YouSpeak: Depression at BU

There are 10 comments on YouSpeak: Depression at BU

1. I am a distance learning student attached to the CS MET graduate program so I can not comment on how depression affects people on campus. I can say that recently being diagnosed as being bipolar angle getting help at a facility has really opened my eyes to options available to us all.

   For those of us who could be suffering from depression, no matter how bad, I believe that the problem for the campus as a whole never comes to mind. The thought of why me, what’s wrong with me, and why am I never good enough is always haunting us.

   I have suffered with these issues for many years for reasons being that believed that I could beat this without anyones help and was also afraid that I would become an empty shell losing my creative side that has helped me get where I am today.

   From my own experience I can say that treatment, a mixture of group therapy, one on one with a therapist, and the correct medication regiment has truly helped me. I feel normal, but a normal that I can truly say that I have never felt before. We have all heard the stories that the meds will turn you into a walking zombie to control the symptoms, but the development of psychiatric medicine has evolved over the years. I am able to function with decreased symptomatic issues and still retain all of my creativity.

   One last piece that I would like to mention is that depression is not something that you can fix, but it is something that can be easily managed as long as you utilize the resources readily available to you. You can function as a normal human being and live a long, fruitful life.

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2. I thought it was a very small deal on campus, because I didn’t have depression when I went to BU. But after having a brain aneurysm and a stroke and depression as a result, now I do realize that depression is a very serious disease. I applaud BU for holding the screening across campus.

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3. I was put on an antidepressant without a diagnosis of depression. The meds were there to “even out” my mood swings. Despite being on such a low dosage, the result made me actually FEEL miserable and take uncalculated risks like crossing the street without looking. This is not to say that medication doesn’t help anyone, but from my own experience, I cannot advocate for their efficacy.

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4. I’m glad attention is being brought to this subject. I was diagnosed in High School, but I have suffered from Depression for much longer than that. Knowing that you’re not alone is the biggest help you can give someone. I’m very pleased to see how many people care about and understand this subject. The more people without Depression who are willing to reach out and help those with Depression the better. It’s very helpful to know that people are not only able and willing to accept those who are suffering, but also that they want to help. Thank you for shedding light on this subject, and demonstrating how many people do understand what Depression is like.

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5. Well I know the reason and how to solve and deal with it.
   in Sahih International ref.
   “And whoever turns away from My remembrance – indeed, he will have a depressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind. He will say, “My Lord, why have you raised me blind while I was [once] seeing?” [ Allah ] will say, “Thus did Our signs come to you, and you forgot them; and thus will you this Day be forgotten.”

   source:
   http://quran.com/20

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6. While students and parents are becoming more aware of depression as a health issue, the number of beds for poor people in crisis continues to plummet. The Cambridge Health Alliance lost 35 beds recently, and there’s a rumor that if Cerberos Equity (for profit organization) buys the 6 Caritas Hospitals, the 175 psychiatric beds are in jeopardy. I sure wish the hospital facilities for those on Medicaid protect the most vulnerable among us, even as those of us with insurance learn more about our own mental health needs. (By the way, even with insurance, it’s often hard to get a psychiatric bed!)

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7. I think this video is offensive and inappropriate. What do these random students walking down the street know about the serious complexities of depression?

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8. This video is too general of an overview. It’s ashame that the producers didn’t have enough time to interview enough students and unfortunately ended up with getting the same answer from those who were interviewed. It would have been nice if they didn’t just focus on interviewing students, but perhaps a medical professional (or professor) at BU would provide some more valuable info. Though I applaud them for tackling this issue anyway. In their defense, due to the sensitivity of the nature of depression, it would have been more of a challenge to try and get an interview from a student who would openly discuss his/her deepest problems since most who do go through depression most likely prefer to keep their anxieties a private issue. However, I think a better story angle would have been to tie in the recent string of suicides of college students that has been hitting the news lately, for example the story of Tyler Clementi.

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9. I’m so glad that attention is finally being brought to this disease. I suffered with severe depression for four years before I mustered the courage to find myself help. I now have a therapist, a psychiatrist, and am on antidepressants. My life has changed so drastically for the better as a result. I cannot advocate enough the importance of mental health awareness. As someone with depression, I can honestly say that the best thing someone can do for a depressed person is be there, stay there, and show they care. The best thing you can do is listen, and be open and accepting of someone with depression. I know that my depression made me feel completely alone, and having anyone, absolutely anyone, to talk to was a blessing.

   I am also a strong advocate of professional help. I admire the fact that BU is drawing attention to this disease and that the people in this video recommended getting professional help as an option for coping with depression. I cannot stress enough how much it changed my life.

   The only thing I didn’t like about this video is the assumption that students made about the stress of college and/or the heavy work load, and its contribution to depression. I personally don’t believe it is solely responsible for clinical depression; however, I do think it can contribute additional stress that may make depression more difficult to manage. I think it’s important that people understand that depression is truly a disease, not just “feeling sad” or overwhelmed.

   Thank you, BU, for advocating mental health awareness.

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10. Yeah, I think if anything, this video only highlights how little some of these BU students (college kids in general?) seem to know about depression. But who knows, maybe that was the point.

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