Student Health & Counseling Services
Solberg Hall
(Southwest Door)
33rd & Grange Ave.
Sioux Falls, SD
57197
Tel: 605-274-5552
Depression
Almost every one has times when they are down or feeling blue. In fact, occasional
feelings of sadness or discouragement are pretty normal. But if the "down" feeling
continues for more than a couple of weeks and you just can't seem to "snap
out of it", you may suffering from the illness of depression. Depression
profoundly impairs one's ability to function in every day situations by affecting
moods, thoughts, feelings, behavioral & physical well being.
Common Symptoms
- Change in eating patterns: eating constantly or barely eating at all.
- Change in sleep patterns: trouble in going to sleep, staying asleep, and/or
sleeping all the time.
- Loss of energy; always feeling tired.
- Feelings of worthlessness often accompanied by guilt: thoughts about "if
only".
- Irritability: everything and everyone is annoying.
- Feelings of sadness or "emptiness", often after a loss (breakup
of friendship or romance; divorce or family separation; death of
a loved one; rape or abuse; academic problems).
- Persistent thoughts of hopelessness.
- Inability to concentrate; the homework just doesn't get done.
- Increasing number of aches and pains: headaches, stomach aches,
backaches.
- Change in behavior: cutting classes, sitting alone in the room,
turning down opportunities to do things.
- Recurring thoughts of death or suicide.
If you have five or more of these symptoms, it is likely that you are suffering
from depression. If you have recurring thoughts of death or suicide, you should
seek treatment immediately.
Ways to Help