As the holidays approach, the public is bombarded with decorations, music and crowded shopping malls.
To one who is unsure about all the holiday cheer, the excitement can be overwhelming.
Somehow the holidays do not come bearing the same emotions as they have in previous years.
College students are susceptible to stress year-round, but so many factors seem to stack up at the end of the year that some are bound to fall into depression.
“Depression can be caused and characterized by many different things,” said Gary Petiprin, director of the ETSU Counseling Center. “Stress can certainly contribute, as well as major events in a person’s life.”
Petiprin said that the center provides counseling for students with different degrees of depression, and one common type of depression is seasonal.
This type hits specifically during the holidays. It has been proven in some studies that the lack of sunlight around this time of year can have negative effects on some people.
Biology is also a major contributor to depression. When these things are combined along with final exams and long drives home, mental health can be compromised.
“We do have more students in the clinic around this time of year – not only because of the bad weather, but because the students get so stressed out that they are allowing their immune systems to weaken and become more susceptible to the many threatening illnesses,” said Barbara Knight, the health education coordinator for Student Health Services.
Students’ voyages home for the holidays are not always pleasant experiences.
Joy can come from spending time with family, but right behind that is a certain degree of stress and tension.
Another factor adding to this is the frantic pace of the season is people’s expectations of how they should manifest themselves based on the pictures on Hallmark greeting cards.
“We see more cases of colds, flus, allergy problems and upper respiratory infections,” Knight said.
This is the most important time of the year to remain active and to keep the immune system up because there is so much more out there right now. Knight gave advice on how to avoid this condition.
“Try to get as much sunlight as possible, even if it means standing in front of a window for a minute. This helps to alleviate seasonal depression, and so does exercise,” she said.
Petiprin suggests speaking with a professional if times get rough.
“Sometimes just talking to someone about it is an excellent way to see the situation in a different light.”
Symptoms of depression include: change in mood, sadness, lethargy, lack of interest in normally enjoyed activities, and becoming withdrawn, irritable or tearful.
The Counseling Center is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Walk-in times are from 10 a.m.-noon and from 2-4 p.m.
Appointments may be scheduled for the remaining hours. For more information, call 439-4841 or log onto the Web site at www.etsu.edu/students/counsel/counsel.htm.

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