INSIDE DOUGLAS COLLEGE/NOVEMBER 15, 1988

 

 

 

eFeeling Fed Up

Feeling fed up? As the grey
skies of winter close in you may
find yourself stuck in a quag-
mire of depression. But it is
possible to get free. And
through learning it becomes less
painful.

A one-day workshop called
Feeling Fed Up is being offered
through the Community
Programs division at the New
Westminster campus. Specially
designed for depression suf-
ferers, the workshop first
defines the illness and it’s
symptoms, then examines
methods of eliminating depres-
sion.

"Being depressed means
thinking you have no choice in
the matter," says instructor and
registered psychologist Gwen
Gilliland. "The workshop ex-
plains available options and
takes a look at life-patterns you
might want to change. You

 

can’t go anywhere unless you
first learn the direction to take."

 

Personal attention is
given in a support-group
environment.

 

With a class limit of fourteen,
personal attention is given in a
support-group environment. Ac-
cording to Gilliland groups are
an important complement to
one’s individual relationship
with a therapist.

"Finding other people in the
same spot helps," she says, in-
cluding empathy as one of the
several options available to limit
or end depression.

The workshop is available to
both women and men although
Gilliland expects more women
will attend. "Women are more
prone to depression and more
likely to seek a cure,” she says.
"Our culture provides women

 

with more reasons for being
depressed, and it’s still not con-
sidered ‘macho’ for men to
admit having emotional
problems."

Recognizing more fully how
depression works and learning
how to care for yourself (physi-
cally, psychologically and
possibly through medication) is
thoroughly examined in the
workshop.

"Depression is anger turned
inward," she says. "And more
personally beneficial methods of
expressing anger are looked at
in the group. It’s truly
worthwhile to drag yourself out
for nine a.m. The biggest bar-
rier to “feeling fed up’ is making
these kinds of initial moves."

The workshop is offered
Saturday November 26 from
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For infor-
mation call 520-5479.