{"234091":{"#nid":"234091","#data":{"type":"news","title":"National Recovery Month: Addressing Mental Health and Substance Abuse","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp class=\u0022Body1\u0022\u003EPresident Peterson has designated September as National Recovery Month at Georgia Tech. Students, staff and departments are collaborating to raise awareness of how mental health and substance abuse issues are impacting our student community. A 2012 survey of US college students found the following startling statistics:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E30 percent reported feeling so depressed they had difficulty functioning,\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E50 percent experienced overwhelming anxiety, and\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E7 percent considered suicide.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Body1\u0022\u003EWhen it comes to coping with these emotions, the study revealed that\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E31 percent of college students reported binge drinking in the last 2 weeks, and\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E15 percent reported marijuana use in the last month.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Body1\u0022\u003EMoreover, even among those students who do not experience any of these symptoms or behaviors first hand, many are still impacted by the struggle of their family members, friends and colleagues who experience mental health and substance abuse issues.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Body1\u0022\u003EStudents commonly experience periods of stress and sadness, and many experiment with drugs and alcohol. How do you know when your student is not just stressed, but distressed? How do you know when your student\u2019s sadness has become depression? How do you know when your student\u2019s drinking has drifted from experimentation to abuse?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Body1\u0022\u003EHere are some signs to help you identify when your student may be in distress.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Body1\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESigns of Stress and Sadness\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMissing home and family\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFeeling like you do not belong\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHaving trouble making friends\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFeeling nervous or anxious in class\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESleeping more or less\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EEating more or less\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMissing deadlines\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFeeling irritable, sad or angry\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Body1\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESigns of Anxiety and Depression\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EExperiencing any of the above signs for more than 2 weeks\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EStress or worry that is so chronic it interferes with daily functioning\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENot enjoying activities that you used to enjoy\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPanic attacks\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIsolating self from friends, roommates or even family members\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMood swings\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFeeling hopeless or worthless\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESuicidal thoughts\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Body1\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESubstance Use vs. Abuse\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Body1\u0022\u003EAny student using illicit drugs or any student under 21 consuming alcohol is violating the Georgia Tech Student Code of Conduct. According to the National Institutes of Health, binge drinking is defined as:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E5 or more standard drinks per day or 15 or more standard drinks per week for men\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E4 or more standard drinks per day or 8 or more standard drinks per week for women\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Body1\u0022\u003EIf your student is consuming alcohol at this rate, they are drinking in high-risk ways that significantly increase their chance of experiencing negative consequences. Using substances to meet emotional needs such as relaxing, feeling less anxious or more socially comfortable are indicators of problematic substance use. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recommends following low-risk drinking guidelines for healthy adults 21 years of age and older. It\u2019s as easy as 0-1-2-3.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E0 black outs or driving after drinking\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E1 drink per hour\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E2 days of drinking per week maximum\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E3 drinks per occasion maximum\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Body1\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech has a Counseling Center (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.counseling.gatech.edu\u0022 title=\u0022www.counseling.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ewww.counseling.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) that offers free and confidential counseling for mental health and substance use issues. On our website, students can find anonymous self-assessments to see if they have depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse and other common mental health problems. Students can seek support through brief consultations, workshops, support groups and individual counseling at the Counseling Center, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. Stamps Health Services has a women\u2019s clinic and psychiatry office offering specialized services. Additionally, the Office of the Dean of Students serves as an advocate for struggling students and houses a wide range of support services.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022Body1\u0022\u003EAs we mark National Recovery Month, take this opportunity to check-in with your student about his or her mental health and substance use. Let your student know that Georgia Tech has support resources available to aide him or her in having a successful academic career.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStudents, staff and departments are collaborating to raise awareness of how mental health and substance abuse issues are impacting our student community.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":"","uid":"27164","created_gmt":"2013-09-04 15:20:18","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:49","author":"Rachael Pocklington","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-09-04T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-09-04T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/studentaffairs.gatech.edu\/","title":"Division of Student Affairs"},{"url":"http:\/\/counseling.gatech.edu\/","title":"Counseling Center"}],"groups":[{"id":"1298","name":"Parent and Family Programs"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"10343","name":"mental health"},{"id":"11694","name":"Recovery"},{"id":"167528","name":"substance abuse"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDr. Abby Myers\u003Cbr \/\u003EPsychologist, Counseling Center\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:%20abby.myers@vpss.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby.myers@vpss.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["parents@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}