Ready for relief from school, junior Danica Fredricks said, “I’m ready for spring break.”
She has reason for this. For one, she cites the conditions caused by the weather. Tired of the ice, Fredricks said, “I’ve slipped so many times.”
She is also empathetic towards other students. Fredricks said, “There are people who want to go back home to the weather they are used to. A lot of people hate Wisconsin just because of the weather. Wisconsin is not that bad. The nature up North is really pretty; you can boat, ski, wake board, go water tubing, or snowmobiling. In my hometown, Eagle River, WI, they really celebrate winter.”
On the other hand, Fredricks showed some frustration at how other students treat the winter conditions. She said, “Some people don’t wear coats when it’s below zero; that’s crazy. I have a big fluffy coat to keep me warm.”
Senior Lark Jackson is having both mental and physical symptoms. On her mental health, Jackson said, “For the most part, I have been pretty focused. I don’t want teachers to think I have totally checked out.”
The health of her body is a different story. Jackson said, “I have a cold, but I might have the flu; I am trying to be optimistic. The dorm life has contributed to my sickness.”
Jackson has reasons why her mind is muddled; she also knows she is not alone. She said, “I am so close to graduation yet so far. There is also an anxiety among the rest of the seniors because of college; I have had a wonderful experience during my few years, but I want to know what the future holds.
Jackson’s experience with the weather is common. She said, “I sometimes do feel unmotivated. I can attribute that to the weather. Your overall mood changes, you seem a lot more uninspired.”
But Jackson was quick to note “there is a big difference between depression and sadness.”
Sophomore Matt Hernandez differentiated between the two. “Sad is just an emotion that comes and goes; depression is long term.”
He also highlighted his own ill health. “With the winter season, I always feel so tired and exhausted.”
Unexpectedly, Hernandez went into the third person and said, “Matt has been grouchy and mean.”
Hernandez then explained his emotions. “I hate the winter. Wisconsin gets it so bad; it snows too much.”
As a cure for his malady, he suggested, “We need to leave campus some times. I get bored and depressed.”
Hernandez also cited another solution for this time of year. “Once a week, every other week, we should have off.”
His final plea was for “just one day off, that’s all we’re asking for.”
Junior Jackie Barron also echoed some of Hernandez’s sentiments. “We should have some school trips to help us out.”
Barron illustrated her reasoning. She said, “Every time I go outside and see the slush [look of disgust].”
Slush on her pants has caused extra laundry. Barron said, “I had to change pants today because they got too wet.”
Barron had one explanation for why students are sick. She said, “We eat junk.”
Junior Sara Baig is still hopeful. Baig said, “We have four weeks before we are done for break.”
And yet, she asked, “Do I look like I’m happy?”
The reason for her unhappiness was apparent. Baig said, “Look at my nose; it’s hurting. I’m dying. Don’t you just hate it when you have to sneeze and you can’t?”
When asked if she feels like she has to carry tissues with her all the time, Baig replied, “I don’t feel like it, I have to.”
Baig also commented on the slush problem. “Just like they provide teachers with laptops, students should be given long rain/snow boots.”
Junior Spencer Schumann seemed to have a horrible predicament. He said, “I used to think SAD was a fallacy; now I can diagnosis myself with it.”
Schumann cited one major cause of his illness. “After two days of class, you are already burnt out.”
When asked if his school work has suffered because of his syndrome, Schumann said, “Yes, immensely.”
All four agreed, “Wayland should have more activities this time of year.”
When asked if he was sick, junior Tyler Hill said, “No, knock on wood.”
As to the reason for his health, he said, “I have the vitality of an ox.”
When asked if he was taking any precautions to keep the germs away, he said, “I have been trying to drown everything with orange juice.”
The author asks everyone to drown their food in vitamin C. If not for you, at least for the rest of us who don’t want to get sick; and, please, cover your mouth.
“Cheer up! Snap out of it! Get yourself out of those blues!” This may seem like an easy thing to do, but for some people with clinical depression it is not. “Depression is a serious medical illness; it is not something you have made up in your head. It’s more than just feeling ‘down in the dumps’ or ‘blue’ for a few days.” Medical depression isn’t just something you can just perk up out of. Depression needs treatment. There are also many other things to learn about depression.
First off, depression affects your mind and its chemistry. Certain chemicals control your feelings. When one is off balance there can be trouble. It is biological in nature. It isn’t just psychological. Messages aren’t transmitted by the neurotransmitters to the neurons correctly. This disorder can fog your mind like a storm cloud. Your mind can feel empty or like it is full of cotton. It is hard to concentrate and make decisions. Some people have a dull feeling in their head.
Secondly, depression can make your social relationships tough. No one likes being around someone who is always negative. Negative people can even make us feel bad. Another problem can occur with raising children. Parenting is hard enough; with depression it can be even harder. Parents with depression can be so consumed in their own problems that their children are neglected.
Thirdly, Depression causes physical problems. People with this blue mood can very easily be tired and have no energy all the time. Insomnia is also a problem. Depression may also lessen the amount of physical activity a person has.
This lack of exercise lets muscles get weaker. Some people eat more when they are depressed. This causes them to gain weight. Other people lose weight when they are depressed.
Fourthly, depression can hamper normal living. It used to be easy to get through work, do chores, and make dinner, but with being lethargic it can be a real drag. Family and friends can get very tired of trying to cheer the person up. The family and friend’s frustration can also cause conflicts between you and them.
Fifthly, depression affects your emotions. We all know sadness characterizes depression. Other emotions can also go along with depression. Anger, despair, and hopelessness can be in the combo. With this disorder we can lose joy and happiness in our lives. When one is depressed, weird things can happen with your emotions. Your emotions might be really extreme, very varied, or you might feel like your emotions are dead.
Lastly, symptoms of depression include the following: “Sadness, irritability, anxiety, a drop in grades, isolating oneself in one’s room, feelings of worthlessness, lethargy, and recurring thoughts of death.”
In Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory we find Charlie’s mom singing a song to Charlie. She vocalizes a song to him saying, “Cheer up, Charlie.” Charlie was sad over some of his circumstances. Although Charlie was just sad, “Each year over 17 million American adults experience a period of clinical depression.” Knowing that, we also know that depression affects your mind, body, emotions, and social relationships. Acknowledging that depression hampers your life and has specific symptoms is also valuable. Knowing all the facts, do you or any one you know have depression?
