Health

Mental Health

Mental Health
You are not crazy. As in Joseph Heller's masterpiece, Catch-22, if you're sane enough to think that you're going crazy, then you can't be. Posttraumatic stress syndrome, stress, social pressures, and racial or other prejudice can cause problems, but it would seem that some people are genetically predisposed to mental health problems. It has been argued that drugs and alcohol can be a cause of such difficulties, although others argue that drug and alcohol misuse are more likely to be a consequence of an existing problem, with the individual using them to relieve symptoms. If a friend is drowning himself in drink, or at least, more than usual, make sure you keep a close eye on him.

Suicide
Many students feel stressed or depressed at College, and that could be due to exams, the pressure of living away from home, relationships gone wrong, money or unrequited love. If you're feeling blue, get some counselling. Every college has counsellors who speak to at least one new person per day who is depressed - you are not alone.

Freshers are also under a lot of stress, and in fact, one study has suggested that 61% of freshers feel depressed at some time, and 12% were estimated as feeling suicidal, although only 1% actually attempted it. The suicide rate for those at college is lower than the UK average for the 15-25 age group.