{"232461":{"#nid":"232461","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Recovery Month Sheds Light on Health Issues","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe \u201croad to recovery\u201d can be part of any personal journey, but some people hit this challenging stretch for the first time in college.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cRecovery,\u201d according to Abby Myers, a licensed psychologist at the Georgia Tech Counseling Center, \u201crefers to the process of effectively coping with mental health and substance use disorders.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith 50 percent of college students experiencing \u0022overwhelming\u0026nbsp;anxiety,\u0022 according to a 2012 American College Health Association assessment, many Tech students may be grappling with such issues and, it is hoped, be \u201ceffectively coping\u201d and well on their way to recovery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo educate the campus and celebrate those overcoming various types of challenges, September has been designated National Recovery Month. Georgia Tech President G.P. \u201cBud\u201d Peterson has signed a proclamation supporting the month-long initiative, and several campus departments are offering workshops and other related events.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGetting back on track\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Lauren Spikes, a business administration major, high school was a breeze. After a year at Tech, when her academic performance was not up to her usual standard, she grew concerned.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy grades weren\u2019t reflecting my ability,\u201d she said. \u201cI tried things like tutoring and academic coaching, and nothing helped.\u201d She also had trouble sleeping. Only after talking with her mom, who was diagnosed with adult ADD while Spikes was in high school, did she start to consider that she, too, may be struggling with a learning disability that was taking a toll on her mental health.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpikes sought help and was diagnosed with adult ADD, as well as a cognitive distortion. She began taking medication and felt the mental benefits almost immediately. Within a year, she was able to get her academic life back on track. Four years after the start of her recovery, though, it\u2019s still \u201can everyday thing.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou have to learn how to learn all over again,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd you learn how to identify things that are undermining your recovery and how to manage them.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBreaking the stigma\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECollege students nationwide are affected by mental health symptoms, many encountering them for the first time. The 2012 ACHA assessment found that 30 percent feel so depressed they have difficulty functioning, and 7 percent consider suicide.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn an attempt to cope with these issues, some turn to substance abuse: 31 percent report binge drinking during the last two weeks, and 15 percent report marijuana use in the last month.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u0022Even for those students who do not experience any of these symptoms or behaviors, they are impacted by the struggle of their family members, friends and colleagues who experience mental health and substance abuse issues,\u0022 Myers said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor those in an ongoing relationship with someone in any type of recovery, it can help to be educated about the specific issues with which their loved one struggles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cLearn as much as you can about what\u2019s going on, and encourage them to talk about it once they\u2019re comfortable,\u201d Spikes said. In her own experience, she wished more people had asked questions along the way. \u201cThe worst feeling in the world is to have these issues and feel like you have no one to go to or talk to about them.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cStudents can support others with mental health or substance abuse disorders by understanding the signs and symptoms of distress, expressing concern for a friend in an empathic and supportive manner, and recommending he or she seek support through the Counseling Center or other health clinic,\u201d said Myers. \u201cOpen communication where you ask how you can be supportive of your loved one can give you specific direction.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis month, the Counseling Center is providing a number of opportunities for the campus community to learn about issues and recovery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gatech.edu\/calendar\/event.html?nid=228471\u0022\u003EThursday, Sept. 12\u003C\/a\u003E, students, faculty and staff are encouraged to wear purple as part of \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/goprojectpurple.com\/the-herren-project\u0022\u003EProject Purple\u003C\/a\u003E, a national initiative to break the stigma of addiction, bring awareness to the dangers of substance abuse and shed light on effective treatment practices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWorkshops will be held every Tuesday in Room 127 of the Clough Commons to discuss recovery and better coping mechanisms:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gatech.edu\/calendar\/event.html?nid=227901\u0022\u003ESept. 3: Mental Health 101\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gatech.edu\/calendar\/event.html?nid=227911\u0022\u003ESept. 10: A Mind-Body Approach to Stress Reduction\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gatech.edu\/calendar\/event.html?nid=227921\u0022\u003ESept. 17: How to Help a Friend in Distress\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gatech.edu\/calendar\/event.html?nid=227931\u0022\u003ESept. 24: I Love Someone Who...Has an Addiction\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn Tuesday,Sept. 24, guest speaker \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gatech.edu\/calendar\/event.html?nid=228621\u0022\u003EMark Sterner\u003C\/a\u003E will discuss a personal college experience with drunk driving at the Ferst Center at 7 p.m.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo learn more about recovery and services at the Counseling Center, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.counseling.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ewww.counseling.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEvents will educate campus on mental health and recovery issues.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Events will educate campus on mental health and recovery issues."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2013-08-28 15:32:05","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:46","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-09-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-09-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/counseling.gatech.edu\/","title":"Counseling Center"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"13904","name":"addiction"},{"id":"1763","name":"counseling"},{"id":"10343","name":"mental health"},{"id":"11694","name":"Recovery"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby.myers@vpss.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAbby Myers\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECounseling Center\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kristen.bailey@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EKristen Bailey\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}