Department of Student Wellness

Helping students meet life's challenges.

Counseling Center

   The staff of the Counseling Center are here to help you maintain a balanced and healthy life and succeed at ESU. Our range of services include counseling, art therapy, drug and alcohol prevention and referral, information and programs of interest to women and men, sexual assault prevention, and stress and anxiety management through biofeedback training.

If you participate in Depression Screening on October 14, 15 or 16, please go to the following link and answer the survey questions.  This is a very important assessment tool for the Counseling Center, so please take a few minutes to respond to this link. http://www.emporia.edu/counseling

Get Ready to Attend Depression Screening!

Depression Screening will be held on October 14, 15 and 16, 2008 in the upstairs Memorial Union Lobby, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day.  Stop by and get screened for depression and meet with a counselor.  Some courses are offering extra credit. 

According to a recent survey by the American College Health Association, 15 percent of college students were formally diagnosed with depression last year, up from 10 percent four years ago.  Come to the screening and learn more about yourself.

Call the Counseling Center at 341-5221 if you have questions!

Paul "Bipolar Boy" Jones

Paul "Bipolar Boy" Jones will be on campus Tuesday, October 14, at 8:00 p.m., in the Kanza Room.  Paul is an entertainer first, and an educator second, making him a very effective "Edu-trainer" in the field of Mental Health.  Through his stand-up comedy, Paul strives to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness.  His presentation is entitled, "A Biopolar Discussion" and he will speaking in conjunction with Depression Screening at Emporia State University.

For more information, check out the following link: http://www.paulejones.com/index.html. 

This event is sponsored by the Department of Student Wellness-Counseling Center and funded by an Academic Enhancement Grant. 

Women's Support Group

Are you struggling with relationships?

Are you Homesick?

Is college stressing you out?

Do you want a group that you can relate to?

If you would like to talk with others sharing similiar experiences, come to the Women's Support Group on Thursdays, from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m., in the Counseling Center at 211 South Morse Hall.  Weekly attendance is not necessary, come when you can.  All are welcome!

Questions?

Call Sally or Estrellita at 341-5221

Sponsored by the ESU Counseling Center

Ten Helpful Hints to Beat College Student Homesickness

College students experience homesickness often.  Here are some beneficial tips for dealing with these feelings.

Adjusting to a new campus, roommate, expectations, courses and routine takes a fair amount of time and patience.  By nature, we tend to resist change and struggle to hold on to familiar surroundings like the comforts of home, family and friends.  If you're struggling to beat the blues, here are ten homesickness helpers to pick you up.

1.  Get involved!

Social groups and events are a core part of your college experience.  Just glance at a campus calendar or The Bulletin to find out what's happening at ESU.

2.  Do something you enjoy!

Almost everyone has a favorite hobby, sport or past time.  Go on a morning run, read a good book, add some pages to your scrapbook, paint or shoot some hoops.  Doing something you enjoy will add some happiness to your day and take your mind off of thinking of home.  If you don't have a hobby, college is a perfect place to try something new and find out more about what you like and what you're good at.

3.  Get organized!

Take some time to keep track of what's going on everyday.  A planner, notebook or pad of sticky notes can help you remember important things like homework, due dates, assignments, plans for the weekend and where to meet for your next blind date.

4.  Go out with a friend!

A trip to the local ice cream hang out or pizza place can cure most anything.  An older student or someone you can confide in can help make your transition from home a little easier.  You might even discover that your friend is struggling with the same problems as you.

5.  Keep in touch with your family!

Keeping in touch with your parents, grandparents and siblings will help all of you adjust to your move to college.  Send e-mail messages to each other or set up your own web site for correspondence from friends and family around the country. 

6.  Write in a journal or diary.

Here's your next assignment in Homesickness 101:  Try writing in a journal or diary the next time you are feeling down.  Just write down what's on your mind and express some of your worries and fears.  Over time, you can reflect on what you wrote and see how far you've come.

7.  Volunteer!

Forget about your own problems by giving service to others.  You could volunteer to work with students at an elementary school, serve as a Big Brother or Big Sister,  work for Habitat for Humanity or many other good causes.  You will build relationships and enjoy the satisfaction of helping others.

8.  Visit some place new!

Explore Emporia!  There are many interesting locations and events waiting for you to explore.  You may even meet new friends and find a favorite hang out.

9.  Contact an old friend!

Going separate ways after high school graduation can be a little depressing.  After all, these are your friends you've grown up with, survived the last four years of high school with and shared many memories and experiences with.  But however far apart you are for college, your friendshp isn't over. Plan to do something with your old friends when you are home during a break.  You will look forward to the reunion and enjoy remembering old times together. 

