Social Work faculty pen ‘Journal Tribune’ column on “Coping with Depression”
As part of its Health & Wellness series, the Journal Tribune, in its November 26 issue, published a column titled “Coping with Depression,” written by Kelli Fox, LCSW, assistant clinical professor of social work and director of Field Education; Shelley Cohen Konrad, Ph.D., LCSW, FNAP, professor and director of the School of Social Work and director of the Interprofessional Education Collaborative; and Cyndi Amato, M.S.W., assistant clinical professor and associate director of the B.S.W. program.
The authors wrote, “ … depression is a conundrum because the problem and the solution are opposites. Depression makes you feel like you don’t want to do anything, and one of the ways to cope with depression is to get up and do something.”
The column enumerated the symptoms of depression: anxiety, loneliness, confusion and difficulty concentrating, fatigue, negative and self-defeating thoughts, changes in sleep and eating patterns, lowered sex drive, and suicidal ideas and feelings. It also explained that depression “does not always look the same across the lifespan,” noting that symptoms in children, teens and adults may differ and that “depression will be unique to every person who experiences it.”
The authors listed various treatments for depression, which include exercise, appropriate medications, and alternative therapies, such as meditation and yoga. They also cautioned that the stigma surrounding mental health conditions should never prevent someone from seeking needed help.
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