Campus
      Women
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CHASING
      AWAY
      THE
      BLUES
     
    
   
   
    
     
      atrisk
      and
      unfortunately,
      the
      majority
      depression,
      therapists
      have
      begun
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Genesis
      Research
      Foundation,
     
     
      Fall
      1992
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Everyone
      feels
      a
      little
      sluggish
      in
     
     
      the
      first
      couple
      of
      weeks
      of
      school,
      but
     
     
      have
      you
      found
      yourself
      “outof
      touch”
     
     
      more
      than
      usual?
      Sleep
      patterns
     
     
      disrupted?
      A
      little
      more
      irritable?
     
     
      You
      may
      be
      suffering
      from
      the
      éffects
     
     
      of
      depression,
      the
      leading
     
     
      psychological
      problem
      affecting
     
     
      women
      today.
     
    

    
     
      :
      The
      National
      Institute
      of
     
     
      Mental
      Health
      (NIMH)
      estimates
      that
     
     
      eight
      million
      North
      American
      women
     
     
      will
      experience
      some
      form
      of
     
     
      depressive
      disorder
      in
      their
      life-times.
     
     
      Women
      under
      the
      age
      of
      45
      are
      most
     
    
   
   
    
     
      will
      go
      untreated.
     
    

    
     
      There
      are
      various
      therapies
     
     
      available
      today.
      Studies
      show
      that
     
     
      both
      psychotherapy
      and
     
     
      antidepressants
      are
      very
      effective
      ways
     
     
      to
      treat
      most
      depression.
      New
     
     
      medications
      have
      recently
      emerged,
     
     
      giving
      patients
      even
      more
      options.
     
     
      Psychotherapy
      is
      available
      from
     
     
      psychologists,
      social
      workers
      and
     
     
      clinical
      nurse
      specialists,
      but
      only
     
     
      psychiatrists
      can
      prescribe
      medication.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      addition
      to
      these
      classical:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      treatments,
      some
      therapists
      have
      found
     
     
      new
      ways
      of
      dealing
      with
      the
      gloomy
     
     
      moods
      associated
      with
      depression.
      For
     
     
      those
      afflicted
      with
      seasonal
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      _WQMAN'S
      HEALTH
      BILL
      OF
      RIGHTS
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      1.
      I
      have
      a
      right
      to
      be
      treated
      ag.
      an
      equal
      human
      being.
     
     
      a
      I
      have
      a
      right
      to
      be
      listened
      to
      and
      have
      my
      problems
      taken
     
     
      ;
      seriously.
     
    

    
     
      a
      I
      have
      a
      right
      to
      an
      explanation
      that
      i
      can
      understand
      in
      my
      native
     
     
      language
      (using
      a
      translator
      if
      necessary)
      on
      any
      questions
     
     
      concerning
      my
      health
      care.
     
    

    
     
      4.
      I
      have
      a
      right
      to
      know
      the
      choices
      I
      face
      in
      getting
      treated
      for
      any
     
     
      health
      problem,
      and
      to
      have
      the
      possible
      side
      effects
      of
      any
      drugs
     
     
      or
      surgical
      treatments
      clearly
      explained.
     
    

    
     
      &
      I
      have
      a
      right
      to
      choose
      the
      types
      of
      treatment
      |
      prefer
      from
      among
     
     
      the
      options
      offered
      to
      me
      by
      my
      doctor.
     
    

    
     
      6.
      1
      have
      a
      right
      for
      normal
      events
      in
      my
      life,
      such
      2s
      pregnancy
      and
     
     
      menopause,
      not
      to
      be
      treated
      as
      discases
      requiring
      treatment.
     
    

    
     
      7.
      I
      have
      a
      right
      to
      choose
      naturul
      therapies
      and
      no:
      be
      ridiculed
      for
     
     
      doing
      so.
     
    

    
     
      8.
      [
      have
      a
      right
      to
      request
      a
      second
      opinion
      on
      any
      major
      surgery
      or
     
     
      health
      decision.
     
    

    
     
      9.
      I
      have
      a
      right
      to
      refuse
      any
      drug
      or
      surgical
      treatr-ent.
     
    

    
     
      10.
      I
      have
      a
      responsibility
      to
      become
      knowledgeable
      about
      my
      body
      and
     
    

    
     
      .
      how
      it
      works.
     