10.  Make an appointment to visit with a counselor.

A little homesickness is normal as you adjust to your new surroundings.  If you find yourself feeling depressed and not enjoying the things you have enjoyed in the past, don't hesitate to make an appointment with a counselor in the Counseling Center at Emporia State University.  Stop by 211 South Morse Hall or call 341-5221 for an appointment. 

DEATH AND GRIEF

     When coping with a death of a loved one/classmate, you may go through all kinds of emotions. You may be sad, worried or scared.  You might be shocked, unprepared or confused.  You might be feeling angry, cheated, guilty, exhausted or just plain empty.  Your emotions might be stronger or deeper than usual or mixed together in ways you've never experienced before.

     Some people find they have trouble concentrating, studying, sleeping or eating when they're coping with a death.  Others lose interest in activities they used to enjoy.  Some people lose themselves in playing computer games or eat or drink to excess and some people feel numb, as if nothing has happened. Some of these coping skills are normal; however, eating and drinking to excess and avoiding school work and friends can hinder the healing process.

     The grieving process is a gradual one that lasts longer for some people than others.  There may be times when you worry that you'll never enjoy life the same way again, but this is a natural reaction after a loss.

Caring for Yourself

     The loss of someone close to you can be stressful.  It can help you to cope if you take care of yourself in certain small but important ways.  Here are some that might help:

• Remember that grief is a normal emotion.  Know that you can (and will) heal over time.
• Participate in rituals.  Memorial services, funerals, and other traditions help people get through the first few days and honor the person who died.
• Be with others.  Even informal gatherings of family and friends bring a sense of support and help people not to feel so isolated in the first days and weeks of their grief.  Sometimes a person doesn't feel like talking, and that's okay, too.  No one should feel pressured to talk.
• Express yourself.  Even if you don't feel like talking, find ways to express your emotions and thoughts.  Start writing in a journal about the memories you have of the person you lost and how you're feeling since the loss.  Write a song, poem or tribute about your loved one.  You can do this privately or share it with others.
• Exercise.  Exercise can help your mood.  It may be hard to get motivated, so modify your usual routine if you need to.
• Eat Right.  You may feel like skipping meals or you may not feel hungry, but your body still needs nutritious food.
• Join a support group.  If you think you may be interested in attending a support group, ask a counselor about how to become involved.  The thing to remember is that you don't have to be alone with your feelings or your pain.
• Let your emotions be expressed and released.  Don't stop yourself from having a good cry if you feel one coming on.  Don't worry if listening to particular songs or doing other activities is painful because it brings back memories of the person that you lost; this is common.  After a while, it becomes less painful.
• Create a memorial or tribute.  Plant a tree or garden, or memorialize the person in some fitting way, such as running in a charity run or walk in honor of the lost loved one.
• Discuss your feelings with a counselor. Counseling with a professional counselor can help because it allows you to talk about your loss and express strong feelings in a confidential atmosphere.  If you are feeling depressed, your grief is so intense that you feel you can't go on with your normal activities, your grief is affecting your ability to concentrate, sleep, eat or socialize as you normally do and/or you feel that you can't go on living, immediately call the Counseling Center at Emporia State University.  The telephone number is 620-341-5221, Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.  After 5 p.m., or on week-ends, call the Mental Health Center of Southeast Kansas at their emergency number 620-343-2626. Their toll-free emergency number is 1-866-330-3310.

     Going forward and healing from grief doesn't mean forgetting about the person you lost.  Getting back to enjoying life doesn't mean you no longer miss the person.  How long it takes until you start to feel better isn't a measure of how much you loved the person.  With time, the loving support of family and friends, the assistance from a professional counselor and your own positive actions, you can find ways to cope with even the deepest loss.

ON-LINE SCREENING FOR MENTAL HEALTH

Online Screening is available by clicking here.

     We invite you to the online screening for depression, anxiety, alcohol abuse and eating disorders.  This free screening is available to all ESU students and is taken anonymously.  The screening is provided so that you may find out - in a few minutes - whether or not professional consultation would be helpful to you. 

A CHANGE IN LIFE COULD BE A

CHANGE IN MOOD

Common stressors in college life include:

• Greater academic demands
• Being on your own in a new environment
• Homesickness
• Changes in family relations
• Financial responsibilities
• Changes in your social life
• Exposure to new people, ideas and temptations.
• Awareness of your sexual identity and orientation
• Preparing for life after graduation

     For more information regarding stress, check out our Biofeedback Services in the Counseling Center, 211 South Morse Hall.  You will also find some valuable information by checking our Self-Help web page.