“Where are you from?”
That’s one of the first questions people ask you when they meet you. Where you grew up can say a lot about you or mean nothing at all. You can choose to let your past define you, you can abandon it or you can do something in-between. Everyone knows your upbringing can affect your life choices: school, church, friend group, work. But did you know it can also affect your mood and mental health?
As a Northwest native, sun can be hard to come by from October through the better half of June. I live near the Emerald City under the reign of the wicked skies of the (north)west — skies that would rather fill up a bucket of water than be melted by it.
Sunshine is the lotus-flower of Seattle, producing an uncanny reaction in most citizens when it decides to visit. And while it seems cliché, it’s true that not enough sunshine during those winter doldrums can affect one’s mood. Many people around the northwest and the northern world experience Seasonal Affective Disorder, or S.A.D. as it’s commonly called, every winter.
According to an entry on Psychology Today about Vitamin D deficiency and depression, “The time of day, the season, the altitude, the latitude and other factors come into play to determine how much UVB rays reach the skin. Vitamin D levels can become depleted without enough sunshine, and this is especially true during the winter months when we stay inside more and the sun is not as intense.”
This form of depression, while usually milder, is nonetheless an example of what National Depression Awareness Month seeks to emphasize. October is the home of many worthy causes, as breast cancer awareness and bullying prevention are other hallmarks of the month. This October, the University Counseling Center is providing helpful tools for students to use in an effort to assist those suffering from depression.
UCC had a booth on Cougar Walk on Oct. 8 for the first time since Dr. Bill Fiala, the director, has worked there. Along with treats and snacks, the table had free brief depression screenings: a 10-item questionnaire students could take in five minutes to see if they had symptoms of depression, PTSD or a Generalized Anxiety Disorder. About 50 students stopped by and took the screening, choosing to be more informed about their mental health.
The screening asks questions about muscle tension, trouble sleeping, low energy, apathy and other symptoms of mood disorders or mental health issues.
“This is just a way to make us approachable, let people know we’re here,” Fiala said. “If people are interested and wanting to know a little bit more about themselves, it gives them that opportunity. This is kind of a bridging mechanism for us to let students know, ‘Hey, this is OK!’ It’s OK for you to interact with us, and we’d love to be able to be helpful for you.”
UCC has some great resources for students who either know they are depressed or suspect they might be. Unfortunately, students can be hesitant to be counseled. The National Depression Screening Day puts out a flier called “Myths about Therapy,” which states that people often avoid counseling due to stigma, fear or a lack of understanding.
However, going to a counseling center doesn’t mean you are hopelessly unable to deal with your own problems. Sometimes it just means having someone to listen to what you’re experiencing — someone who is familiar with similar situations and can help you understand what you’re going through.
What do you do if you aren’t the one experiencing depression or a mood disorder? What if a loved one or friend of yours is? How do you offer love and encouragement without sounding trite or cliché?
First of all, I’d suggest going to counseling anyway — you don’t have to be undergoing anything difficult to still talk with someone who cares. You may even receive helpful advice about how to talk with your roommate or friend.
Secondly, Fiala suggests following the three-step process: recognize, respond, refer.
“Recognize when somebody’s struggling, and say something about it,” Fiala said.
Ignoring people when they are struggling is like telling them they don’t deserve support for feeling a normal human emotion.
Next, you can respond by talking with your friend. It might feel uncomfortable to you to address your friend and acknowledge the person’s pain, but pushing through your awkwardness is vital, as your friend’s pain of being ignored is so much greater. Fiala suggests offering to be a friend’s ear, acknowledging that you can’t fix or answer their problems, but that you can simply be there.
Finally, you can refer your friend to the University Counseling Center. Going in to be counseled doesn’t mean you are weak — it acknowledges that you are human, and humans need help. Fiala says that the No. 1 referral to the counseling center is through students telling students.
“Encourage other students particularly around depression, but really any other emotional distress, that those are things that are treatable,” Fiala said. “So knowing that somebody is struggling emotionally doesn’t meant they have to stay there, necessarily. So there’s a degree to which it’s not trite. You can be encouraging by saying, ‘Hey, this is something that happens for a lot of people, and a lot of people get through it.’ And one of the ways they get through it is talking with somebody.”
More information on APU’s free screenings can be found here.