From: markjakesam@gmail.com   
      
   COLLEGE GAME PLAN  JUN 28 2017, 9:04 AM ET   
   Mental Health Problems Rising Among College Students   
   by SUSAN DONALDSON JAMES   
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   Amy Ebeling struggled with anxiety and depression throughout college, as her   
   moods swung from high to low, but she resisted help until all came crashing   
   down senior year.   
      
   “At my high points I was working several jobs and internships — I could   
   take on the world,” said Ebeling, 24, who graduated from Ramapo College of   
   New Jersey last December.   
      
   “But then I would have extreme downs and want to do nothing,” she told NBC   
   News. “All I wanted to do was sleep. I screwed up in school and at work, I   
   was crying and feeling suicidal.”   
      
   More than 75 percent of all mental health conditions begin before the age of   
   24, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, which is why college   
   is such a critical time.   
      
   Ebeling resisted getting therapy, but eventually got a diagnosis of bipolar II   
   disorder from a psychiatrist associated with Ramapo’s counseling office.   
      
   “Then everything fell into place,” said Ebeling, who is doing well on   
   medication today.   
      
   RELATED: Young Adults and Mental Health: A Guide for Parents   
      
   College counselors are seeing a record number of students like Ebeling, who   
   are dealing with a variety of mental health problems, from depression and   
   anxiety, to more serious psychiatric disorders.   
      
   “What has increased over the past five years is threat-to-self   
   characteristics, including serious suicidal thoughts and self-injurious   
   behaviors,” said Ashley Stauffer, project manager for the Center for   
   Collegiate Mental Health at Penn State    
   University.   
      
   According to its data, collected from 139 institutions, 26 percent of students   
   who sought help said they had intentionally hurt themselves; 33.2 percent had   
   considered suicide, numbers higher than the previous year.   
      
   And according to the 2016 UCLA Higher Education Research Institute survey of   
   freshmen, nearly 12 percent say they are "frequently" depressed.   
      
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    Katy Tur: Why I Chose UC Santa Barbara 2:51   
   At Ramapo College, counselors are seeing everything from transition adjustment   
   to more serious psychiatric disorders, according to Judith Green, director of   
   the campus' Center for Health & Counseling Services.   
      
   Being away from home for the first time, access to alcohol and drugs and the   
   rigorous demands of academic life can all lead to anxiety and depression.   
      
   Millennials, in particular, have been more vulnerable to the stressors of   
   college life, Green told NBC News.   
      
   "This generation has grown up with instant access via the internet to   
   everything,” she said. “This has led to challenges with frustration   
   tolerance and delaying gratification."   
      
   Millennials tend to hold on to negative emotions, which can lead to   
   self-injury, she said. It’s also the first generation that will not likely   
   do as well financially as their parents.   
      
   "Students are working so much more to contribute and pay for college,” said   
   Green. “Seniors don’t have jobs lined up yet.”   
      
   'I dragged myself to the counseling center'   
   Like Ebeling, many students often experience mental illness breaks in college.   
      
   She had been in grief counseling after the death of her father at age 8, and   
   even had therapy — but refused medication — during her teen years.   
      
   “I thought that it was weakness — 'why can’t I just snap out of it?'"   
   she said. “It became apparent it just wasn’t that easy."   
      
   She hit a deep low her senior year.   
      
   “I was a crazy over-achiever,” she said. “I got involved in all the   
   clubs and extracurricular activities.” But when her mood dropped, she said,   
   “I couldn’t do anything, but had all those responsibilities.”   
      
   “In one class I panicked so much, I freaked out,” said Ebeling. “I   
   dragged myself to the counseling center.”   
      
   The resources are available, according to Green, who first counseled Ebeling.   
      
   Ramapo reaches out to freshman and their parents at orientation and reinforces   
   the availability of mental health resources throughout the year. The college   
   also maintains an online anonymous psychological screening tool so students   
   can see if therapy    
   might be helpful.   
      
   RELATED: Meditation May Help Students Combat High Levels of Stress, Depression   
      
   “Students are electronically savvy, so we meet them where they are,” said   
   Green.   
      
   They also sponsor wellness fairs so students learn about nutrition, exercise   
   and even financial well-being — “the whole gamut to keep themselves   
   well,” she said.   
      
   As for Ebeling, she took her experience and devoted her senior capstone   
   project to learn more about mental illness. “It was therapeutic.”   
      
   “Kids going to college need to realize it’s not a weakness,” she said.   
   “They shouldn’t be afraid to get help. ”   
      
   Play College Opt-Out: A Student Leaves School To Start Her Own Company   
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    College Opt-Out: A Student Leaves School To Start Her Own Company 5:21   
   “I try to be open and talk about it with friends and family,” said   
   Ebeling. “Don’t shy away from it. It needs to be addressed. Let go of the   
   stigma.”   
      
   Ebeling had good communication with her mother regarding her mental health   
   diagnosis, but said other students should consider sharing their medical   
   information if they “feel they have a good support system.”   
      
   "I have friends who tried to discuss mental health issues with family members   
   and completely got brushed off, which can be crushing and damaging,” she   
   said.   
      
   "I think both students and parents need to keep an open mind, but at the end   
   the of the day, those who are seeking help need to realize that they are doing   
   this for themselves and no one else, and they need to put themselves first and   
   foremost no matter    
   what."   
      
   Tips for Parents from the National Association of Mental Illness:   
      
   Let your child know that mental health conditions are common — one in five   
   college students — so they don’t feel alone.   
   Emphasize the importance of exercise, sleep and diet.   
   Know the warning signs of mental stress and when and how to seek help. Check   
   out the college’s resources.   
   And because of privacy laws, come up with a plan in advance for which   
   information about mental health can be shared with the parent.   
   SUSAN DONALDSON JAMES	EMAIL   
   TOPICS EDUCATION, MENTAL HEALTH, U.S. NEWS   
   FIRST PUBLISHED JUN 28 2017, 9:04 AM ET   
      
      
      
      
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