Real Student Stories

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Picture of Anna Body images issues and her sister's serious mental health problems led to food problems and depression from Anala's early teens. She resisted taking medication and has only recently started to seek help... more > >

Also in "Getting Support & Help"...

"Try and be as honest with your friends as possible about what they're getting into in supporting you. We kind of made it a very mutual thing where they would agree to be with me when I was feeling awful and then if it was too much for them they could say, "Hey, I can't do this at the moment; I'm very sorry. I still care about you but I have to look out for myself so I can be there for you later." Ben

"I think it would have been very useful to me at that time to have access and communication, such as through a website, to others in a similar situation. In that way I could have perhaps expressed myself in a way which was not self destructive, and would have listened to others' advice as they would have understood me." Safa

Students Against Depression
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Peer Support

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Depression thrives on isolation - why help it along?

Friends and other students can do a lot to help you resist depression. They often know and understand you best. But some people worry about over-burdening their friends or housemates and use this as an excuse not to confide in them...

Be realistic about what your friends can and can't do

Friends can't:

be your only source of support
take responsibility for keeping you alive or safe, or making you happy
act as your unofficial therapist
be "on call" at all hours

Friends can:

know a bit about what is going on for you
help with distractions and other activities
be there to listen sometimes
know how to tell you what their limits are and when they need a break
support you in finding professional help

Let your friends know that you don't expect anything unrealistic and you won't overburden them. Give your friends a copy of the worried about someone else? page for more ideas.

Check out help offered by other students

Student union - usually has a welfare sabbatical officer and welfare reps who are available at certain times for students to approach, may run various activities which can be part of your strategies (eg. volunteering schemes), should have info about other student support schemes listed below.
Peer support schemes - available at some universities, consisting of student volunteers trained to provide listening and support and appropriate referrals for professional help.
Nightline - student listening service based on the Samaritans model, often providing a source of anonymous and confidential support through the night; look on campus intranet or noticeboards for contact details.
Groups - some university or college counselling services or student unions run therapy or support groups for students (see alternatives).
Clubs and societies - not usually a direct source of support, but ways to meet other students in smaller groups and to reduce isolation.

Others affected by depression

Sometimes it can feel really useful to hear about or be in touch with others who have experienced similar things. Read the real student stories on this site, or look at the other useful websites page for information about depression support groups.

How about working to resist depression on your campus?

Perhaps more needs to be done on your campus to tackle depression and its effects? Have a look at the students against depression page and think about how could get involved in working for changes. After all, your experience gives you valuable expertise on the subject.

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Links

More about what others can do: worried about someone else?
More about connecting with others: talking to someone , alternatives
More about student depression: depression in student life , real student stories , students against depression

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