Re: Colleges offering help to depressed students

[Guest guest]

a good many of these college women who are " depressed " may well be suffering the

effects of the contraceptive pill, combined with a deficient diet, and stress.

So instead if being advised to fix what is wrong, which is very easily done,

they are put on brain-impairing drugs, and given a " label " to promote a

life-long dependence on the drugs AND on the idea they are defective, they have

this terrible, " disease " called depression, which may most likely be genetic in

origin, so they will have it forever and ever...bah, humbug, and phooey! gertie

Colleges offering help to depressed students

Funny how suicide is such a leading cause of death....it's pure lies if you

look over the statistics. They should say: " Suicide Is A Leading Cause For My

Job and For Big Profits "

http://www.dailytexanonline.com/news/2004/10/19/Focus/Colleges.Offering.Help.To.\

Depressed.Students-772607.shtml

Colleges offering help to depressed students

By Molly Wardlaw

Sophia, a pre-nursing sophomore at Austin Community College, expected to feel

upset after the untimely death of her mother. It is the mental duress which

continues to plague her three years later that catches her off-guard. After

returning to school, the added pressures of coursework and issues she never had

time to address while nursing her mother began to catch up to her. Once

vivacious and social, Sophia found herself hard-pressed to leave her apartment,

see her friends or engage in activities she once loved. She felt unable to seek

help.

Averse to taking medication, she said she tried to avoid it when her

depression set in. At the behest of family and friends, she finally decided to

see a psychiatrist, who promptly prescribed Prozac. She became increasingly more

depressed and developed suicidal thoughts for the first time since her mother

died.

" I told him what I was feeling, and he just kept telling me that I would feel

better soon, " Sophia said. " He wasn't listening to me. He didn't even try to

customize a drug to my symptoms and my personality, and he didn't give me the

right med. "

Sophia's not alone. In September, the Food and Drug Administration officially

linked some antidepressants (including Prozac and Paxil) to possible suicidal

feelings in children and last week issued a statement requiring black-box

warning labels stating the risk to children to be printed on the medications.

But despite the ruling, many doctors feel the studies were not in-depth and

may have been misinterpreted, said Will Pannabecker, director of the mental

health department at St. 's University.

Shiekh, assistant psychiatrist at Southern Methodist University, notes

that side effects are possible in the beginning stages of treatment, but

ultimately, medication is effective in preventing suicide in the majority of

patients.

" It is the same with any medication, " Shiekh said. " If you take a

blood-pressure medicine that has a side effect, blood pressure might go up in a

few patients. You do not continue to take that med. You need to try out another

one. "

Though many doctors oppose the FDA ruling, several patients support it,

believing that certain medications made periods of their lives worse. ,

a Spanish senior at the University, said she's been on over 14 medications since

she was first diagnosed with depression three years ago. She said her state of

mind continued to plummet with each prescription until she found a doctor who

eventually took her off all her medication.

" I was someone who needed a mild SSRI [selective Serotonin Reuptake

Inhibitor], but they put me on such strong drugs that they gave me more

medications to treat the side effects that were caused by the original drugs, "

said.

A leading collegiate killer

Untreated depression is the most common reason for suicide, said Kerry Hope,

director of Texas A & M's mental health center, and suicide is the second-leading

cause of death among the college-age bracket. One out of every 12 college

students has made a suicide plan, she said.

One of the reasons for the high rate may be the media's attention to suicide,

Shiekh said.

" When a person is exposed to someone close to them who has committed suicide,

they are much more likely to follow through with suicide as well. "

Then there's the added pressures of college. A new and foreign environment,

tight schedules and high expectations may increase a student's feelings of

self-doubt and apathy, many psychologists say.

But Pannabecker said the depression which college-age students face might have

more to do with brain development than social pressures.

A person's frontal lobe stops developing around 21, but many depressive

conditions show up between 18 and 21, Pannabecker said. Most young people will

outgrow their disorders when their brains are fully developed.

Zoth, an Asian cultures and languages senior at the University, still

suffers from some depression, but the worst of it began before the typical

college-age bracket that Pannabecker noted.

" High school was very regimented, and socially, it was alienating, " he said.

" The classes were boring, and in general, I just didn't fit in well. I remember

not being able to do anything to get out of the depressed feeling. "

But Zoth said his depression actually decreased when he got to college.

Different forms of treatment

The most important thing for a student who feels depressed is to speak with

someone, said Jane Bost, associate director of counseling, learning and career

services at UT's Mental Health Center. The worst thing to do is to keep it to

yourself.

