Mental Health and Depression

At age 13, my family and I experienced 7 deaths in one year. Some were family, some were friends—some were expected, and one was a complete surprise. I wish I would have heard this piece a long time ago, and been been better equipped to wrestle with my grief.

Dr. Michele Willingham works for Biola's Counseling Center as the Director of Internship Training, and has a passion for college student’s mental health. Depression is real, it’s common, and not something we should ignore.

Statistics show that 1 out of every 4 college students suffers from some form of mental illness, including depression.

If your life feels out of control, if you can’t focus, if you’re angry much of the time, have little energy or feel fatigued, sad or stuck … these could be signs of depression. Please, check out this talk for information on understanding and addressing depression.

Dr. Willingham reminds us, "What we don't understand, we fear." Don’t live in fear, and don’t wait to work through your pain with a professional if you need. I encourage you to learn, share, connect. You can get through this!

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