The Counseling Center has received a record number of visitors this year. According to the Director of the Counseling Service and Wellness Programs Bernie Hershberger, this semester has been the busiest for the Center in 13 years. And the number of visitors shows no signs of letting up.
Hershberger attributed the rise in part to a nationwide increase in the demand for therapy at a younger age. When more high school students across the nation seek therapy each year, the number of students who use college counselors increases, as these teenagers graduate from high school and move on to use college services, said Hershberger.
The Counseling Center is used by 22 percent of the campus. By a student's senior year, 45 percent of his or her class will have used the Counseling Center at some point during their time at Bowdoin.
Despite the increase in students seeking counseling, the Center has been able to avoid a waitlist for students so far this year. The average student usually must wait from a few days to a week for an appointment.
Some students, however, feel that this period is too long.
One student, who wished to remain anonymous, said that he waited for two weeks for an appointment with a psychiatrist.
The student, who suffers from insomnia, said that he waited another three to four weeks to get an appointment with a hypnotist after medication proved insufficient.
While the wait time for an appointment is a common concern among students, there are no plans to add more counselors because of the economic circumstances affecting the College.
Hershberger said that the wait time experienced by students is far less than what many people outside of Bowdoin have to endure. According to Hershberger, it can sometimes take months to get an appointment with a good counselor, so waiting a week or two, when put into perspective, is not a tremendous amount of time.
"If someone needs to get in and they feel like they are getting a run-around, I want them to really feel free to call me or to call our secretary. I don't want anyone to feel discouraged about coming in, particularly if they are dealing with something that is difficult," said Hershberger.
In addition to the increase in students seeking counseling, the Center has also seen a rise in the number of emergencies this year. According to Hershberger, the Center has had "between eight and 10 after-hours emergencies."
The Counseling Center defines an emergency patient as anyone who is thinking of harming his/herself or others, who has recently been sexually or physically assaulted, who has had someone close to them die in the past few days, or who has witnessed or been a part of a traumatic event.
In the event of an emergency, the Counseling Center provides students with two options. They can either visit the Center during their emergency walk-in hour from 4-5 p.m., Monday through Friday, or they can visit an after-hours counselor. There is one after-hours counselor who can be reached by calling Security every night to deal with potential emergencies.
If a student is suicidal and can not shake his or her thoughts with the help of the counselor, the student is taken to Mid-Coast Hospital.
"There have been more hospitalizations at this point in the year than there have ever been," said Hershberger. The specific number of emergencies was withheld for the protection of the students.
The most reported reason for counseling is anxiety. Mild to moderate depression follows closely behind. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) frequently plays a role in depression seen in students, especially during the winter months, from lack of sunlight. The Counseling Center also occasionally deals with students suffering from bi-polar disorder.
About 25-30 percent of the students who visit the center are prescribed medication, according to Hershberger. Usually, those who have a significant level of anxiety or depression immediately see a psychiatrist and are prescribed medication. Students suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are usually required to attend several sessions before they are prescribed medication, like Ritalin or Adderall.
Some students have expressed surprise over how quickly they feel the Counseling Center is willing to give students prescriptions.
Bryant Johnson '11 said that after only one session with the psychiatrist he was prescribed an antidepressant. While he was surprised, he said it was not completely unexpected after hearing rumors around campus of students demanding and receiving Adderall after just one appointment.
The student who wished to remain anonymous said that he received a prescription for Ambien after a 15-minute appointment.
Hershberger said that the Counseling Center tries to provide a variety of mind-body options to help students, instead of rushing to prescribe them medication. The Center provides students with options like hypnosis, biofeedback therapy, yoga, tai chi and meditation as alternative methods of relief.
"They are really supportive and their intentions are good. Every week I go we talk about how to relax, but I think their solution is to prescribe. But, I guess it's not their fault. There's not a lot they can do," said the anonymous student.