Fortunately, most universities in the United States offer some form of mental

health care. Two common differences between counseling at public and private

schools is the size of the student body and the amount of funding available.

Private schools tend to offer long-term counseling, while larger public schools

such as UT usually offer only between four and six sessions. Students who wish

to continue their therapy have the option of group therapy, with themes ranging

from eating disorders to grievance.

The University does not currently offer a group for depression, but it does

offer a 24-hour hot line operated by counselors who are carefully selected and

trained.

Hope said A & M followed in UT's footsteps to start their own hot line in 1995,

but theirs is staffed by undergraduate students and some doctors. After A & M's

line was implemented, A & M's suicide rate dropped from about six a year to about

two every other year, Hope said.

Offering help to students in a population of more than 40,000 can be

difficult, Hope said, largely because of Texas' low national ranking for

mental-health coverage and outreach.

To help tackle the problem, A & M started a program that trains students to

understand and spot depression signs and tells them what to do to get help.

And in the wake of the murder of music school professor le last

May, UT has also implemented some changes. One of 's students, Fan

Chun Ngai, was charged with her murder and declared mentally incompetent to

stand trial.

UT's new program explains the symptoms of mental disorders to professors and

suggests how they should approach students suffering from these disorders.

SMU has utilized a different strategy, which they refer to as " investigating, "

Shiekh said.

When the university receives crisis calls, the police are notified, and the

dean may mandate that the student receive help from the mental health center,

Shiekh said.

" You would have to see someone four times, or you might not be allowed to go

to school, " Shiekh said.

Despite some conflict, Shiekh says he thinks it is reasonable and will

ultimately help students and lower the school's suicide rate.

" I don't see it as being very different from other common university

regulations, " Shiekh said.

While experts and schools may disagree on how to treat and handle depression,

they all agree on one thing: Get help. And whether it's through antidepressants,

counseling or school programs, it's important to decide which one is right for

you.

" I know there are people out there who could have helped me, " Sophia said.

" All I can say is, think about it before you jump in. "

[Guest guest]

a good many of these college women who are " depressed " may well be suffering the

effects of the contraceptive pill, combined with a deficient diet, and stress.

So instead if being advised to fix what is wrong, which is very easily done,

they are put on brain-impairing drugs, and given a " label " to promote a

life-long dependence on the drugs AND on the idea they are defective, they have

this terrible, " disease " called depression, which may most likely be genetic in

origin, so they will have it forever and ever...bah, humbug, and phooey! gertie

Colleges offering help to depressed students

Funny how suicide is such a leading cause of death....it's pure lies if you

look over the statistics. They should say: " Suicide Is A Leading Cause For My

Job and For Big Profits "

http://www.dailytexanonline.com/news/2004/10/19/Focus/Colleges.Offering.Help.To.\

Depressed.Students-772607.shtml

Colleges offering help to depressed students

By Molly Wardlaw

Sophia, a pre-nursing sophomore at Austin Community College, expected to feel

upset after the untimely death of her mother. It is the mental duress which

continues to plague her three years later that catches her off-guard. After

returning to school, the added pressures of coursework and issues she never had

time to address while nursing her mother began to catch up to her. Once

vivacious and social, Sophia found herself hard-pressed to leave her apartment,

see her friends or engage in activities she once loved. She felt unable to seek

help.

Averse to taking medication, she said she tried to avoid it when her

depression set in. At the behest of family and friends, she finally decided to

see a psychiatrist, who promptly prescribed Prozac. She became increasingly more

depressed and developed suicidal thoughts for the first time since her mother

died.

" I told him what I was feeling, and he just kept telling me that I would feel

better soon, " Sophia said. " He wasn't listening to me. He didn't even try to

customize a drug to my symptoms and my personality, and he didn't give me the

right med. "

Sophia's not alone. In September, the Food and Drug Administration officially

linked some antidepressants (including Prozac and Paxil) to possible suicidal

feelings in children and last week issued a statement requiring black-box

warning labels stating the risk to children to be printed on the medications.

But despite the ruling, many doctors feel the studies were not in-depth and

may have been misinterpreted, said Will Pannabecker, director of the mental

health department at St. 's University.

Shiekh, assistant psychiatrist at Southern Methodist University, notes

that side effects are possible in the beginning stages of treatment, but

ultimately, medication is effective in preventing suicide in the majority of

patients.

