Mental Health Topics
DEPRESSION
What is Depression?
Persistent Feeling of: Sadness, Worthlessness, Hopelessness, Helplessness, Pessimism, or Guilt
May come out of the blue
May arise after defeat or personal loss
What does it Affect?
Immune system
Appetite
Weight loss or Weight gain
Loss of interest in hobbies or activities
Irritability
Difficulty concentrating, decision-making, or remembering
Trouble sleeping
Chronic body aches
Headaches
Anger
ANXIETY
How does anxiety affect students?
Poor attendance
Tardiness
Social Isolation
Can lead to Depression
To much for them to handle social events
Causation
Recent divorce or separation
Unexpected death of a loved one
Catastrophic event
Genetics
Stress
Emotions
Types of Anxiety
Separation Anxiety
Special Phobias
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Social Anxiety Disorder
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
What can help?
Consistent Routines
Prepare to adapt to change
Self talk techniques to calm anxiety
Counseling
Medication
Support peer/team
Grief
5 Stages of Grief
Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance
Losses due to COVID-19
Students have faced a loss of social interaction due to the COVID-19 pandemic
This can cause a lot of emotions to surface
Including feelings of grief
depression
Unable to socialize properly
Unable to communicate with anyone
Tips for Dealing with Loss
Stay connected: Spend time with family, connect with friends through text, call, or social media
Get Creative: Draw, journal, read, Netflix/Hulu, etc.
Practice Self-Care: Get enough sleep, exercise, yoga, meditate, listen to music, take a bath
Reach Out: Reach out to a trusted adult and let them know how you feel, and ask questions
Develop a Routine: develop a time for homework, distant socialization, and free time
Keep this in Mind
We all grieve differently.
One person's experience is not going to be identical to another's.
There is help here for you.
Your counselors, advocates and school staff are here to listen to you
Staff is here to help you through the grieving process
Provide any needs that are needed
Panic Attacks
What is it?
Sudden and repeated panic attacks
Occurs twice as often in females than males
Panic attacks usually begin in young adulthood
Having a panic attack does not mean you will develop a panic disorder
Symptoms
Chest Pain
Heart Palpitation
Breathlessness
Vertigo
Abdominal distress
May be accompanied by fear of losing control or dying
Among others
Causes
The causes of the disorder are not fully understood
Traumatic events
Genetics
Stress
Loss
Treatment
Psychotherapy including cognitive behavioral therapy
Medications
Self harm
What is it?
Internal and/or external harm
The act of causing physical injury to yourself
Harming yourself emotionally
Substance abuse
Why self harm?
Release emotions
Commonly due to childhood trauma
What helps?
Seeking counseling from therapists
Talk about your feelings with someone you trust
If you feel like you can identify with any of this information, reach out to your school counselor, student advocate or other social emotional support staff on your campus. You can find out how through the Schedule A Meeting page under the Meet Us tab of this site.