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Show OPINIONS A7 Depression: Seasonal and regional Depression is a hard thing to live with, and the bleak Utah winters only make it worse By Cameron Simek Opinions Editor camsimek@gmail.com I'll begin with a disclaimer. I am in no way a doctor, or a therapist, or have any kind of degree that means I am an expert on the subject of depression. I'm just a guy who has experienced the worst of what depression has to offer, and I want to help. If you feel like you can't take it anymore, and want to give up, call the National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-273-8255. Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, as some with a twisted sense of humor refer to it, is a form of depression that sets in due to winter weather. It could be a combination of multiple factors, ranging from the lack of sunlight to the stress of the holiday season. The only thing that really matters is that if affects many people, and, more importantly, it really sucks. When it comes to depression, many people have a cloudy view of how it works. It's not something easily explained. I may live and struggle with it every day, but that doesn't mean I have the ability to explain it, but I will try my best. Depression isn't something you think about. It's something you are. It hides deep in your mind, constantly nagging at you that something is wrong. Everything feels like a waste of time. Things that were once enjoyable become chores, you feel disconnected from friends and family. Something as simple as getting out of bed becomes a concentrated effort. Your depression may make you fell like you can't share your problems with others. It's a difficult burden to bear, and sometimes it can feel like you're all alone in the world, but the truth is, you're not. People all around the world are struggling to make it through each day just like you. Since I deal with depression all year round, this time of year only makes it worse. My personal and professional lives start to slowly give, and I become a shell of the person I normally am. My relationships start to suffer, and I push away my friends and family. The further I push them away, the worse my depression becomes, creating a cycle that is hard to break free from. Some of you may find yourselves in this same situation. I'd like to say everything will be fine, and that you'll be alright. I wish I could look someone like me in the eye and be able to say that, but it just isn't true. Deppression is an endeavor. It's not something that you can just get over. You can fight it for a while, but it won't be long before you collapse under the burden of it all. That may all be a little, well, depressing, but there is something you can do. Seek help. Go out and talk to someone. Tell them how you're feeling. You don't have to deal with it alone, and if you look It's a difficult burden to bear, and sometimes it can feel like you're all alone in the world, but the truth is, you're not. around you will be able to find someone to help you through your tough times. What if the person is dismissive, or just tells you to "get over it?" Find someone else, or if you can't, try to stress the importance of how you are feeling. Let them know that this isn't something you can just get over, that it matters, that they are there for you, and that you truly need their help to get through this. Now, let's talk to the other side for a moment, to those who don't suffer from depression. It's a hard thing to comprehend if you've never felt it before, but depression is crippling. It's not just being sad, it's something far worse. The worst thing you can possibly do if a friend or family member comes to you about being depressed is dismiss it. Even if they are just feeling sad, listening to them is just a good thing to do. Even if it's not as a friend. It's a good thing to do just as one human to another. One important thing to remember when helping someone with depression is to not try and make it about you at all. Sometimes trying to empathise hurts the situation. It may help, but in my experience talking to people it just made me feel like they were trying to solve my problems, when they really couldn't. Just listen. I can't stress this enough. Don't solve. Listen. If you are asked for your input then feel free to offer the best advice you can, but don't tell someone that you know how they feel. Be sure to tell them you are there for them, and if someone really needs to talk, try your best to be there. Be available for your friends who suffer from depression, and even the ones who don't. Just be a good friend. To be honest, that is the best advice I can give for helping people with depression. Be there, and be a good friend. Living with depression is somthing people do. It's not easy, and sometimes people succumb to what they feel is an overwhelming force. You can help yourself by reaching out for help, and you can help those suffering by being there for them. WHERE TO GET HELP? On campus: go to the Student Health Services SC 221; 801-863-8816 They also offer help for those who are contemplating suicide, just let them know. National Suicide Hotline 1-800-273-8255 The National Institute of Mental Health offers help for those suffering from depression as well. