Graphic Medicine: Depression

What is depression?

Depression (also known as major depression, major depressive disorder, or clinical depression) is a common but serious mood disorder. It causes severe symptoms that affect how a person feels, thinks, and handles daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working.

To be diagnosed with depression, the symptoms must be present for at least 2 weeks.

There are different types of depression, some of which develop due to specific circumstances.

•     Major depression includes symptoms of depressed mood or loss of interest, most of the time for at least 2 weeks, that interfere with daily activities.
•     Persistent depressive disorder (also called dysthymia or dysthymic disorder) consists of less severe symptoms of depression that last much longer, usually for at least 2 years.
•     Perinatal depression is depression that occurs during or after pregnancy. Depression that begins during pregnancy is prenatal depression and depression that begins after the baby is born is postpartum depression.
•     Seasonal affective disorder is depression that comes and goes with the seasons, with symptoms typically starting in the late fall and early winter and going away during the spring and summer.
•     Depression with symptoms of psychosis is a severe form of depression in which a person experiences psychosis symptoms, such as delusions (disturbing, false fixed beliefs) or hallucinations (hearing or seeing things others do not hear or see).

People with bipolar disorder (formerly called manic depression or manic-depressive illness) also experience depressive episodes, during which they feel sad, indifferent, or hopeless, combined with a very low activity level. But a person with bipolar disorder also experiences manic (or less severe hypomanic) episodes, or unusually elevated moods, in which they might feel very happy, irritable, or “up,” with a marked increase in activity level. (National Institute of Mental Health)

Grief is the anguish experienced after significant loss, usually the death of a beloved person.

Grief often includes physiological distress, separation anxiety, confusion, yearning, obsessive dwelling on the past, and apprehension about the future. Intense grief can become life-threatening through disruption of the immune system, self-neglect, and suicidal thoughts.

Grief may also take the form of regret for something lost, remorse for something done, or sorrow for a mishap to oneself. (American Psychology Association Dictionary, adapted.)

IU Southeast CAPS

(Counseling and Psychological Services)

Our services are available to all students (part or full time) at no fee.

Our counselors are all professionally trained and have specific skills related to work with college students. The Director of Counseling and Psychological Services holds a doctoral degree in clinical psychology and is licensed by the state of Indiana as a Health Services Provider. The Counselor/Care Manager is a licensed clinical social worker who provides both mental health counseling and referrals for resource assistance, e.g., food, housing, health care, etc. Our staff also includes master level and doctoral level graduate students from local universities.
Make an appointment

Students may schedule virtual visits with a counselor by calling 812-941-2244 or emailing sepersco@ius.edu.

For students in a mental health crisis, please contact IU Southeast Police Department at 812-941-2400 or the Regional Crisis and Information Line (24 Hours) at 800-221-0446.