Blog

“Happy Holidays!” “Happy Hanukkah!” “Merry Christmas!” The commercialism of holidays expects us to be joyful, happy, and merry, but “the most wonderful time of the year” can turn into the most stressful time of year.   

Did you know that December is National Stress-Free Family Holiday Month? You might be thinking to yourself, “how?” Between holiday season travel, shopping, the crowds that accompany them, hosting dinners, feeling alone, grieving the loss of a loved one, financial problems, and family tension, the holiday season may come along with significant stress. For many, the holidays can cause serious anxiety and depression. Keep reading for ways to cope with this holiday season.  

By Matt Gonzalez

Whether you are a first-time freshman or a well-seasoned senior, nothing quite strikes fear into the heart of students as Finals Week. Between balancing the studying requirements for each exam or adding your finishing touches to several term papers; Finals Week is the season of stress. So, what is one to do? How can you simultaneously be asked to enjoy the holiday season and prepare for the final push of your class? Here are some last minute tips that can help you get over the hump!

By Chloe Smith, MSW Intern

Following the death of your loved one, you may experience what is known as the  Five Stages of Grief. The Five Stages of Grief is used to help describe the process someone goes through while grieving their loved one’s death. While the Five Stages of Grief is a helpful model to resonate with, it does not represent how someone should grieve. Everyone grieves differently. Grief is not a linear process. While everyone’s journey of grief is different, resonating with the five stages of grief may help you make some sense of the way you feel. 

by Claire Barbetti, PhD, MA

By Claire McCown, M.A. 

As fall semester kicks into full swing, you may find yourself overloaded with stress from adjusting to your new course schedule, acclimating to college life, or picking up new extracurricular activities. Sometimes, people who experience stress and other mental health symptoms also experience suicidal ideation.  

By Kearisten Gaines, M.A. 

By Chelsea Latorre, M.Ed.

How are those New Year’s Resolutions holding up this time of the year? Are you having trouble keeping your goals on track? How often do you feel guilty or upset with yourself that you are not meeting your goals? Do you need help narrowing and refining your goals to meet you where you are at today, in this moment, and not back in January of this year?

By: Seth Haxel

The transition to college is difficult under the best of circumstances, which is why the orientation process here at WVU for incoming students is designed to make the transition from high school to college as smooth as possible.  But what about the student who aren’t coming directly from high school? Or the students who started college and are coming back after time off to finish their degree or get a second degree?  These students, among others, make up a population called non-traditional students.

By: Chelsea Latorre, M.Ed.

Eating disorders are psychological disorders associated with irregular eating habits and extreme distress about body weight and/or shape. They are impacted by biological, psychological, and social factors in our everyday lives and can have serious health consequences.

The most common types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. Individuals with anorexia nervosa typically engage in self-starvation and demonstrate significant weight loss. Individuals with bulimia nervosa typically experience episodes of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors (such as purging or excessive exercise) to counteract episodes of binge eating. Individuals with binge eating disorder typically experience recurrent episodes of binge eating in which they feel out of control and without regular use of compensatory behaviors.