be healthy and successful.

Written by; Ivy W. Mwangi    6th May, 2019

Being a student in university can be a very stressful 4 years period of your life. Trying to balance assignments, work, finances, exams, relationships and social life, it can be quite overwhelming for someone to take it all in and handle.

Depression is different from the occasional stress and sadness. It is a serious, common but treatable medical illness. It is also critical to understand and have knowledge on the kind of signs and symptoms to look out for in depression. There is the persistence of feeling sadness or loss of interest that characterizes most depression cases. Others include;

“Mood: anxiety, apathy, guilt, and loss of interest or pleasure in all activities, sleep: early awakening, excess sleepiness, and insomnia, Whole body: excessive hunger, fatigue, loss of appetite, Behavioral: agitation, irritability, or social isolation, Cognitive: lack of concentration, slowness in activity or thoughts of suicide, Weight: weight gain or weight loss.” (Lyness, 2019)

These signs can make it hard to function in a day to day life and as the symptoms become uncontrollable a student may start developing suicidal thoughts. Some of the treatments for depression consist of antidepressant which is the foundation of treatment; talk therapy could also help or a mixture of both.

In addition, therapies involved in the process include Cognitive behavioral therapy, Behavior therapy, and psychotherapy. However, it is always advisable to seek medical advice before taking any medication. The type of treatment will depend on the type of depression one is suffering from. Some which are not severe might take months, other like Bipolar Disorder is acute. There are also some options that go hand-in-hand with the treatment and medication of depression that cause significant improvement and have a long-term positive effect on your health.

One being spending time in nature, this is therapeutic to the extent of reducing symptoms of depression. “Connecting with nature is one way of improving one’s mental health. It is also referred to as ‘Green therapy’, ‘Eco therapy’ or ‘Nature therapy’. This therapy has been proved to lower heart rate and blood pressure, reduce stress hormones production and boost the immune system which improves the overall wellbeing.” (Staff, 2017)

For more on this please visit this website for more information; https://www.bestcounselingdegrees.net/10-great-tips-for-dealing-with-depression-in-college/

References

Lyness, J. M. (2019, March 12). Patient education: Depression in adults (Beyond the Basics). (D. Solomon, Editor) Retrieved from UpToDate: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/depression-in-adults-beyond-the-basics

Staff, B. (2017, March). 10 GREAT TIPS FOR DEALING WITH DEPRESSION IN COLLEGE. Retrieved April 24, 2019, from BEST COUNSELING DEGREES: https://www.bestcounselingdegrees.net/10-great-tips-for-dealing-with-depression-in-college/

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton