Part 2 of 2
Students' struggle with sadness
By Kimberlina Rocha
The Collegian
One person who helps people
like Hernandez is Health Center counselor John Fu.
Fu said depressed people can benefit from talking about their problems
to a counselor or joining a support group. In some cases, medications
like antidepressants are necessary to help a person get through the day.
“In general, we want to take care of our problems by ourselves,”
Fu said. “We must let go of our pride or ego to ask for help. It
takes courage to do so.”
Fu said counseling and medication are a couple of pieces of the pie to
well-being. He said exercise, good nutrition and good friends are the
other pieces that can help balance life between work and study.
“We need to make a conscious effort when it comes to our well-being,”
Fu said. “Students should pay attention to their lifestyle and avoid
unhealthy habits like too much caffeine and sugar.”
The number of students who are receiving counseling and taking medicines
rose nationally from 9 percent in 1994 to 24.5 percent in 2004, according
to the National Survey of Counseling Center Directors.
Fu said the rise in students seeking counseling may be due to a greater
awareness of depression.
“Human society in general is more aware now of people being depressed,”
Fu said. “There’s less of a social stigma when it comes to
depression. You don’t have to be ‘crazy’ to be depressed.”
Geena Gechter, interim coordinator of counseling services at the Health
Center, said she hasn’t seen an increase in the number of Fresno
State students receiving counseling. She said the numbers have been about
the same each year.
Gechter said she doesn’t know exactly the reason why more students
are getting counseling, but she believes that it may be due to the fact
that most college students don’t have private insurance.
“More students may be using the Health Center due to the lack of
health insurance and the increase of modern pharmaceuticals,” Gechter
said. “Medicines have become more sophisticated, which makes it
easier for a student to function and come to school.”
Each year, the Health Center holds the National Depression Screening Day
in October. According to The College Response NDSD, the program educates
and screens for four common mood and anxiety disorders: depression, bipolar
disorder, generalized anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder.
The screening does not diagnose the disorders; it just helps students
identify what disorders they may be at risk for and helps them get referrals
for treatment.
“Eventually, you will need to see a doctor or a psychiatrist to
receive a more detailed medical evaluation,” Fu said.
Maintaining an active lifestyle may also help relieve the symptoms of
depression. For Enedilia Linares, a junior majoring in liberal studies,
going to school and working toward her degree helps with her depression.
Linares said she comes from a family with a history of mental illness.
Both her parents were diagnosed with depression.
Linares said her mother’s depressive state is sometimes so severe
that she doesn’t want to get out of bed.
Linares said she didn’t want to end up like her mother by taking
medication and staying in bed. So, she decided to go to college.
“When I was diagnosed with depression, I decided to go to school
so I could get my mind off my problems,” Linares said. “So
far it has helped me.”
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