" It is the same with any medication, " Shiekh said. " If you take a

blood-pressure medicine that has a side effect, blood pressure might go up in a

few patients. You do not continue to take that med. You need to try out another

one. "

Though many doctors oppose the FDA ruling, several patients support it,

believing that certain medications made periods of their lives worse. ,

a Spanish senior at the University, said she's been on over 14 medications since

she was first diagnosed with depression three years ago. She said her state of

mind continued to plummet with each prescription until she found a doctor who

eventually took her off all her medication.

" I was someone who needed a mild SSRI [selective Serotonin Reuptake

Inhibitor], but they put me on such strong drugs that they gave me more

medications to treat the side effects that were caused by the original drugs, "

said.

A leading collegiate killer

Untreated depression is the most common reason for suicide, said Kerry Hope,

director of Texas A & M's mental health center, and suicide is the second-leading

cause of death among the college-age bracket. One out of every 12 college

students has made a suicide plan, she said.

One of the reasons for the high rate may be the media's attention to suicide,

Shiekh said.

" When a person is exposed to someone close to them who has committed suicide,

they are much more likely to follow through with suicide as well. "

Then there's the added pressures of college. A new and foreign environment,

tight schedules and high expectations may increase a student's feelings of

self-doubt and apathy, many psychologists say.

But Pannabecker said the depression which college-age students face might have

more to do with brain development than social pressures.

A person's frontal lobe stops developing around 21, but many depressive

conditions show up between 18 and 21, Pannabecker said. Most young people will

outgrow their disorders when their brains are fully developed.

Zoth, an Asian cultures and languages senior at the University, still

suffers from some depression, but the worst of it began before the typical

college-age bracket that Pannabecker noted.

" High school was very regimented, and socially, it was alienating, " he said.

" The classes were boring, and in general, I just didn't fit in well. I remember

not being able to do anything to get out of the depressed feeling. "

But Zoth said his depression actually decreased when he got to college.

Different forms of treatment

The most important thing for a student who feels depressed is to speak with

someone, said Jane Bost, associate director of counseling, learning and career

services at UT's Mental Health Center. The worst thing to do is to keep it to

yourself.

Fortunately, most universities in the United States offer some form of mental

health care. Two common differences between counseling at public and private

schools is the size of the student body and the amount of funding available.

Private schools tend to offer long-term counseling, while larger public schools

such as UT usually offer only between four and six sessions. Students who wish

to continue their therapy have the option of group therapy, with themes ranging

from eating disorders to grievance.

The University does not currently offer a group for depression, but it does

offer a 24-hour hot line operated by counselors who are carefully selected and

trained.

Hope said A & M followed in UT's footsteps to start their own hot line in 1995,

but theirs is staffed by undergraduate students and some doctors. After A & M's

line was implemented, A & M's suicide rate dropped from about six a year to about

two every other year, Hope said.

Offering help to students in a population of more than 40,000 can be

difficult, Hope said, largely because of Texas' low national ranking for

mental-health coverage and outreach.

To help tackle the problem, A & M started a program that trains students to

understand and spot depression signs and tells them what to do to get help.

And in the wake of the murder of music school professor le last

May, UT has also implemented some changes. One of 's students, Fan

Chun Ngai, was charged with her murder and declared mentally incompetent to

stand trial.

UT's new program explains the symptoms of mental disorders to professors and

suggests how they should approach students suffering from these disorders.

SMU has utilized a different strategy, which they refer to as " investigating, "

Shiekh said.

When the university receives crisis calls, the police are notified, and the

dean may mandate that the student receive help from the mental health center,

Shiekh said.

" You would have to see someone four times, or you might not be allowed to go

to school, " Shiekh said.

Despite some conflict, Shiekh says he thinks it is reasonable and will

ultimately help students and lower the school's suicide rate.

" I don't see it as being very different from other common university

regulations, " Shiekh said.

While experts and schools may disagree on how to treat and handle depression,

they all agree on one thing: Get help. And whether it's through antidepressants,

counseling or school programs, it's important to decide which one is right for

you.

" I know there are people out there who could have helped me, " Sophia said.

" All I can say is, think about it before you jump in. "

[Guest guest]

You're right about the poor diet and stress .. I've experienced it when I

was in college and could tell you about a lot of kids who have. I think

eating better and getting more sleep, coupled with helping students through

cognitive therapy like Ellison's RET to put ttheir situation with academic

and social pressures (and there are loads of both) in their proper

perspective could solve the problem. Like you i'm appalled at the quick

rush to drug people without caring what the toxic side effects could be.

