When was the last time you took a breathing break? Life can quickly become an overwhelming factor. There are proposed coping strategies that assist with everyday stress. For example, taking a two- to three-minute breathing break and listening to peaceful melodies. "One of the first coping skills that we review and teach in therapy is deep breathing," said psychologist Angelica Garita. "Deep breathing is very important and it also has a lot of amazing benefits. Some of the benefits include increased oxygen to your body which helps in healing, reduced carbon dioxide, which has been shown to be a contributor to anxiety, increased self-awareness, increased relaxation, reduced production … [Read more...] about Less stress: coping strategies for success
mental health
How to cope with post graduate anxiety
Being in your final year of college is a bittersweet feeling. You have a little bit of "senioritis" and you're just ready for a new experience. However, you wonder how the "real world" will receive you. You ask yourself, "What can I offer? Do I have enough experience? How am I going to get a job right out of school? Am I even ready to be out of school?" These questions are perfectly normal to have, but they can give you so much stress. This feeling can be labeled as post graduate anxiety. There is a bit of guilt that comes with post graduate anxiety because graduation is a time to celebrate your accomplishments, and at every gathering your family members will ask, "So, what are you … [Read more...] about How to cope with post graduate anxiety
Mental Health Awareness Month: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
There is more to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) than just being a neat freak or watching your hands at times. OCD can be a chronic or long-lasting disorder that can have a person enduring fearful thoughts that can lead them to do certain behaviors in their daily life. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, OCD can also be known as a presence of obsessions, compulsions, or both. Having the obsessions or compulsions become a time-consuming daily issue, and the symptoms are not being caused by the physiological effects of a substance or anything medical related. When it comes to looking out for signs and symptoms, they tend to pry into various … [Read more...] about Mental Health Awareness Month: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Ability Awareness Fair
As the doors open and the line piled up from the SMSU event center all the way across to the SMSU food court, people waited in this line to get into the event center for the 4th Annual Ability Awareness Fair. The 4th Annual Ability Awareness Fair was able to happen again with the help of CSUSB Office of Services to Students with Disabilities, Student Veterans Organization, and the Departments of History and English. This fair is important because it is Global Disability Awareness Day. It is a chance to have people became more aware of disabilities and learn about all the resources CSUSB provides to students with disabilities. Scholar poet and disabled advocate guest speaker Eli … [Read more...] about Ability Awareness Fair
Mental Health Awareness Month: Coping with Depression
Feeling worthless, loss of interest and thoughts of death can be just a few indicators of depression in students. When it comes to diagnosing depression essential tool doctors may use is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), there is a certain number of symptoms that have to be met. CSUSB's clinical psychologist, Rachel Keener, shared how depression differs from sadness. "Sadness is a normal emotion, it's an appropriate response when sad things happen in the world. Depression feels like there is no joy in your life. People who are depressed tend to avoid things that used to give them joy because it's no longer giving them that joy," shared … [Read more...] about Mental Health Awareness Month: Coping with Depression
Mental Health Awareness Month: Anxiety Disorders in College Students
Impending doom, rapid breathing, and fear of judgment. While college is known to be a time to discover oneself, it can also be the commencement of disorders. Anxiety disorders affect 40 million adults in the country. 75 percent experience their first symptom by the age of 22 and about 41 percent of college students are affected according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). Psychology professor Michael Lewin shared the effects of transitioning from adolescence into adulthood. “Young adulthood is a common age of onset for many anxiety disorders. This has been hypothesized because of psychological demands or stressors of the transition,” said Lewin. There is … [Read more...] about Mental Health Awareness Month: Anxiety Disorders in College Students
My Rise Above the Blue Funk
By Sandy Rodriguez |Staff Writer| This is the story of how I saved myself. In 2014, life was on a downward spiral after the tough moments of life simply got to me—I reached some of the lowest moments of my life. During the school year, I visited the CSUSB Psychological Counseling Center several times. I was diagnosed with depression, which is not uncommon among college students. About 30 percent of college students report feeling depressed, which disrupt the students’ ability to function in school. The week before finals in the Spring 2015, I decided to finally get on mood stabilizers, a common treatment for those diagnosed with depression. They made me drowsy, so I stopped … [Read more...] about My Rise Above the Blue Funk
Mental and physical health go hand-in-hand
By Lauren Jennings |Staff Writer| "I personally feel that if I didn't exercise regularly, I would go crazy. Overall, it just makes me feel so much better. I don't think I've ever been depressed after exercising," said CSUSB personal trainer Cody Miller. Exercise has been known to have many health benefits, the best known to be weight loss. With weight loss, exercise can protect the body from potential harm such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Disease can be caused by high levels of bad cholesterol, but exercise can help reduce it. Exercise helps increase the flow of good cholesterol, promoting the flow of blood. "I notice that I can push myself harder each time I go … [Read more...] about Mental and physical health go hand-in-hand
Cold winter days got you feeling SAD?
By Erica Wong |Foreign Corresponding| As the temperatures dropped, everyone was taking advantage of the time off from school to travel and prepare for the holidays. Everyone except for me. I found myself sad and unmotivated—unable to get out of bed to do little more than shower and make ramen. I stopped answering phone calls and I found myself sleeping around 18 hours a day, but I still felt exhausted. This went on for almost three long weeks. The melancholy of the long winter days is something that affects us all, but it hits some people harder than others. Seasonal affective disorder, appropriately abbreviated as SAD, is depression that’s related to changes in seasons. It … [Read more...] about Cold winter days got you feeling SAD?
Neurofeedback program
By Chelsea Galvez |Staff Writer| Student Veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can participate in Neurofeedback sessions through The Institute for Research, Assessment and Professional Development at CSUSB. The Neurofeedback program, developed four years ago by the Institute for research at CSUSB, may be used for individuals ages five-95 who suffer from depression, ADHD, epilepsy and more. Neurofeedback aids veterans suffering from PTSD as an alternative method to medication and analyzes an individual’s brain waves to identify parts that aren’t working to their highest ability. “Using neurofeedback, we can monitor their brain waves and identify the exact areas … [Read more...] about Neurofeedback program