AM
      I
      DEPRESSED
      —
      OR
      DO
      I
     
     
      JUST
      HAVE
      THE
      BLUES?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      We
      all
      have
      times
      when
      we
      feel
      down.
      It’s
      normal
      to
     
     
      feel
      sad
      when
      a
      relationship
      ends,
      a
      good
      friend
      moves
      away
     
     
      or
      someone
      we
      care
      about
      dies.
      The
      stress
      of
      a
      heavy
      study
     
     
      load,
      financial
      difficulties
      or
      unemployment
      also
      affects
      our
     
     
      mood.
      However,
      the
      gloomy
      feelings
      usually
      pass
      and
      we
      still
     
     
      experience
      happy
      times
      with
      friends
      or
      family.
     
    

    
     
      Sometimes
      the
      sad
      feelings
      don’t
      go
      away
      —
      we
      stop
     
     
      enjoying
      things
      that
      used
      to
      be
      fun.
      We
      might
      have
      difficulty
     
     
      keeping
      up
      with
      study,
      or
      find
      it
      hard
      to
      even
      get
      out
      of
      bed
      in
     
     
      the
      morning.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      How
      will
      I
      know
      if
      I’m
      depressed?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      If
      you’ve
      been
      feeling
      miserable
      more
      often
      than
      not
     
     
      over
      the
      past
      two
      weeks
      or
      more,
      and
      you’ve
      stopped
      enjoy-
     
     
      ing
      things
      that
      used
      to
      be
      fun,
      you
      might
      be
      depressed.
      Check
     
     
      the
      symptoms
      below
      -
      if
      three
      or
      more
      seem
      to
      apply,
      it
      is
     
     
      possible
      you
      are
      experiencing
      a
      bout
      of
      depression.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      °
      Finding
      it
      hard
      to
      get
      motivated
      or
      feel
      interested
      in
     
     
      things.
     
    

    
     
      °
      Wanting
      to
      avoid
      friends
      and
      everyday
      activities.
     
    

    
     
      °
      Difficulty
      concentrating
      or
      making
      decisions.
     
    

    
     
      °
      Losing
      interest
      in
      eating,
      or
      overeating.
     
    

    
     
      °
      Losing
      weight,
      without
      dieting,
      or
      gaining
      weight.
     
    

    
     
      °
      Having
      difficulty
      getting
      to
      sleep,
      waking
      during
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      night,
      or
      waking
      too
      early
      and
      not
      being
      able
      to
      get
     
     
      back
      to
      sleep.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      .
      Wanting
      to
      sleep
      all
      the
      time.
     
    

    
     
      °
      Thinking
      about,
      or
      planning
      suicide.
     
    

    
     
      °
      Having
      unpleasant,
      negative
      thoughts
      (like
      feeling
     
     
      guilty
      or
      that
      you
      are
      a
      bad
      or
      unworthy
      person).
     
    

    
     
      °
      Getting
      pains
      or
      headaches
      that
      don’t
      seem
      to
      have
     
    
   
   
    
     
      any
      physical
      cause.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      How
      did
      I
      get
      depressed?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sometimes
      stress
      builds
      up
      in_our
      lives
      and
      over-
     
     
      whelms
      our
      ability
      to
      cope.
      You
      may
      have
      lost
      someone
      you
     
     
      love,
      had
      a
      baby,
      or
      been
      too
      busy
      for
      too
      long.
      Ongoing
     
     
      stress
      -
      coping
      on
      a
      low
      income,
      facing
      rising
      debt,
      or
      feeling
     
     
      lonely
      and
      isolated
      -
      can
      lead
      to
      depression.
      Sometimes
      peo-
     
     
      ple
      get
      depressed
      for
      no
      obvious
      reason;
      the
      heavy
      feelings
     
    
   
   
    
     
      just
      seem
      to
      come
      out
      of
      the
      blue.
     
    

    
     
      What
      if
      it’s
      the
      blues?
      It
      may
      still
      be
      useful
      for
      you
      to
     
     
      discuss
      your
      worries
      and
      low
      mood
      with
      a
      professional
     
     
      Counsellor.
      At
      Student
      Services
      we
      encourage
      you
      to
      come
     
     
      for
      assistance
      before
      little
      problems
      become
      big
      ones.
      This
     
     
      may
      prevent
      disruption
      of
      your
      studies.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ok,
      so
      I
      may
      be
      depressed
      —
      what
      now?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Depression
      is
      common
      -
      approximately
      one
      in
      seven
     
     
      people
      will
      experience
      depression
      at
      some
      stage
      in
      their
      lives.
     
     
      Depression
      can
      also
      be
      treated,
      and
      it’s
      important
      to
      treat
      it
     
     
      like
      any
      other
      illness
      and
      seek
      help.
      Depression
      involves
     
     
      changes
      in
      brain
      chemistry
      and
      can
      influence
      the
      way
      we
     
     
      respond
      to
      our
      world.
      Options
      for
      dealing
      with
      depression
     
     
      include:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Talking
      with
      a
      Counsellor
      who
      will:
     
    

    
     
      -
      Help
      you
      learn
      skills
      for
      solving
      problems,
      planning
      ahead
     
     
      and
      improving
      interactions
      with
      others.
     
    

    
     
      -
      Help
      you
      see
      the
      positive
      side
      of
      yourself,
      others,
      and
      your
     
     
      circumstances.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      See
      your
      doctor
      to
      discuss
      the
      possibility
      of
      using
     
     
      antidepressant
      medicine
      to
      correct
      the
      imbalance
      of
      chemi-
     
     
      cals
      in
      the
      brain.
     
    

    
     
      Often
      counselling,
      together
      with
      lifestyle
      changes
     
     
      (e.g.
      exercise,
      reducing
      stress,
      cutting
      down
      on
      alcohol)
      is
     
     
      useful
      for
      helping
      depression.
      In
      some
      cases
      medication
      may
     
     
      be
      necessary
      to
      help
      resolve
      a
      more
      severe
      or
      longstanding
     
     
      bout
      of
      depression.
     
    

    
     
      If
      you
      think
      you
      might
      be
      depressed,
      talk
      to
      one
      of
      our
     
     
      counsellors,
      or
      to
      your
      doctor.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Counselling
      Office
     
     
      Student
      Services
     
     
      Robertson
      Library
     
     
      566-0616
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Health
      Centre
     
     
      Marian
      Hall
     
     
      566-0488