Our mental health providers are here for you! There is no matter too small or too big. See our Counseling Services page to learn more. Call to set up an appointment so we can discuss next steps: 262-472-1300.
UHCS Wellness Services can also provide mental health education and promotion through events and presentations. See our program request form for more information.
Finally, you may benefit from reserving the UHCS Relaxation Room and trying out some new stress reduction tools!
Mental health is health. It's crucial to care for our mental health just as we do for our phsyical health. They are closely connected dimensions of wellness. Below are some topics of interest and tools to help you maintain your wellbeing.
Complete a self-assessment to learn more about your current state of mind.
A suicidal person urgently needs to see a health or mental health service provider. Here are some warning signs you should know about:
Bad things happen to good people. How well we recover from these setbacks depends on many factors. Here are a few you can consider to enhance resilience:
Authenticity: People who are the same on the inside as they are on the outside cope with hard times better than those who put up a front. Know your true self and express real feelings to family, friends, coworkers.
Responsibility: Willingness to be accountable for what you can control - that is, owning the problem - is the first step toward taking positive action to manage it. Try to take control, even in small ways, to build coping skills.
Flexibility: Those who bounce back can accept that change is inevitable and don't fight it. They're not afraid of it, but more often see it as opportunity. Embrace change as part of the normal pattern of live and adapt to it in a way that makes things better, not more difficult.
Responsiveness: Open-minded, aware individuals who study their environment and react positively to new ideas have more resilience than those who sit back and let the world happen to them. Adopt a life-long learning attitude as a way to more easily adjust to life's curve balls.
Faith: Not necessarily religious faith, but a belief in yourself, others, and the potential for good are traits in people who recover more easily. Whatever your convictions, foster commitment to them.
Risk Tolerance: Resilient individuals aren't afraid to take steps in a new direction. Seek support from friends and family to strike out on a new path.
Purpose: A belief in something beyond yourself - religion, nature, humanity - is another common characteristic. Allow time for thoughtful reflection and discussion of ideas around life purpose.
Assertiveness is expressing your feelings, thoughts, and needs without threatening others.
Non-assertiveness is putting others first at your expense.
Agression is putting yourself first at the expense of others.
Passive-aggressiveness is pretending to put others first with dishonest communication and not respecting yourself enough to be honest about how you feel.
To be more assertive, start with new communication skills.
Where & When to Say it
Most college students say they feel "down " or "blue " every once in awhile, but people suffering from clinical depression have a body and mind illness that affects the way they eat, sleep and feel about themselves and the world. Most people grieve over experiences of loss and disappointment and gradually the grief becomes less. Those with clinical depression feel badly for weeks, months and sometimes years. They may not even know why they feel so sad and tired. They can not simply "get over it".
One out of every five adults may experience a depression at some point in their lives. Twice as many women as men suffer from depression, however men are more likely to die from suicide. The highest rates of depression are in 24-44 years olds. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among people 15-25 years old. One of the best strategies for the prevention of suicide is the early recognition and treatment of depression.
The most common symptoms of depression are:
The good news is that depression is highly treatable. Between 80 and 90% of all depressed people respond to treatment. Counseling can help people identify and cope with the factors that contribute to their depression in an atmosphere of acceptance and support. There are many helpful techniques including challenging negative though patterns, developing a positive self image, changing behaviors or life situations that are contributing to the problem, and developing an optimistic and accepting attitude. Treatment may also include medication, exercise, nutritional changes and changes in the use of alcohol, other drugs or even certain prescription medications.
Facing a very difficult situation or time in your life? Treat yourself with compassion. New research shows that when you treat yourself kindly in the face of failure, rejection, defeat, or other negative event, you may be able to cope and feel better. Although Western society has emphasized the importance of high self-esteem, having self-compassion may be more important in dealing with negative life events according to researcher and Wake Forest University psychologist Mark Leary, PhD.v "Self-compassion involves treating yourself with the same kindness you would show a friend whether you feel good about yourself or not," said Leary. "Self-esteem is simply feeling good about yourself." In his research, Leary found that those with higher self-compassion were more likely to think "Everybody goofs up now and then" and less likely to think "I am such a loser" or "I wish I could die" in response to a distressing situation.