Another side of the holidays for students at Ohio State
Written by Sonia Selvakumar
Many students look forward to the semester break and spending time with family.
But not everyone.
Nicholas Carr, a graduate student in optometry, has parents facing a divorce and the fact they are now living apart makes his Christmas plans a bit murkier. And he is not alone.
The holidays may not be a joyous occasion for everyone, and Ohio State experts say anxiety and depression can be common during the season.
Dr. Ryan Patel, a psychiatrist at Office of Student Life’s Counselling and Consultation Service, said there may be unrealistic expectations and troubling experiences from the past.
“There might be risk of doing too much over scheduling for some students and there might be risk of isolation for others,” said Patel.
Patel said that students going home for the holidays has its ups and downs, because there is a limited amount of time to do many things.
“Sometimes, the expectation can be oh there is all these things you should be doing, people to see … and there is a very limited amount of time,” said Patel. “All of that can produce a lot of pressure on students.”
According to Patel, the advice he would give to students suffering from depression and anxiety around the holidays is to set a limit on how much students are going to do. But also, set aside time to rest before the next semester.
“The third aspect of it is to properly take care of yourself, get enough sleep and avoid usage of excessive amount of caffeine or alcohol,” Patel said.
Kristine Harvey, a second year in neuroscience, said that the holidays make her a little sad sometimes.
“My mom has to work, so we do not really celebrate,” said Harvey. “It is also just me, my sister and mom so it is small and I am envious of all the big families that get together.”
Carr said that his advice for the people in the same position as him is time.
“It does not help the situation now, but in the end, things will hopefully get better,” said Carr. “It stinks, it is awkward, it sucks, but I think time is the ultimate healer of all and hope and pray things get better.”
Source List
1. Nicholas Carr — graduate student at Ohio State Carr.459@osu.edu Interviewed in-person on Thursday at the Ohio Union
2. Dr. Ryan Patel — psychiatrist Patel.2350@osu.edu Interviewed in-person on Nov. 20 at Lincoln Tower, 10th floor — Counselling and Consultation Service
3. Kristine Harvey — second year at Ohio State(567) 208–6562Interviewed by phone on Monday
