Your health: Students shouldn't let depression go untreated

College is supposed to be the time of your life, right? There
are endless parties, football games, and nobody has to know what
time you really came home last night.

But it is rare for a student to breeze through college and
easily handle everyday stresses. In reality, the demands of college
life can become overwhelming.

It’s normal to have moments of sadness and anxiety,
especially around stressful times like midterms or finals. But
prolonged episodes of unhappiness and an inability to enjoy some of
your favorite activities are cause for worry ““ and classic
signs of a clinical disorder known as major depression.

Depression is an increasingly widespread problem, affecting 19
million American adults annually. Approximately 15 percent of the
college student population may be struggling with depressive
illness.

Women are twice as likely to be affected, and the average age of
onset is late teens to early twenties ““ making college
students prime targets.

Depression has reached epidemic proportions on college campuses,
yet a majority of cases go undiagnosed and untreated. Many view
depression as a sign of personal weakness and avoid taking steps to
get help.

Major depression is a real, treatable illness caused by a
combination of genetic, psychological and emotional stressors. The
symptoms of depression may interfere with your ability to work,
eat, sleep, concentrate, and may even decrease your interest in
sex.

Other common indications include general sadness, loss of
interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed, physical slowing
or agitation, and decreased energy. In more severe cases, depressed
individuals feel inappropriate guilt and worthlessness, or struggle
with recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, a person may
be clinically depressed if he or she shows signs of the disease
every day for a two-week period.

The long-term effects of depression not only involve the mind,
but the body as well. Depression can lead to high blood pressure,
cholesterol and heart disease, and can weaken your immune system.
It can also worsen existing health problems like diabetes and
infections.

Treatment for major depression usually consists of
psychotherapy, antidepressant medications, or some combination of
the two.

Psychotherapy involves talking with a trained mental health
professional to learn better ways of handling problems. It attacks
the underlying psychological and personal issues that either are
the causes or results of your depression.

Medication is also effective ““ and sometimes required
““ since it works quickly to alleviate the physical symptoms
of depression.

In the most critical cases, depression can cause suicidal
tendencies. Any thoughts of injuring or killing yourself should be
taken seriously, and are reason to seek help immediately. No one
should have to battle depression on his of her own.

Help for you or someone you know who exhibits signs of
depression can be obtained at UCLA by visiting the Student
Psychological Services office or www.sps.ucla.edu. You can also
call their after-hours hotline at (310) 825-HELP from 8 p.m. to
midnight, seven days a week.

Kimberly Shapiro is a first-year medical student at the UCLA
David Geffen School of Medicine and a writer for The Diagnosis, an
organization comprised of UCLA medical students. The Diagnosis is
coordinated by Daniel Zaghi, a second-year medical student. Send
questions to [email protected].