Depression and college students

Olymom · 02-01-2010, 08:27 PM

Depression is often a topic here at CC. I have read that college life is more complex and challenging than 30 years ago (given just the addition of technology, I can believe that!).

Today Newsweek has a cover story on antidepressants. It is an interesting read. It will take smarter brains than mine to know just what all the new research means. (In short, one researcher is finding that antidepressants work only slightly better than placebos -- but that is stated with lots of caveats.)

Parents and students need to be aware of changing news on treatments. Sometimes meds have further restrictions over time. Sometimes a pharmacist is more up to date than an MD on side effects and restrictions and dosage guidelines.

I have heard that a prescription alone is not as powerful as a prescription combined with therapy. There are also those who incorporate exercise as part of treatment.

It sounds like there is more to know than ever before.

TwistedxKiss · 02-01-2010, 08:35 PM

None of this is news to me. I strongly believe that therapy is necessary in MOST cases, and that medicine should be considered in MANY cases.

My boyfriend is a college student with depression, he takes meds which do help to give him a broader range of feelings rather than just bad, but he isn't going to get any better without therapy as well. He refuses to go to therapy, and as such he is not much better. He has this sort of low self esteem that feeds the depression, while the depression feeds the low self esteem, and it's a neverending cycle of crap. He's lived like this for 20 years, it is going to take a lot more work than taking a pill to undo all that damage to the way he thinks and the way he views himself. But the meds do make it possible for him to do that, when he is willing to put his pride aside and go to therapy. Halfway there. *sigh*

fummer10 · 02-02-2010, 12:42 AM

My school offers free therapy and sessions with a psychiatrist to get medicine but apparently things are so bad that its impossible to get an appointment. I have personally tried on several occasions to make an appointment to talk with one of the, about 5 or 6 psychologists they have there, working full time for just us, and they told me it would be over a month before they could fit me in. I've heard other people having similar problems. Its really sad that the students are so depression/in need of help that its impossible to get an appointment. You'd think maybe the administration would notice this and try to help in some way, although I'm not sure what they could do.

momma-three · 02-02-2010, 06:57 AM

At my daughters former school the therapists were in her words "very old" with very old ideas. My daughter could not relate to either of the two that her school had available. Schools need to also be aware of the needs of the students and employ the type of therapists that students will see.

mommusic · 02-02-2010, 08:25 AM

I also read an article about placebos being as good as meds, most of the time. The other component is exercise. Like your mom said, pick yourself up and get out there!*

Esp. at northern schools, I would imagine Seasonal Affective Disorder plays a large part in this. At my school, in the practice rooms they had a film over the large west-facing windows to keep the sun from ruining the instruments. Between our crazy schedules and the late sunrise/early sunset, we joked that we never ever saw the sun. We probably all had a vitamin D shortage.

*EDIT: Not to belittle people's real problems. But they are discovering regular exercise is quite helpful.

Edit again: And some meds have terrible side effects, to judge from the TV ads. An anti-depressant that causes you to feel suicidal??? HIPAA or no, I would want to know what my kid was taking.

Kelowna · 02-02-2010, 11:16 AM

Just wanted to second the need for a very vigorous exercise.
But it is difficult for people with full blown depression.

merlin · 02-02-2010, 03:01 PM

I live in a northern climate and know that I am a very different person in the summer. More energetic, able to think clearly, etc. S1 is the same. We have discovered that in addition to exercise, SAD lights have a very positive effect on energy level and brain function. A doctor recommended this to me. He had grown up in NM and attended college in NH, so had first hand experience with the difference in hemisphere.
SAD lights can be small, portable, rechargeable. Target has some inexpensive ones.

Olymom · 02-02-2010, 06:47 PM

My DS finds that spring break in the sun is helpful : )
Seriously, a few days in the sun can help a lot.
Also a concern are the many things that can present as depression. Mono, Lyme's Disease, Inattentive ADD, allergies and sleep apnea are just a few that I know. How awful to be in misery and be on the wrong treatment.
I could see this happening to college students because most are healthy, young people and, as a result, tend to "tough it out" when older folks would be galloping to the doctor.