Colleges offering help to depressed students

>

>

> Funny how suicide is such a leading cause of death....it's pure lies if

you look over the statistics. They should say: " Suicide Is A Leading Cause

For My Job and For Big Profits "

>

>

>

http://www.dailytexanonline.com/news/2004/10/19/Focus/Colleges.Offering.Help

..To.Depressed.Students-772607.shtml

> Colleges offering help to depressed students

> By Molly Wardlaw

>

>

>

> Sophia, a pre-nursing sophomore at Austin Community College, expected to

feel upset after the untimely death of her mother. It is the mental duress

which continues to plague her three years later that catches her off-guard.

After returning to school, the added pressures of coursework and issues she

never had time to address while nursing her mother began to catch up to her.

Once vivacious and social, Sophia found herself hard-pressed to leave her

apartment, see her friends or engage in activities she once loved. She felt

unable to seek help.

>

> Averse to taking medication, she said she tried to avoid it when her

depression set in. At the behest of family and friends, she finally decided

to see a psychiatrist, who promptly prescribed Prozac. She became

increasingly more depressed and developed suicidal thoughts for the first

time since her mother died.

>

> " I told him what I was feeling, and he just kept telling me that I would

feel better soon, " Sophia said. " He wasn't listening to me. He didn't even

try to customize a drug to my symptoms and my personality, and he didn't

give me the right med. "

>

> Sophia's not alone. In September, the Food and Drug Administration

officially linked some antidepressants (including Prozac and Paxil) to

possible suicidal feelings in children and last week issued a statement

requiring black-box warning labels stating the risk to children to be

printed on the medications.

>

> But despite the ruling, many doctors feel the studies were not in-depth

and may have been misinterpreted, said Will Pannabecker, director of the

mental health department at St. 's University.

>

> Shiekh, assistant psychiatrist at Southern Methodist University,

notes that side effects are possible in the beginning stages of treatment,

but ultimately, medication is effective in preventing suicide in the

majority of patients.

>

> " It is the same with any medication, " Shiekh said. " If you take a

blood-pressure medicine that has a side effect, blood pressure might go up

in a few patients. You do not continue to take that med. You need to try out

another one. "

>

> Though many doctors oppose the FDA ruling, several patients support it,

believing that certain medications made periods of their lives worse.

, a Spanish senior at the University, said she's been on over 14

medications since she was first diagnosed with depression three years ago.

She said her state of mind continued to plummet with each prescription until

she found a doctor who eventually took her off all her medication.

>

> " I was someone who needed a mild SSRI [selective Serotonin Reuptake

Inhibitor], but they put me on such strong drugs that they gave me more

medications to treat the side effects that were caused by the original

drugs, " said.

>

>

> A leading collegiate killer

>

> Untreated depression is the most common reason for suicide, said Kerry

Hope, director of Texas A & M's mental health center, and suicide is the

second-leading cause of death among the college-age bracket. One out of

every 12 college students has made a suicide plan, she said.

>

> One of the reasons for the high rate may be the media's attention to

suicide, Shiekh said.

>

> " When a person is exposed to someone close to them who has committed

suicide, they are much more likely to follow through with suicide as well. "

>

> Then there's the added pressures of college. A new and foreign

environment, tight schedules and high expectations may increase a student's

feelings of self-doubt and apathy, many psychologists say.

> But Pannabecker said the depression which college-age students face

might have more to do with brain development than social pressures.

>

> A person's frontal lobe stops developing around 21, but many depressive

conditions show up between 18 and 21, Pannabecker said. Most young people

will outgrow their disorders when their brains are fully developed.

>

> Zoth, an Asian cultures and languages senior at the University,

still suffers from some depression, but the worst of it began before the

typical college-age bracket that Pannabecker noted.

>

> " High school was very regimented, and socially, it was alienating, " he

said. " The classes were boring, and in general, I just didn't fit in well. I

remember not being able to do anything to get out of the depressed feeling. "

>

> But Zoth said his depression actually decreased when he got to college.

>

>

> Different forms of treatment

>

> The most important thing for a student who feels depressed is to speak

with someone, said Jane Bost, associate director of counseling, learning and

career services at UT's Mental Health Center. The worst thing to do is to

keep it to yourself.

