Depression During College

Sometimes the multitude of life’s changes that occur during your college years can trigger serious depression. At this vulnerable time, the smartest thing you can do for yourself is to seek help. If your feelings of constant stress and sadness go on for weeks or months, you may be experiencing more than just difficulty adjusting to life’s changes. Seek assistance from a doctor or mental health professional, the university counseling service, or the student health center. While in treatment, there are a number of steps you can take to help you cope on your way to recovery.
- Carefully plan your day. Make time every day to prioritize your work. Prioritizing can give you a sense of control over what you must do and a sense that you can do it.
- Plan your work and sleep schedules. Too many students defer doing important class work until nighttime, work through much of the night, and start every day feeling exhausted. Constant fatigue can be a critical trigger for depression. Seven or eight hours of sleep a night is important to your well- being.
- Participate in an extracurricular activity. Sports, theater, fraternities and sororities, the student newspaper – whatever interests you – can bring opportunities to meet people interested in the same things you are, and these activities provide welcome change from class work.
- Seek support from other people. This may be a roommate or a friend from class. Friendships can help make a strange place feel more friendly and comfortable. Sharing your emotions reduces isolation and helps you realize that you are not alone.
- Try relaxation methods. These include meditation, deep breathing, warm baths, long walks, exercise – whatever you enjoy that lessens your feelings of stress and discomfort.
- Take time for yourself every day. Make special time for yourself – even if it’s only for 15 minutes a day. Focusing on yourself can be energizing and gives you a feeling of purpose and control over your life.
- Work towards recovery. The most important step in combating depression and reclaiming your college experience is to seek treatment. Your physician should communicate to you that remission of symptoms should be your goal and work with you to determine whether psychological counseling, medication or a combination of both treatments is needed.
Our Blogs
Support Groups for Depression, Young Adult, College
Last Modified On: 12-02-2018 6:24 pm
This group provides support for family and friends of individuals with mental illness.
St. Joseph's Hospital/Breese
9515 Holy Cross Lane
Breese, IL 62230
Contact Information:
618-882-3306
sharon206@prodigy.net
Meeting Details
Meets: 2nd and 4th Mondays, 7:00 p.m.
Location: Breese-Mater Dei Library, 900 Mater Dei Drive, Breese, IL 62230
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Last Modified On: 12-02-2018 5:55 pm
City Hope Bible Church
5868 West Florissant Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63120
Contact Information:
Phyllis
314-385-9129
314-383-7771 church
Meeting Details
Call for more information, if needed.
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Last Modified On: 12-13-2019 6:14 pm
Depression Bipolar Support Alliance
907 Dock St
St Louis, MO 63147
Contact Information:
Helen or Sarah
314-652-6100
866-525-1442 Friendship Line
hminth@sbcglobal.net
Meeting Details
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Last Modified On: 12-02-2018 6:02 pm
Emotions Anonymous International Headquarters
P.O. Box 4245
St. Paul, MN 55104
Contact Information:
651-647-9712
Meeting Details
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Last Modified On: 10-21-2021 8:13 pm
Karla Smith Behavioral Health offers this support group for individuals and/or family members whose loved one experiences a mental health diagnosis.
Karla Smith Behavioral Health
200 North Lincoln
O'Fallon, IL 62269
Contact Information:
618-624-5771
Meeting Details
Meets: 1st Thursday of the month; 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Call or visit https://karlasmithbehavioralhealth.org/support-groups for additional information.
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Last Modified On: 02-24-2020 8:42 pm
NAMI St. Louis
1810 Craig Road #124
St. Louis, MO 63146
Contact Information:
HELP Line
314-962-4670
800-950-NAMI
info@namistl.org
Meeting Details
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Last Modified On: 12-02-2018 6:43 pm
A Christian support group committed to ministering to the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of individuals and families affected by mental illness. Within an atmosphere of acceptance, compassion, and empathy we offer relevant information, and trustworthy resources related to issues commonly associated with and experienced by those who have a loved one affected by a neurological disorder or a chemical imbalance. We provide a place to share one’s faith in God and one’s personal experiences as we walk a similar path alongside a family member, friend, or loved one living with a serious mental illness.
Central Presbyterian Church
7700 Davis Drive
St. Louis, MO 63105
Contact Information:
Pat Grace
grace1pat@sbcglobal.net
Meeting Details
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Last Modified On: 12-13-2019 6:18 pm
Recovery, International
Contact Information:
312-337-5661
866-221-0302
Meeting Details
Email Chuck at johnbeerg13@gmail.com for info about group meetings in St. Louis, Union and Ste. Genevieve, MO.
Visit recoveryinternational.org/meetings/find-a-meeting to locate groups and coordinators anywhere in the country.
Suggest an Update for the Group
Last Modified On: 01-16-2020 4:57 pm
CenterPointe Hospital
4801 Weldon Spring Pkwy
St Charles, MO 63304
Contact Information:
Gregg Sansone
636-236-2267
greggsansone@hotmail.com