PAGE 4 I THE MEREDITH HERALD | OCTOBER 21. 2009
CIENCE
DOWN AND OUT:
WAYS TO HELP AND PREVENT DEPRESSION
Shana Whisenant
Contributing Writer
Glasses, quizzes, study time,
free time, and work are all chal
lenges college students have to
balance in their daily lives. There
is one challenge not mentioned
in this list that some college kids
face: depression. Depression
was once defined as, "an. illness
that involves the body, mood,
and thoughts, that affects the
way a person eats and sleeps,
the way one feels about oneself,
and the way one thinks about
things." There is not one single
cause for depression, but things
such as genetics, environment,
and daily activities can play a role
in depression. According to the
article “Dealing with Depression"
at Helpguide.org, depression is
believed to be associated with
changes in the levels of chemicals
in the brain such as norepineph
rine and serotonin. It is estimated
that 33-35 million adults will suffer
from depression at some point
in their lives. Signs to look for in
.someone who js depressed are
loss in appetite, anxiety, and/or
insomnia.
According to the article “Un
derstanding Depression: Signs,
Symptoms, Causes and Help”
at Helpguide.org, there are two
main types of depression. One
type is Dysthymia, also known as
major depression, and another
type, Mariic-Depressive disease,
also known as bipolar disease.
Dysthymia is less severe with
long-term chronic symptoms that
are not crippling but may make a
person not feel well. Manic-de
pressive disease is more serious
and deals with mood swings. One
could be in a really high mood or
a really low mood depending on
the day. If a person is in the manic
cycle of the disease,' he or she
could make poor choices, be over-
talkative, have excess energy, or
have sudden mood changes and
unpredictable behavior.
You may be wondering who is
at risk for depression. According
to Helpguide.org, women are more
-likely to be depressed than men.
There are 12% of men who suffer
from depression at some point dur
ing their lives while 25% of women
do.‘ Why do you think those statis
tics are sp? Is it because women .
have more to deal with on a daily
basis or because they are just
hormonal? Is depression prevent
able or fixable? There are many
questions about depression that no
one can truly answer because we
all have our own opinion about the
subject. Regardless of whether
or not depression is a choice or
chance, there are always things
we can do to improve our state of
being.
Exercise is something anyone
can do to feel better and relax,
There are a wide variety of options
for exercise in Raleigh. We could
take a stroll down Hillsborough
Street or drive to Planet Fitness,'
a local gym not far from the col
lege.. We can also make healthier
choices in foods when we are gro
cery shopping at the local Whole
Foods or Lowe’s on Cary Park
way. Even though I am sure it is
tempting to buy those Little Debbie
.snack cakes, try buying a bag of
apples or grapes. It may cost you
a few extra dollars, but in the end
it is worth it. Your health and well
being should be a top priority.
In my opinion, we are about as
happy as we make up our minds to
be. While depression is a medi
cal condition, I often think it is like
Chariie Brown once said: “This
is my depressed stance. When
you're depressed, it makes a lot
of difference how you stand. The
worst thing you can dp is straight
en up and hold your head high
because then you’ll start to feel
better, if you're going to get any joy
out of being depressed, you've got
to stand like this.” Try going out in
a cute outfit, hplding your head up
high, and saying, "Here I am world,
take me or leave me.” Confidence
is a great way not to let depression
get the best of you.
WHINES & GRIPES
The dorm rooms are over-heated. If we are going green, we
should have colder rooms. It is only fall!
Dear Complaining Hallmate: Cornhuskin' is part of Meredith, and
you chose to come to.Meredith. Stop complaining and deal with It.
Dear Professors: Doing homework on the Internet is a waste of
time because there is always a glitch.8-11 p.m. is designated as
“high traffic hours” where we are advised to avoid Webassign. Do
you really want me to do my chemisiry homework at 4 a.m.??
The stairwells In the freshmen dorms smell horrible.
If my shower burns me one more time, I am going to sue Meredith.
No boyfriends in the dorms? What-about no girifriends in the
dOHTlS?
Dear BeeHlve; I can get three Value Meals for the price of one
thing at the BeeHlve. What is up with the prices?
Why does Freshmen Discover seem to be only mandatory for
some people? That is not right.
If 1 am paying $32,000 per year to attend this school, why are my
books so expensive, why does the parior still have a stove with
push buttons, and why is the parlor’s TV from 1975?
Photo Court&st http://www.chnstinas-home-remedies.com/symptom-of-deprBSSion.html