>

> Fortunately, most universities in the United States offer some form of

mental health care. Two common differences between counseling at public and

private schools is the size of the student body and the amount of funding

available. Private schools tend to offer long-term counseling, while larger

public schools such as UT usually offer only between four and six sessions.

Students who wish to continue their therapy have the option of group

therapy, with themes ranging from eating disorders to grievance.

>

> The University does not currently offer a group for depression, but it

does offer a 24-hour hot line operated by counselors who are carefully

selected and trained.

>

> Hope said A & M followed in UT's footsteps to start their own hot line in

1995, but theirs is staffed by undergraduate students and some doctors.

After A & M's line was implemented, A & M's suicide rate dropped from about six

a year to about two every other year, Hope said.

>

> Offering help to students in a population of more than 40,000 can be

difficult, Hope said, largely because of Texas' low national ranking for

mental-health coverage and outreach.

>

> To help tackle the problem, A & M started a program that trains students

to understand and spot depression signs and tells them what to do to get

help.

>

> And in the wake of the murder of music school professor le

last May, UT has also implemented some changes. One of 's students,

Fan Chun Ngai, was charged with her murder and declared mentally

incompetent to stand trial.

>

> UT's new program explains the symptoms of mental disorders to professors

and suggests how they should approach students suffering from these

disorders.

>

> SMU has utilized a different strategy, which they refer to as

" investigating, " Shiekh said.

>

> When the university receives crisis calls, the police are notified, and

the dean may mandate that the student receive help from the mental health

center, Shiekh said.

>

> " You would have to see someone four times, or you might not be allowed

to go to school, " Shiekh said.

>

> Despite some conflict, Shiekh says he thinks it is reasonable and will

ultimately help students and lower the school's suicide rate.

>

> " I don't see it as being very different from other common university

regulations, " Shiekh said.

>

> While experts and schools may disagree on how to treat and handle

depression, they all agree on one thing: Get help. And whether it's through

antidepressants, counseling or school programs, it's important to decide

which one is right for you.

>

> " I know there are people out there who could have helped me, " Sophia

said. " All I can say is, think about it before you jump in. "

>

>

[Guest guest]

You're right about the poor diet and stress .. I've experienced it when I

was in college and could tell you about a lot of kids who have. I think

eating better and getting more sleep, coupled with helping students through

cognitive therapy like Ellison's RET to put ttheir situation with academic

and social pressures (and there are loads of both) in their proper

perspective could solve the problem. Like you i'm appalled at the quick

rush to drug people without caring what the toxic side effects could be.

Colleges offering help to depressed students

>

>

> Funny how suicide is such a leading cause of death....it's pure lies if

you look over the statistics. They should say: " Suicide Is A Leading Cause

For My Job and For Big Profits "

>

>

>

http://www.dailytexanonline.com/news/2004/10/19/Focus/Colleges.Offering.Help

..To.Depressed.Students-772607.shtml

> Colleges offering help to depressed students

> By Molly Wardlaw

>

>

>

> Sophia, a pre-nursing sophomore at Austin Community College, expected to

feel upset after the untimely death of her mother. It is the mental duress

which continues to plague her three years later that catches her off-guard.

After returning to school, the added pressures of coursework and issues she

never had time to address while nursing her mother began to catch up to her.

Once vivacious and social, Sophia found herself hard-pressed to leave her

apartment, see her friends or engage in activities she once loved. She felt

unable to seek help.

>

> Averse to taking medication, she said she tried to avoid it when her

depression set in. At the behest of family and friends, she finally decided

to see a psychiatrist, who promptly prescribed Prozac. She became

increasingly more depressed and developed suicidal thoughts for the first

time since her mother died.

>

> " I told him what I was feeling, and he just kept telling me that I would

feel better soon, " Sophia said. " He wasn't listening to me. He didn't even

try to customize a drug to my symptoms and my personality, and he didn't

give me the right med. "

>

> Sophia's not alone. In September, the Food and Drug Administration

officially linked some antidepressants (including Prozac and Paxil) to

possible suicidal feelings in children and last week issued a statement

requiring black-box warning labels stating the risk to children to be

printed on the medications.

>

> But despite the ruling, many doctors feel the studies were not in-depth

and may have been misinterpreted, said Will Pannabecker, director of the

mental health department at St. 's University.

>

> Shiekh, assistant psychiatrist at Southern Methodist University,

notes that side effects are possible in the beginning stages of treatment,

but ultimately, medication is effective in preventing suicide in the

majority of patients.

