As we near the end of the semester, most of my students will think of heading home… wherever home is. While it might be a joy for some, it’s a tough time of the year for many folks and the short days make many of us less-than enthusiastic about life in general. Some folks return to homes that feel like a warm cocoon. Some find themselves in more of a cave… waiting out the winter. You never know what someone else is feeling … unless you are open to hearing about it.
If you – or someone you know – is experiencing depression (or even general malaise), please know there are folks who can help. At the very bottom of this post, you will find a few links that might be helpful.
My OSU STEP students snapped these pictures. I sent them on a photo scavenger hunt in groups of four, and one of the prompts was “Find a stranger and get them to pose with you so there are five pairs of feet”. Silly enough, eh?
When I saw the photos, I immediately thought of the students who feel alone on campus. For whatever reason – real or imagined – they feel disconnected from their tribe. Watching the awkward discussions as students requested the photo, and the subsequent smile on the face of their “stranger” as they returned to their previous course? It reminded me of how important connection is. It is not enough for our feet to share the same sidewalks. We need to come together – if only for brief moments.
Try to see each other on this campus of ours.
Take a moment.
Make eye contact.
Ask for help if you need help.
Offer help when you can… especially when you see someone who is clearly lost on their way to… wherever.
It’s important.
It’s perhaps the most important thing we do: To be US instead of me and them.
If you feel alone, send out an SOS.
If you hear an SOS, listen.
I’ll let Lauren Daigle play us out. Remember… links to help with depression, seasonal affective disorder, and local counseling are at bottom of post.
ON CAMPUS (OSU COLUMBUS)
Counseling and Consultation Service (CCS), located on the 4th floor of the Younkin Success Center, provides comprehensive mental health services to students to promote personal well-being and academic success. CCS has a culturally diverse professional staff of licensed psychologists, social workers, counselors, and psychiatrists.
Services include:
- Individual, couples and group counseling
- Psychiatry
- Nutritional counseling
- Outreach and workshops
- Crisis support and debriefing
- Consultation for faculty, staff and loved ones
- Community referral
Call Counseling and Consultation Service to schedule an appointment, or visit their website for more information:
Counseling and Consultation Service (CCS)
4th floor Younkin Success Center
614-292-5766
Website: ccs.osu.edu
Email: ccs@studentlife.osu.edu
Mayo Clinic – Seasonal Affective Disorder
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that’s related to changes in seasons — SAD begins and ends at about the same times every year. If you’re like most people with SAD, your symptoms start in the fall and continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody. Less often, SAD causes depression in the spring or early summer.
Treatment for SAD may include light therapy (phototherapy), medications and psychotherapy.
Don’t brush off that yearly feeling as simply a case of the “winter blues” or a seasonal funk that you have to tough out on your own. Take steps to keep your mood and motivation steady throughout the year.
Anita Parker 