Depression in Berkeley

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Berkeley
1

<p>If a freshmen who is friendless and lonely suddenly gets depressed, what should he/she do? I have heard of many stories regarding shy, timid, and sometimes socially awkward Berkeley students who never really find friends and an outlet in the big school. Plus there's the academic pressure... I'm not talking about severe clinical depression that requires professional attention, although it can progress to that...</p>

<p>How should the child act under that situation so that the depression does not become something serious? I recently read an article regarding the high number of depressed Asian and Asian American students in schools like MIT and Berkeley and I cannot believe something isn't done about it.</p>

2

<p>Free counseling resources are available to Berkeley students, for depression:
[Click</a> here](<a href=“http://www.uhs.berkeley.edu/students/medical/depression.shtml]Click”>http://www.uhs.berkeley.edu/students/medical/depression.shtml)</p>

3

<p>Some kids don’t want/need professional help, these clinics follow strict rules that make it too professional and limited. Are there alternative ways rather than using this therapy movement of our generation? They push antidepressants on patients, which sometimes is really unnecessary. Some problems can be solved without medical or professional help, which is also very impersonal and restricted.</p>

4

<p>Then are you suggesting a counseling service run by students, for students?</p>

5

<p>That type of program never works. Peer listening is just a bunch of kids trying to act as professionals who promises to keep confidentiality but eventually spreads rumors. I think professional counseling would be better if compared to Peer counseling. Peer listeners do not have enough training…</p>

<p>I guess I’m not being reasonable here since the only two options people can give are peer and professional counseling… Professional counseling is watched too closely and Peer listening is just a joke…</p>

6

<p>find a friend…i’m pretty awkward socially, but that means i can tell when others are as well, so sometimes i take the opportunity to see if i can get to know someone or at the bare minimum offer them a chance to talk.</p>

7

<p>Counseling is a solution for people who are already depressed. You can try and prevent the depression beforehand too. I am under the impression that the depression you are alluding to stems from a social source so another method would be for individuals to try and find their place in the social fabric of the school (much easier said than done it seems). But I do think trying to prevent the depression is much better than trying to counsel it afterwards.</p>

8

<p>Make friends with your roommates. Pretend to “be” like them. Then slowly introduce your real personality.</p>

9

<p>find an activity or a decal you like. Join. Gradually you will discover friendships because the people who joined that activity or took the class have on interest in common with you. </p>

<p>Homesickness is a hurdle to overcome, but the key fact particularly in the early weeks is that almost everyone is in exactly the same boat. Somewhere new without a network of existing friends. That makes everyone much more receptive to meeting new people than usual.</p>

10

<p>With such a sample size, I doubt there won’t be anyone that’s just like you. The question then becomes, how will you find that/those people/person.</p>

11

<p>excellent question Hunter, BUMP</p>

12

<p>Depression is a serious mental illness, but there really is no stigma attached to it (or should not be, it is a biochemistry thing) and it is very treatable either through therapy, lifestyle changes, medication, or a combination of various factors. Depression is very common in college students – I suffered from it in school, and still do, even years out into the real world – and I am not ashamed to say that I see a therapist and take medication for depression and severe anxiety.</p>

<p>Here’s the warning signs of real, clinical depression – which can include situational depression: A persistent numbness in mood and apathy, or general melancholy which may or may not include crying jags, social aversion, even if you are an introverted or shy person, loss or lack of interest in hobbies and schoolwork or sudden changes in interest, persistent, intrusive negative thoughts, harsh self-criticism, loss or increased appetite (especially for sweets – your body is craving carbohydrates to build serotonin, norepharine, and dopamine which all have to do with positive emotions and feelings of well-being.), poor sleep, too much sleep, too little sleep… so on and so forth.</p>

<p>The staff at the Tang Center, our student health facility, are very sympathetic and always ready to offer help. Furthermore, they do thorough screenings if you are so inclined to help ensure that you are not suffering from an even more serious illness such as Bipolar, Schizophrenia, or a systemic body disorder and offer counseling and referalls to liscended therapists, psychiatrists, and psychologists in the area. </p>

