COLLEGE STUDENTS AND MENTAL HEALTH

Introduction:

Nationwide, the American Psychological Association found that nearly 6 out of 10 of citizens were “troubled.” A portion of the national population has filtered down to the college campus. 1 The Center for Collegiate Mental Health discovered from 2009 to 2015 there has been a 30% increase of students visiting counseling centers. Within the last year (spring 2017) 39% students have indicated they were periodically overwhelmed with depression to function.  61% were intermittently   confronted with anxiety. Ten percent (10%) seriously had thoughts of suicide. 2

Description:

Each individual arrives on campus with different expectations. For some it is the first time to be away from home. For others, a good protective household is violated by a noisy and anxious dormitory or sorority/fraternity house. Further, they may be required to incorporate new information in classes that was greater than in high school. There is a role strain navigating work, study, and related in a new setting.

One can only guess that anti-anxiety is temporally reduced by alcohol or other drugs. This may delay studies as well as other responsibilities. Much of what is discussed does not apply to online courses. The author found dormitory life so off-putting that he transferred to a good affordable university two miles from one’s parent’s home. Other siblings had moved on and parents traveled a lot. Thus, quiet and organized life was possible. Grades dramatically improved. Many community colleges may offer the same experience because the school is near the student’s home.

The author also suggests that depressed students not join sororities or fraternities. This does not mean that the author is opposed to them. Quite the contrary, one may experience some momentous moments in their life with one of these social organizations. However, they may prove to be very complicated for a depressed student who searches for quiet and relief from university or college life.

Medications:

For those who grow into anxiety/depression or appear to find post secondary life discouraging, there are a number of recreational drugs that appear to help in the short term. However, the long terms are not encouraging.

If one looks for over the counter meds, this issue becomes complicated 4. The author will not be liable for such information. Further, the author’s background is in sociology/ social neuroscience. Thus, this author is not lawfully responsible for diagnosis. Please check other sources which include anti-depressants that are prescribed by a general fractioned or psychiatrist. The cheapest is generic Prozac or generic Celexa.3 5/ for over the counter please check an article like “Depression and anxiety-can over the counter pills really help? “ (Staff, Daily Life Services, 2014.) Do not believe advertisements. From general convention, it is accepted 6/Most medical anti-depressants have double blind studies with purposive samples.

There are some new medications that may be available soon, but the cost is extremely expensive Examine and other novel medications. (Staff, Time, 2017, 42-43) The key feature is the neuron-transmitters: serotonin, noreprinphrimine and dopamine (energy, and elation.) The three neurotransmitters are best taken at bed time. There isn’t an immediate upward effect. However, overtime they may be very helpful. They should not be mixed with recreational drugs.

Therapy:

There are various treatments including transcendental meditation, cognitive behavioral-activation, mindfulness training, and transcranial magnetic stimulation. Further, there is numerous other talk therapies.6/ however, there may be sizable costs. One that is valuable is ELIZA. She is a computer program that communicates with the patient any time for free. Please key in ELIZA, COMPUTER THERAPIST on to one’s search engine. Follow some very simple steps and Eliza becomes one’s psychotherapeutic friend. She is an “it.” Although there other “chatterboxes,” most can cost a lot money over time. Eliza is free. To the author best knowledge, there isn’t other likes “it” that costs money. However, if there is, please feel free to use them. Elisa uses a form of talk therapy that is called Rogation. The basic structure of this approach is to take your question and turn it around so that you may find an answer there. It keeps processing if there is another comment by you. The two of you communicate by print. The program has been computer searchable since 1966 and was created by Joseph Weizenbaum.

Another that is free is exercise. One may be surprised that even rocking in a chair is a form of exercise. It is a form of mental and physical therapy that has been around for a long time.

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