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Dealing with Depression
Note: This page provides information only. It is not meant to replace a face-to-face consultation with a trained counselor. If this is an emergency, please contact 911 or the local emergency number found in your area phone book. Seattle residents can find local help through the Crisis Clinic listed on the Counseling Contact page.
- Mild Depression
- Everyone has experienced disappointment and periods of sadness. These feelings of depressions may occur due to loss (for example: losing a job or a relationship) or due to accumulation of stresses (for example: moving, starting school, getting married or divorced). These are natural feelings and usually do not last for long periods of time.
- Ways to Help Yourself
- Some ways to help yourself feel better include:
- Break large tasks into small ones; set priorities and do what you can. You may also want to read our Counseling Center brochures Study Skills, Time Management, and Stress Management. Paper copies are available on the 2nd floor of the College Center building.
- While you are feeling depressed, try not to set difficult new goals or take on additional responsibility.
- Try not to demand too much of yourself. You may want to read the Counseling Center brochure Dealing with Perfectionism.
- Schedule time in advance so you can be with friends and other supportive people.
- Participate in activities that make you feel better. Try mild exercise but be careful not to undertake a new, ambitious work-out schedule that exhausts you.
- Eat regular meals with plenty of fruits and vegetables.
- Be patient with yourself. Don't demand that you "snap" out of your depression.
- When to Seek Professional Help
- Sometimes feelings of depression interfere with our ability to work, study, sleep, and have relationships. Sometimes depressions persist over an extended length of time. If you are bothered by any of the following symptoms, consult a counselor of medical doctor.
- Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Feelings of worthlessness
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you once enjoyed
- Early morning waking, inability to go to sleep or oversleeping
- Weight loss or gain
- Difficulty remembering, concentrating, or making decisions
- Loss of energy, fatigue
- If you are having thoughts of death or of harming yourself, call 911 or the local emergency number found in your area phone book. (Seattle/King County residents: See resources on the Contact page.)
- Bi-polar Depression
- Sometimes people experience both periods of sadness/depression and periods of extreme elation/mania. This pattern is called bi-polar depression. During the manic phase people may sleep very little, talk rapidly, feel unrealistically confident, spend large sums of money, and have disconnected or racing thoughts. If you are experiencing this pattern, consult a medical doctor. The Counseling Center can refer you to low-cost medical care.
- How to Help Others who are Experiencing Depression
- Encourage them to see a counselor or medical doctor. If their depression is severe, you may have to make the appointment and accompany them to the appointment.
- Do not ignore comments about suicide. Ask the person if they have considered or planned a method of hurting themselves. If the answer is yes, call the Seattle/King County Community Crisis Clinic immediately. If they tell you they have considered harming themselves but want you to keep it a secret, say something like, "I care about you. I can't promise to keep your depression a secret but I will help you to get professional help."
- Offer understanding, patience, and encouragement.
- Do not expect a depressed person to "get over it" or "snap out of it." Even with treatment, it may take time for depression to lift.
- For more individual help in dealing with your depression, NSCC students can contact the Counseling
Center to make an appointment with a counselor.
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