Wellness Wise is a column brought to you by The Roar’s co-Editors-in-Chief, Amanda Troll and Nishita Viswajith. February’s column surrounds the topic of depression and the wide spectrum of how it can affect an individual. We spoke to social work intern Isac Alvarez, who is currently working with students at SCHS on Fridays during his internship for his masters degree in social work. His work includes facilitating individual sessions and potential group sessions in the future.  

How would you describe depression in a way that students can easily understand? 

“A lot of times, depression can get confused with being really sad. I would say depression is kind of that deeper feeling of not having motivation and not having a lot of interest in a lot of things. It is more than just not feeling okay. It is more like nothing is okay, not wanting to get up, thinking that everything looks kind of bleak or everything looks like a challenge. This can range from doing school work, or waking up, even meeting with friends. I feel like that is one of the good ways to describe depression.” 

What are some common misconceptions people have about depression?

“One of the common misconceptions is that people think people get to choose (whether they have depression or not). This is something that is probably more for older generations because all the younger generations are about it (depression). It is awesome to see the awareness and everything. A lot of times, phrases about depression include it being a choice, choosing to be depressed, or that you are being dramatic, or you do not actually feel that way. It is really challenging because depression can be something that deals with chemicals, and it has to do with a lot of outside factors as well. This happens a lot during the winter break, or during the winter season and months. The sun goes down earlier and that literally affects our bodies because our bodies are meant to be awake during the sun. People start to feel off. The thought that it can be a choice or the thought that you can just change your mindset and it would make it go away can be really challenging because that is not really how it works. It can be a chemical balance a lot of the time, and that is not something you have control over. You do not get to choose your brain feeling good about certain things and not feeling good about certain things. I think one of the biggest misconceptions about depression is that it only happens to some people because it can happen to anybody.” 

How can students tell the difference between everyday sadness versus clinical depression? 

“If you are sad about one thing, it is normal to be sad, and it is okay to be sad. I think a lot of times, people can be uncomfortable being sad, which is also normal because it is something that everyone has challenges with, even as adults. Being sad about something that happened, or when there is a certain situation or it is only one area, is kind of different from depression, where it is seeping into a lot of aspects of someone’s life. You are feeling this way, not just at school, but with your friends and at home as well. It is a challenge in every aspect of your life, and that is kind of the way to determine the difference.” 

What are some steps someone can take if they feel stuck and can’t find motivation to get out of a depressive state? 

“There are a lot of different steps that you can take. Being able to recognize that you are having challenges is such a huge thing. Being depressed does not mean that there is something wrong with you. It just means you are having a challenge. Being able to recognize that and then from there, there are different steps you can take. Sometimes people need support – people need to talk to somebody. Different things work for different people. Some people really like using sports as an outlet for them – it gets them motivated. There are also some of the chemical things happening when you do sports and exercise. A lot of people feel like they need some connection. That can be with online communities, with gaming, with friends and people because they feel isolated. Taking those steps and being able to socialize is another way to get that support. For other people, it is more in art and expression, letting things out that they have been keeping up inside. Sometimes that is paintings, drawings, writing songs and poetry. Trying those things out can be positive steps to understanding more about where your head is at if you are experiencing symptoms of depression. Everyone is going to be a little bit different in how they manage their symptoms of depression and how they manage their depression. Again, that is why we are here at the Wellness Center to support you: if those things are kind of hard to start and you are not sure where to start.”  

Are there any breathing exercises or coping mechanisms that can ground oneself? 

“Doing stuff in nature can be really helpful. Doing things in sunlight, some meditative practices – just to get your body to feel relaxed. People feel a little on the edge as well. With breathing exercises, it is more than practicing your breath, but it is also something that can calm your nervous system. Calming your nervous system is also going to help you be able to relax and be more present in that space, too. During a time of depression, your mind is going in a lot of different places, so bringing your body back to the here and now is important. One of the ones I like is where you breathe out, breathe in, and then take a second sharp deep breath in, before breathing it all out. That is a good way to regulate your system too because it is making sure that you can inhale as much as you can. Another one I like to do for grounding is something I call the four elements. It is related to ground, wind, water and fire. With grounding, you want to be aware of your body and your physical sensations – how do your legs feel, are they tired, are they heavy, what are they touching, are they touching the ground, do they feel comfortable? With air, it is controlling your breath and noticing where your breath is. With water, it is being aware of how much saliva is in your mouth. A lot of times, when our bodies are feeling out of the present, our brains are going to different places. Being aware of how much saliva you have in your mouth can activate something in your body and nervous system that tells you things are going to be okay and you don’t have to be in survival mode. The last one is fire, and that is awakening your imagination and your thoughts. It is bringing into your creativity and the things you like.”

How do I cope with the world when bad things keep happening to me and I feel stuck? 

“There are a lot of things that make you feel like you can’t go anywhere, especially if the things are continuously happening and they are kind of negative. Some of the things I would say that can be really helpful are finding the different interests and exploring those interests, even looking for strengths that you have. Sometimes, we like to forget a lot of the things that we are good at and do like. Everybody has something to offer, and everybody has something good to bring. It is learning how to practice those things and practice emphasizing and hyping ourselves up. Sometimes, it doesn’t feel like we should be proud of the things we do. Learn to recognize these positive things that we all have within us and special things that we all bring to the table. Learn how to practice them if it is something that we are interested in, or being able to express them to ourselves in order to remind ourselves that we do carry a light in us. It is something that we forget how to look at or do not know how to look at it.”  

How would you recommend somebody support a friend who is feeling depressed? 

“The biggest thing to bring that support is just being open, being receptive to a lot of the things that your friend is going to experience. It looks different every time. Sometimes, that support is going to look like needing someone to listen, and sometimes, they need some advice and they want to hear you talk. Or sometimes, they just want you to be there. I think that is what it is about, being open and receptive. The thought of being there and showing up is sometimes all the support that is needed. That is one of the biggest things you can do. Sometimes it feels like, ‘I don’t know what to do,’ or ‘I’m not helping,’ but just you being there is a lot of the time life-changing.”  

What should I do if I think that I am depressed? 

“Definitely come in and check in with us (Wellness Center), whether that is Ms. Jhoanna or Ms. Uwey. They are really great at taking in those walk-ins. You do not have to be in services (regular weekly sessions) to talk to somebody. You can come in and drop by whenever you need support and need someone to check-in with. If we work together and you feel like you would need the support weekly and need the services, that is definitely something we can talk to Ms. Uwey and Ms. Jhoanna about. This would be in order to get you on the waitlist to be having those weekly sessions as well. The check-ins are available regardless of if you have the weekly sessions or not.”  

Anything else that you would like to add?

“Depression has misconceptions of how it looks and how it presents itself. Depression also looks differently between different people. A lot of times, there are people that are outwardly expressing themselves, looking like they are angry. A lot of times, people are in a bad mood, being mean. It is almost like that cliche of when someone is a bully, they have something else going on. That rings very true. Depression can look differently. It does not have to look like I am feeling sad all the time. Sometimes, it is that your mind is somewhere else, or that you are very angry and don’t know how to manage it. It can be more comfortable to feel angry than to feel very sad or depressed. I just want to let people know that depression takes a lot of shapes and forms. Having experiences of depression is something that is very normal and very human, and it is something that the Wellness Center is not here to cure because it is not something that is wrong. We are here to support you because it is very challenging to learn how to navigate by yourself. It can be very heavy and very hard.”