glorious leaders
student representative column Lucy Small-Pearce, SRC president
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On average, one in every six people will experience depression at some stage of their lives, and the average age that most people experience their first episode of depression is in their early to mid 20s. This means that the likelihood of getting depression while at university is unfortunately high. A lot of the time, people don’t realise that they are suffering depression and just put it down to general life stress or sadness. Some of the symptoms of depression include: − Feelings of unhappiness, moodiness and irritability, and sometimes emptiness or numbness − Losing interest and pleasure in activities that you once enjoyed − Loss of appetite and weight (but sometimes people ‘comfort eat’ and put on weight) − Either trouble sleeping, or over-sleeping and staying in bed most of the day − Tiredness, lack of energy and motivation − Feeling worried or tense − Difficulty concentrating and making decisions − Feeling bad, worthless or guilty − Being self-critical and self-blaming − Having dark and gloomy thoughts, including thoughts of death or suicide If you have experienced any of these symptoms for longer than a few days, you may be suffering from depression. There are many places you can get help, both on campus and off campus. The counselling and disability service on campus is a free service for students and offers experienced counsellors and support for students with disabilities (including depression). They can also help you get a Disability Action Plan, which can help you get extensions and flexibility in attendance if your disability affects your study. They are located on the ground floor of the Horace Lamb Building, North Terrace campus, and you can call to make an appointment on 8313 5663.
If you think you or a friend may be suffering from depression, or just to find out more information, visit: - headspace.org.au - beyondblue.org.au If you are in need of immediate help contact Life Line (24-hour phone counselling) on 131 114 or the Mental Health Telephone Triage Service (24-hour service for mental health emergencies) on 131 465.