>

> " It is the same with any medication, " Shiekh said. " If you take a

blood-pressure medicine that has a side effect, blood pressure might go up

in a few patients. You do not continue to take that med. You need to try out

another one. "

>

> Though many doctors oppose the FDA ruling, several patients support it,

believing that certain medications made periods of their lives worse.

, a Spanish senior at the University, said she's been on over 14

medications since she was first diagnosed with depression three years ago.

She said her state of mind continued to plummet with each prescription until

she found a doctor who eventually took her off all her medication.

>

> " I was someone who needed a mild SSRI [selective Serotonin Reuptake

Inhibitor], but they put me on such strong drugs that they gave me more

medications to treat the side effects that were caused by the original

drugs, " said.

>

>

> A leading collegiate killer

>

> Untreated depression is the most common reason for suicide, said Kerry

Hope, director of Texas A & M's mental health center, and suicide is the

second-leading cause of death among the college-age bracket. One out of

every 12 college students has made a suicide plan, she said.

>

> One of the reasons for the high rate may be the media's attention to

suicide, Shiekh said.

>

> " When a person is exposed to someone close to them who has committed

suicide, they are much more likely to follow through with suicide as well. "

>

> Then there's the added pressures of college. A new and foreign

environment, tight schedules and high expectations may increase a student's

feelings of self-doubt and apathy, many psychologists say.

> But Pannabecker said the depression which college-age students face

might have more to do with brain development than social pressures.

>

> A person's frontal lobe stops developing around 21, but many depressive

conditions show up between 18 and 21, Pannabecker said. Most young people

will outgrow their disorders when their brains are fully developed.

>

> Zoth, an Asian cultures and languages senior at the University,

still suffers from some depression, but the worst of it began before the

typical college-age bracket that Pannabecker noted.

>

> " High school was very regimented, and socially, it was alienating, " he

said. " The classes were boring, and in general, I just didn't fit in well. I

remember not being able to do anything to get out of the depressed feeling. "

>

> But Zoth said his depression actually decreased when he got to college.

>

>

> Different forms of treatment

>

> The most important thing for a student who feels depressed is to speak

with someone, said Jane Bost, associate director of counseling, learning and

career services at UT's Mental Health Center. The worst thing to do is to

keep it to yourself.

>

> Fortunately, most universities in the United States offer some form of

mental health care. Two common differences between counseling at public and

private schools is the size of the student body and the amount of funding

available. Private schools tend to offer long-term counseling, while larger

public schools such as UT usually offer only between four and six sessions.

Students who wish to continue their therapy have the option of group

therapy, with themes ranging from eating disorders to grievance.

>

> The University does not currently offer a group for depression, but it

does offer a 24-hour hot line operated by counselors who are carefully

selected and trained.

>

> Hope said A & M followed in UT's footsteps to start their own hot line in

1995, but theirs is staffed by undergraduate students and some doctors.

After A & M's line was implemented, A & M's suicide rate dropped from about six

a year to about two every other year, Hope said.

>

> Offering help to students in a population of more than 40,000 can be

difficult, Hope said, largely because of Texas' low national ranking for

mental-health coverage and outreach.

>

> To help tackle the problem, A & M started a program that trains students

to understand and spot depression signs and tells them what to do to get

help.

>

> And in the wake of the murder of music school professor le

last May, UT has also implemented some changes. One of 's students,

Fan Chun Ngai, was charged with her murder and declared mentally

incompetent to stand trial.

>

> UT's new program explains the symptoms of mental disorders to professors

and suggests how they should approach students suffering from these

disorders.

>

> SMU has utilized a different strategy, which they refer to as

" investigating, " Shiekh said.

>

> When the university receives crisis calls, the police are notified, and

the dean may mandate that the student receive help from the mental health

center, Shiekh said.

>

> " You would have to see someone four times, or you might not be allowed

to go to school, " Shiekh said.

>

> Despite some conflict, Shiekh says he thinks it is reasonable and will

ultimately help students and lower the school's suicide rate.

>

> " I don't see it as being very different from other common university

regulations, " Shiekh said.

>

> While experts and schools may disagree on how to treat and handle

depression, they all agree on one thing: Get help. And whether it's through

antidepressants, counseling or school programs, it's important to decide

which one is right for you.

>

> " I know there are people out there who could have helped me, " Sophia

said. " All I can say is, think about it before you jump in. "

>

>