INSIDE DOUGLAS COLLEGE / FEBRUARY 20, 1990 Help available for people who are depressed Waiting for depression to go away is not always the right thing to do. According to psychologist Gwen Gilliland, many people who are depressed do not realize the ex- tent of their depression. They wait for it to go away when instead, they could be getting help. Gilliland - who will hold a workshop called “Living With Depression” at Douglas College on February 24 - says in many cases, waiting for depression to go away is not the best thing to do. “If you wait long enough, the tendency is for depression to lift,” she says. “But while waiting for it to go away, people endure a great deal of unnecessary pain and suffering.” People who are severely depressed are better off seeking medical treatment for their depres- sion immediately, and dealing with the causes of their depression later. “Most people are more depressed than they often realize,” says Gil- liland. “The difficulty is that the more depressed you are, the more down on yourself you are, and the less inclined you are to seek outside help. That’s where people get stuck.” Gilliland says evidence now reveals that many people are more likely to become depressed because of their bio-chemical makeup, which has a heredity component. They are often unaware that they are more sensitive to depression. In these cases, drug therapy may be an effective solution. Gilliland has come back from depression herself, and she discus- ses her personal experiences in an intimate manner with the par- ticipants of her workshops. The treatment of depression, and its physical, emotional, social and spiritual causes are covered in the workshop. The goal, says Gilliland, is to provide its participants with an ac- tion plan to help each person with their own level of depression, and give them hope. Gilliland says “One of the big things is just helping people to real- ize that they are not stuck, that there are things that can be done to Overcome depression.” The workshop, “Living with Depression”, runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p-m. on Saturday, February 24. To register, call 527-5472. The cost of the workshop is $35. m rE A ELAS UT 2 OR ARN Group Advising Sessions Schedule All sessions start promptly at times advertised and are approximately 1 1/2 - 2 hours In length. Sessions are free and pre-registration Is not required. All sessions are held at the New Westminster campus unless otherwise stated. FEBRUARY 20 - 23 Access Nursing Access I Seem eh is tele fede 6) oilets 8.