     
      \
      ‘
     
    

    
     
      11.
      I
      have
      a
      responsibility
      to
      learn
      as
      much
      as
      possible
      about
      my
      health
     
     
      problems
      so
      I
      can
      make
      informed
      choices.
     
    

    
     
      12.
      I
      have
      a
      responsibility
      to
      look
      after
      my
      diet,
      reduce
      stress,
      exercise
     
     
      and
      relax
      on
      a
      regular
      basis.
     
    

    
     
      1m
      4
      1
      have
      the
      responsibility
      to
      avoid
      pressuring
      my
      doczor
      into
      giving
     
     
      me
      drugs
      when
      |
      don't
      need
      them.
     
    

    
     
      14.
      I
      have
      a
      responsibility
      to
      prepare
      my
      questions
      fr
      my
      doctor
     
     
      beforehand
      and
      schedule
      adequate
      appointment
      time
      to
      discuss
     
     
      them.
     
    

    
     
      1S.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      1am
      ultimately
      responsible
      for
      my
      own
      healthcare,
      using
      my
      do.tor
     
     
      as
      a
      resource
      rather
      than
      an
      authority.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      using
      artificial
      sunlight.
      Therapists
     
     
      may
      also
      encourage
      their
      clients
      to
     
     
      take
      dance
      classes.
      It
      is
      vital
      to
      break
     
     
      the
      patterns
      of
      living
      and
      thinking
     
     
      which
      support
      a
      depressed
      person’s
     
     
      melancholy
      way
      of
      life.
     
    

    
     
      Whatcauses
      depression?
      No
     
     
      one
      really
      knows.
      Researchers
      are
     
     
      hunting
      formarkers
      that
      would
      indicate
     
     
      a
      physical
      cause
      for
      some
      depression,
     
     
      but
      they
      have
      yet
      to
      find
      them.
      Many
     
     
      patients
      with
      depression
      have
     
     
      hormonal
      abnormalities,
      however
     
    
   
   
    
     
      these
      irregularities
      haven’t
      been
     
    
   
   
    
     
      connected
      to
      central
      nervous
      system
     
     
      disorders.
      Equipment
      that
      measures
     
     
      brain
      waves
      shows
      atypical
      sleep
      ,
     
     
      whichconfirms
      the
      sleep
      disturbances
     
     
      reported
      by
      many
      depressed
      patients.
     
     
      Moods
      can
      also
      be
      affected
     
     
      dramatically
      by
      life
      stressors,
      such
      as
     
     
      aheavy
      exams,
      essays
      or
      assignments.
     
     
      Women
      are
      thought
      to
      be
      especially
     
     
      prone
      to
      depression
      due
      to
      the
     
     
      emotional
      drain
      of
      caring
      for
      children
     
     
      and/or
      elderly
      parents.
     
    

    
     
      Right
      now
      there
      are
      12
     
    
   
   
    
     
      .
      millien
      people
      in
      North
      America
     
    
   
   
    
     
      struggling
      with
      feelings
      of
      depression.
     
     
      Many
      are
      refusing
      help
      because
      they
     
     
      believe
      in
      the
      “bootstrap
      theory”
      of
     
     
      handling
      emotional
      distress.
      This
      is
     
     
      particularly
      troublesome
      because
     
     
      some
      new,
      importantresearch
      coming
     
     
      out
      of
      the
      National
      Institute
      indicates
     
     
      that
      early
      episodes
      of
      depression
      may
     
     
      leave
      a
      kind
      of
      imprint
      on
      the
      brain
     
     
      which
      makes
      it
      easier
      to
      have
      later
     
     
      episodes,
      Early
      treatment
      may
      not
     
     
      only
      ease
      the
      emotional
      burden
      of
      the
     
     
      momen,
      it
      may
      prevent
      depression’s
     
     
      return.
      Chasing
      away
      the
      blues
      today
     
     
      may
      not
      insure
      that
      all
      of
      your
     
     
      tomorrows
      will
      be
      sunny,
      but
      it
      could
     
     
      help
      stop
      a
      pattern
      from
      developing
      to
     
     
      the
      point
      where
      rainy
      days
      are
      all
      that
     
     
      are
      left.