By: Grace Berryhill

TW: Depression, Self-Harm, Suicide 

Depression is often looked down upon in today’s society. Well, let me rephrase. Depression is discussed but not in a way of willingness to understand how it actually affects people and what comes out of it. Can you blame yourself? It is icky and dark and who wants to dwell on darkness? 

Yes and no. Blame shouldn’t be placed on one person or thing but education and understanding, just like with any subject, should definitely be prioritized. Taking responsibility and recognizing that it is our duty as humans to understand others’ suffering should be a universal social practice. 

I’m from Southern California. I’ve never experienced what it is to truly live in four seasons. As someone who has experienced mental health problems and depression without even having to go through dark cold seasons, I have empathy for those who are afraid to enter this season of fall and winter.  

Seasonal Depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is defined by science direct as “ a seasonal pattern of recurrent major depressive episodes in winter with full remission of symptoms in summer.” 

Molly DeWalt, the director of the student counseling center, acquires her perspective and her knowledge on what she notices in students during these dark months. 

Seasonal depression on campus is found to be “generally about three to five percent of our clients, which is pretty consistent.” says DeWalt. “If you take a population of people who come from a sunny climate up here, it’s a higher percentage of those students.” 

Another resource Whitworth offers is the opportunity to be lent a tool that could be extremely useful for the gloomy months. “If [seasonal depression] continues after being outside and extending your daylight time outside, you can get what we call a light therapy lamp,” DeWalt explained. 

“The primary thing that I really recommend all students focus on is getting enough sleep and consistent sleep. Try to go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every day, which will improve your ability to cope in so many different ways,” said DeWalt. 

For mental health support, Whitworth offers the Counseling Center “Let’s Talk” program, where students can jump on Zoom and talk to a counselor Monday through Friday; the Student Relaxation Center, which provides group counseling on Mondays at noon in Schumacher Hall; eco-therapy group every first Thursday of every month which students can go for a short hike with a counselor to practice mindfulness activities and lastly, an immigrant learning circle group that happens once a month and is designed for students who are working through any issues around immigration or are somehow impacted by it.  

Occasionally, the library even brings in dogs and other pets that are there for comfort! 

Whitworth student, Urvashi Lalwani, talks about the effect of seasonal depression and some practical advice that she has picked up throughout her years at Whitworth. 

“Great snowshoes. I know it doesn’t seem like it’s directly related to having seasonal depression, but it keeps you from having wet socks… It gets you to places quicker and you are not so annoyed walking around.” Lalwani explained. “From someone that’s not from a colder place… it’s better to be prepared.” 

Lalwani suggested, “You don’t have to explain everything to professors, but just keep them updated. It shows that you’re accountable and you’re actually invested in the class. That gives them a chance to have more grace.” 

Let’s stop telling people to just get up and be optimistic because we are “so lucky to even be alive.” I am sure we have all been told that before. Instead, we should be willing to genuinely listen. Something as little as making someone feel like they are heard can be a life-changing difference for those dealing with depression and other mental illnesses. Obviously, it isn’t the solution but it is a good place to start. 

To shift the conversation, I understand that you might not want to hear or talk about suicide and self-harm but it is necessary. We need to create an open dialogue for those who are experiencing self-harm. 

Self-harm is defined by the National Library of Medicine as “an act with non-fatal outcome, in which an individual deliberately initiates a non-habitual behavior that, without intervention from others, will cause self-harm, or deliberately ingests a substance in excess of the prescribed or generally recognized therapeutic dosage, and which is aimed at realizing changes which the subject desired via the actual or expected physical consequences.” 

Self-harm is much more common than you might think.

• “5–9% of adolescents in western countries report having self-harmed within the previous year.”  

• “A national interview survey suggested that in Great Britain between 4.6% and 6.6% of people have self-harmed” 
• “It has been estimated that of every five older people who self-harm once will later die by suicide.” 
• “Those with persistent depression are at particular risk of repetition of self-harm or suicide.” 
• “About one in six people who attend an emergency department following self-harm will self-harm again in the following year.” 
• “It is likely that many acts of self-harm do not come to the attention of healthcare workers and that only a minority result in assessment by specialist mental health services.” 

All of these statistics come from the National Library of Medicine and sciencedirect.com. 

These are people that you may know personally, that stay silent and deal with this challenge right now; your sibling, your best friend, your professor or even your parents. Self-harm is not picky on who it chooses to affect. That five to nine percent of people are just as worthy of joy and peace as everyone else. 

Self-harm has many different faces. It can be cutting, scratching, burning, carving into the skin, hitting or punching oneself, piercing the skin with sharp objects such as household items and picking at existing wounds.  

With all of this said, as a collective, we should strive to fight ignorance. When you check on your friend by asking how they are doing, don’t accept the answer “I’m good.” Instead, truly make sure they are good. Don’t be afraid to be annoying. Understand their boundaries and aim not to be overly invasive but make sure they know you are one hundred percent there for them and remain persistent. 

Keep in mind that no one is proud of their depression or of their poor mental health. No one wants to admit how they treat their bodies when they are angry and upset at themselves. It is our job to be open to learning and listening with absolutely no anger attached, no matter how hard it might be to hear. Everyone in your life deserves this, especially those you love and care for. No one deserves to feel worthless or lesser than another because of what’s going on in their head. 

If you notice your loved ones withdrawing or you notice them isolating themselves, don’t be afraid to ask tough, uncomfortable questions. Don’t let them run away from you. Depression is one of the most isolating mental states and it is our responsibility to be present for those experiencing it. 

Molly DeWalt then offered advice that she would give to students in order to avoid seasonal depression. “Continue to get outside during daylight hours and have your curtains open. Try to get as much natural sunlight as possible,” she advised. “Vitamin D is absorbed through the skin and the retina, so it’s important to be awake during the daylight hours and get out there.” 

Lastly, remember patience. Depression dulls your sense of logical reasoning and a lot of other facets of how a person usually thinks, so you need to understand that they are probably not thinking or acting how they usually do. Cruelty might even exit their mouth but don’t let that deter you. That is a tough task to ask of someone but I promise it will make all of the difference.  

Now, I will ask you the reader: How willing are you to dive into the discomfort in order to be a lifeline? 

Here are some resources to help when experiencing depression, self-harm and suicidal thoughts: 

This is a service that you can text instead of call if that is more comfortable for you: 

Text CONNECT to 741741 for Crisis Text Line 

Call 988 for the Suicide Hotline