Aggie blues — Students chase away depression
Depression is a diagnosable mood disorder, and it isn’t as uncommon as many might think.
There are students who wish they could defeat the despair and unhappiness in their lives. The Utah State University Counseling Center has the power to help grant that wish.
“It’s impossible to find someone who hasn’t been touched by depression,” whether it be in his own experience or a friend’s or family member’s, said Dave Bush, a psychologist who counsels students in USU’s Counseling Center.
Utahns are the highest consumers of anti-depressants in the nation, according to a study conducted in June of 2001 by Express Scripts, a pharmacy benefit management firm. The National Institute of Mental Health states that major depression is the leading cause of disability in the United States and the world, estimating 18.8 million people worldwide were affected by depression in 1998. Depression often goes undiagnosed, because people don’t realize emotional symptoms are real, according to the NIMH Web site.
Budge Bushman, a sophomore elementary education major, said he can relate.
Bushman said he felt the first symptoms of clinical depression when he was a junior in high school, but didn’t recognize them until three or four years later. Everything was going just right then – until his life abruptly changed.
“I went to bed feeling satisfied and woke up the next morning wishing I was dead,” Bushman said. “I knew that wasn’t natural.”
Depression is a serious medical condition that can interfere with an individual’s ability to function, according to the NIMH. Symptoms include a persistently sad mood, a change in appetite and sleeping behavior, a feeling of worthlessness, and a lack of ability to enjoy formerly enjoyable activities. Depression can even lead to suicide.
Bush said there are two main types of depression. Situational depression is typically triggered by an event, such as death of a loved one, failure in school or the workplace, or trouble in a personal relationship.
Clinical depression is an illness some researchers believe is triggered by chemical imbalances in the brain, according to Screening for Mental Health, Inc. Bush said in most cases of clinical depression, medication, as well as counseling, is advisable.
Bushman said he resisted counseling for his clinical depression at first because he was ashamed.
“I felt like everyone thought I was a bad person,” Bushman said. “I know now how misunderstood and judged I felt.”
Bush sees many students come through the counseling center suffering from depression and thinks many of them struggle in their decision to seek help. In our egocentric society, he said, asking for help is seen as a sign of weakness.
“But every human being has something they can’t figure out on their own,” Bush said.
Bush suggests that family and friends can help their loved ones cope with depression by understanding the problem before trying to solve it.
“First and foremost, listen. We have a false belief that if we talk about something, it makes it worse,” he said.
Bushman agrees communication is important.
“Talk about it,” he said. “Find someone you can trust and talk about it, because those feelings of isolation and loneliness will only go away if you let people in. You’d be surprised how many people are willing to love you when they find out you need it.”
Bushman said when he began taking anti-depressant drugs and received counseling, there was a dramatic difference in his life. His counselor showed him the skills needed to help himself.
“I have a whole new value system. I lead a happier life. When I’m feeling happy, it’s a more genuine happiness, and I feel like I can relate to other people,” he said.
Bushman said he encourages people with symptoms of depression to have hope.
“Their differences are not necessarily curses. In fact, they can become gifts,” he said.
Bushman said he is very open about his depression and often uses his experiences to help people who may not realize others have gone through the same difficulties.
Students have access to free counseling in the Taggart Student Center, Room 306.
Bush said working in a university setting is unique and fun, because he counsels bright and motivated people who “come in, learn and move on.”
“Learning about emotional intelligence is as important as academic intelligence,” Bush said. “We understand depression much better now. It’s unfortunate if someone doesn’t take advantage of the information available.”
-heidithue@cc.usu.edu