<p>There is no catchall solution or prevention for depression. It can hit you at any time. Like I said, I have been diagnosed with depression and have dealt with it on and off for years. I have/had everything going for me and have had it hit me with as much, if not more severity, as it had when everything was plain #@%ed up all around. A lot of Berkeley students go undiagnosed, and I firmly believe it hurts their experience and performance. </p>

<p>Here is my advice – even though they say persistent low mood for 2 weeks is a sign of depression, if things are going well, or even just okay, and suddenly, you find yourself in a quagmire of despair, watch it very closely and if it does not improve within a day or so – give yourself a day in there to just do what you want, catch up on sleep, clean your room, spend some alone time, whatever – and your mood does not improve, make the appointment and get checked out. You’ll thank yourself in the long run.</p>

13

<p>If you’re living in the residence halls, talk to your RA. They will be your best ally.</p>

14

<p>Great advise Andrew but therapy is like paying somebody to listen to your problems. When money comes into the process, therapy loses its intimacy and no strings attached essence. </p>

<p>How would a person know if he/she is sleeping too much or too less? It sounds like its impossible for a person to achieve balance.</p>

15

<p>CPS (Counseling & Psychological Services @ Cal) is not a money-grubbing, pill-pushing institution. When you walk in, they ask you to fill out a form, and they will have a consultation, and then assign you to a counselor. At any time you are free to request another counselor, and all meetings (up to a certain number per semester) are covered by SHIP (eg, free to you).</p>

<p>Counseling at Cal is not a long-term thing. It is meant to temporarily address short-term concerns, or assess an issue and refer to more long-term care. Additionally, the counselors at CPS can refer you to groups with students who have similar concerns (ie, undergrads with depression). </p>

<p>I have a disorder that CPS saw me for. I had to -ask- to be referred to a psychiatrist, a med-prescribing doctor. Once it was determined that my problem was not short-term, I was referred out into the community – and SHIP paid all but ~$15 of my visits to a therapist (non-med) in town. </p>

<p>Don’t be afraid to go to CPS.</p>

16

<p>You can get six free sessions at Tang with a counselor who will help you gain a new perspective on the problems that are bothering you. You do not have to commit to anything other than one hour when you make an appointment so there is little risk in finding our if that will be helpful. There are different kinds of therapy and it sounds like “talk therapy” does not sound appealing to you. A therapist who uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy offers practical suggestions on how to make changes in your habits that allow you to move forward. In other words: actual actions you practice on a daily basis so you can feel better. Mild depression can turn into major depression if left untreated. All I can say is that it doesn’t hurt to try a counselor at Tang if you need suggestions on how to operate better at Berkeley from people who have a of of experience working with college students. Here are other things that studies show work as well as anti-depressants fro some people: 15 to 30 minutes of daily exercise, volunteering to help others, even eating bananas (3 or more per day) has been shown to raise seretonin levels! And, I do not remember if this is true or not, but can taking Omega 3 fish oil help? If you just want to connect with other students who may be feeling the stress of Berkeley, start your own Decal class on dealing with stress. Invite counselors or someone from the Dean of Student’s office to come in and offer tips on stress, healthy mental habits, and healthy socialization habits. Also, stop by the disabilities office and read their bulletin board- I think they offer workshops on stress management there that are probably open to all students. If not, they will direct you to other options. Berkeley can be a very stressful place for some. Good luck.</p>

17

<p>dude, its as simple as: yoga</p>

18

<p>Little Cal Bear, I was too worried before I went to Cal for my first year. I am also a little bit shy and timid. But have others have said, don’t think about what you will do if you become depressed, try to avoid it in the first place. The most important thing I can suggest to you is to find a group of people that you share and interest with or really get along with. This could be people who live in your dorm, a student organization, or whatever. Since I am a lifelong Cal fan, I found the rally committee and have really gotten along well with them. So think about what interests you (ideally outside of academics, although there are certainly good academic clubs and societies) and try to find people with that interest. The most important thing is to make an effort to get to know people. During welcome week everyone is looking for new friends, so don’t be afraid to put yourself out there :)</p>