Friday October 12, 2001

Counselor says no additional services have been sought

Despite the emotional toll the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks took on students, depression rates remain stable, said Marian Binder, a clinical psychologist for UA Counseling and Psychological Services.

"I think (the attacks) have increased people's anxiety level about the world," Binder said. "But it's not like as individuals, people are getting more depressed because of this."

She said that CAPS hasn't seen an increase in the number of depressed students, but that doesn't mean students haven't felt emotionally impacted.

The terrorist attacks may affect certain circumstances in a person's life, and those affected aspects could cause depression, she said. For instance, if a student knew someone who died in the World Trade Center, that student might become depressed about the specific incident, not the event as a whole.

"I'm really surprised to see that the majority of students aren't that much different (from before the attacks)," said Gloria Macias, Associated Students of the University of Arizona senator and political science junior. "Unless they were really affected personally, the whole thing was rather short-lived. It came and went."

A psychology sophomore, who asked to remain anonymous, said even though she feels fine now, she did not feel right after the attacks.

"I felt depressed when it happened, so I went for counseling," said the sophomore, who did not know anyone personally who died in the attacks. "I was just walking around and not paying attention to anything. I feel better now, but then I was a mess."

Depression, for any reason, should not be ignored, Binder said.

"Sadness, withdrawal from activities, sleep problems, problems concentrating - they are all symptoms people normally feel in life," Binder said, "but it is when those symptoms begin to interfere with daily life that it can be called depression. Depression is not a homogeneous entity. Not all depressions are equal. People can be depressed for one hour because they failed an exam, while others can be depressed for a whole semester because of family issues."

Treatments for mild depression range from counseling to exercise. The sophomore said counseling helped her reorganize her thoughts and feel better about herself.

Binder said something as simple as exercise could energize a student who is fatigued because of depression.

When a student experiences severe depression, prescription medication can help.

"The experience of depression is very subjective," Binder said. "And a lot of times, people have a tendency to feel that they shouldn't be depressed, and that makes them even more depressed. Students should remember to validate what (they) feel as legitimate, even if people don't seem to be feeling the same thing or agreeing that that's how (they're) supposed to feel."

Macias said that if students see their friends depressed, they should be there for them.

"Take it into consideration that they might not want action," Macias said. "But be there, and listen."

Students whose depressive symptoms interfere with their lives should contact CAPS for counseling services, Macias said.