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/healthipublicationsidepression/how-can-i-help-myself-if-i-am-depressed.shtml STATISTICS HOW CAN I HELP MYSELF? ■ Do not wait too long to get evaluated or treated. There is research showing the longer one waits, the greater the impairment can be down the road. Try to see a professional as soon as possible. ■ Try to be active and exercise. Go to a movie, a ballgame, or another event or activity that you once enjoyed. ■ Set realistic goals for yourself. • Suicide was the tenth leading cause of death in 2007. Four times as many males commit suicide than females. In people ages 15-24 suicide was the third leading cause of death. Women are 70% more likely to experience depression in their lifetimes than men People ages 18-29 are 70% more likely to experience depression than someone 60+ SIGNS OF DEPRESSION ■ Break up large tasks into small ones, set some priorities and do what you can as you can. ■ Try to spend time with other people and confide in a trusted friend or relative. Try not to isolate yourself, and let others help you. ■ Expect your mood to improve gradually, not immediately. Do not expect to suddenly "snap out of your depression. Often during treatment for depression, sleep and appetite will begin to improve before your depressed mood lifts. ■ Postpone important decisions, such as getting married or divorced or changing jobs, until you feel better. Discuss decisions with others who know you well and have a more objective view of your situation. ■ Remember that positive thinking will replace negative thoughts as your depression responds to treatment. ■ Continue to educate yourself about depression. • • Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings • Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism • Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness • Irritability, restlessness • Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex • Fatigue and decreased energy • Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions • Insomnia, ear-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping • Overeating, or appetite loss • Thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts • Aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment. An after-school Chri4twwwspecial tainted Tackling the barrage of mixed holiday messages By Jonathan Boldt Editor-in-Chief jonboldt@gmail.com I'm convinced there is a Christmas conspiracy. I am firmly of the opinion that Hallmark, ABC Family and the major Hollywood studios are attempting to corrupt the "Dickens" out of Christmas movies. They are intentionally distorting the genuine meaning and spirit of the season Charles Dickens captured in his immortal book, A Christmas Carol. It's not through evil forces or paganistic propaganda, it's dripby-drip via the charming faces of actors of yesteryear such as Dean Cain, Mario Lopez, Candice Cameron and Melissa Joan Hart. Playing off our nostalgia magnified by the powerful feelings created by the season, directors, producers and actors take just enough of the truth to twist it around and push the products their sponsors provide. Dickens's message has been watered down from finding redemption and using what you have been blessed with to finding that lost love and giving up a good career and wealth to supposedly make life better for you. Ebenezer Scrooge's journey from humbug to enthusi- I am firmly of the opinion that Hallmark, ABC Family and the major Hollywood studios are attempting to corrupt the "Dickens" out of Christmas movies. astic philanthropist is the classic story about it never being too late to change your ways and find happiness through giving, but Hollywood has made it about sacrificing everything for the greater good. Scrooge vowed to use his wealth to change as many lives as he could. DJ Tanner gives up her high-paying career to settle in mediocrity with Superman in Anonymous-ville, USA. What makes things nearly intolerable is the mixing of Christmas classics to come up with a slightly different take on what the true meaning of the season should be. Jimmy Stewart's classic role in "It's a Wonderful Life" lives on because it's a chance to look at what life would be like had you not ever been born, but you mix that with A Christmas Carol and you get a bad "Saved by the Bell" meets "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" after-school special. If this all weren't bad enough, Santa has become sanctified and is darn near deified. Losing faith in the secular saint has become the travesty of the ages while there is barely a whisper spoken about the birth of Jesus Christ. Whether you are a Christian or Atheist or anything inbetween, there would be no Christmas without that first nativity. Christmas as we know it has changed, but I have found the antidote to the movie star Christmas: Give liberally of whatever you have been blessed with to those in need, forgive and be forgiven. Whether you have stacks of Scrooge money or all you have to offer is a shoulder to cry on, nothing is more precious than time spent serving your fellow man. When you can find security in knowing who you are and you surround yourself with those you love, everything else is gravy. Really good Christmas gravy. |