Marita Barger was stressed, sleep deprived and feeling overworked when she was admitted to the hospital. Although this sounds like something most any other student goes through, she was also dealing with something much more severe. Barger, an undergraduate at the University of Oregon, was suffering depression, a common mental illness among college students.

Barger had suffered from depression since the age of 13. At the end of her freshman year, she was faced with typical college troubles, such as arguments with her boyfriend and difficult coursework. The difference was that she was also suffering from a common but serious mental illness that typically causes constant sadness or anxiety and feeling of hopelessness and worthlessness.

In 2011, the American College Health Association administered a nationwide survey and found that about 30 percent of college students reported feeling “so depressed that it was difficult to function” at some time in the past year.

Normal negative emotions usually come and pass quickly. Depression causes these deeply rooted and negative feelings to be drawn out, lasting for a long time and consuming many aspects of life. These long-lasting effects often interfere with everyday activities and can severely affect an individual’s well-being.

After struggling and feeling overwhelmed, Barger soon broke down and attempted suicide by overdosing on medication.

“I started to feel sick and began to regret what I had done so I called my friend. He immediately came to my dorm, and in time an ambulance showed up and took me to the hospital,” Barger said. “I stayed in the hospital for about a week until I was discharged.”

Upon her return, Barger hoped for a warm and supportive welcome from her sorority. Even though she was living in the dorms at the time of her suicide attempt, she had planned on living in the house the following year. Instead of a warm welcome, Barger was asked to live outside of the house because the majority of the women felt uncomfortable about the suicide attempt.

“At that moment I realized that these were not people I wanted to associate myself with,” Barger said. “My family, close friends and counseling got me through. Some days are harder than others, but I have a support system which prevents me from attempting to commit suicide in the future.”

Now she’s got the illness beat.

A good support system is one of the key elements to helping a depressed student stop feeling hopeless and exhausted. For those who are depressed, there are people everywhere, including at the University Counseling and Testing Center to help no matter what level of depression or other mental disorder a student may suffer from. And for those interested in being involved and helping others, there are several classes as well as annual suicide prevention trainings.

For those seeking help, seeing a professional can oftentimes be scary, but exploring treatment sooner rather than later can be extremely beneficial. Also, exercise and engaging in activities that interest you are proven to increase the positive aspects of a student’s lifestyle and help symptoms of depression.