Where would I go if I might be depressed?
Does UIC offer couples therapy?
I have an anxiety disorder and I don't know what to do. Suggestions?
Where can I get confidential help for self-injury?
Where can I get free counseling?

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QUESTION: I was wondering who should be contacted for emotional health needs, such as possible depression. How would go about taking care of this need? (November 19, 2004)

ANSWER: Most people who have gone through one episode of depression will, sooner or later, have another one. Some people say that depression feels like a black curtain of despair coming down over their lives. Many people feel like they have no energy and can't concentrate. Others feel irritable all the time for no apparent reason. The symptoms vary from person to person, but if you feel "down" for more than two weeks, and these feelings are interfering with your daily life, you may be clinically depressed (from: depression.com). Depression can be treated, so it's important to seek help, if you think you might be depressed.

If you are a UIC student, you may seek free and confidential services from the Counseling Center (www.counseling.uic.edu). The Counseling Center is located in the Student Services Building; you may contact them at 312/996.3490. In addition to offering counseling services, the Counseling Center also operates the InTouch Crisis Hotline (312/996.5535) from 6-10:30pm. They offer support and referrals to callers, as well as telephone crisis interventions.

If you are not a student at UIC, it is recommended you seek care from another source. It is recommended that you speak with someone you are comfortable talking to about depression, such as a clinician, school counselor or nurse, a member of the clergy, a friend, or a family member. For additional information, please visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

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QUESTION: does uic medical center offer couples therapy? (January 9, 2004)

ANSWER: You or your partners status with the university may depend on where you can go for couples therapy. If you or your partner are students at UIC you can utilize the Counseling Center in SSB. This service is covered under the student health fee. You can contact the Counseling Center at 996.3490 to schedule an intake appointment.

If you are an employee of UIC you can contact Employee Assistance Services, which is part of the Department of Psychiatry on the west side of campus. They can be reached at 996.3588 and you'd want to speak with Geri Biamonte. During regular working hours (9-5), she would be able to provide free, confidential assessments and short-term counseling (approximately 3 sessions).

Faculty, staff, or students can contact the Office of Applied Psychological Services (OAPS) at 996.2540. In this department clinicians are advanced graduate students studying for a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and are supervised by Ph.D level psychologists. The initial visit is free and all other services are determined on a sliding scale based on income.

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QUESTION: I've had anxiety my whole life but with in the past couple years the anxiety has turned into panic attacks. At first they were minor, but now they can get so bad that it's affecting my life. I don't go out or do things because I'm afraid to have another one, so I stay inside and avoid people and phone calls. I had a panic attack last week at school that was so bad that I passed out! I've been to a couple doctors and even tried medication, but the medication made me so sick (and I couldn't afford the prescriptions) that I stopped taking it. It's embarrassing and ruining my life. Any suggestions? (October 2, 2003)

ANSWER: If you are a UIC student you can have a number of counseling sessions for free (as part of the student health fee). They can be reached at 312/996.3490 and are located in the SSB. The Counseling Center would be more qualified to offer suggestions for your situations.

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QUESTION: I self injure for some time now, where do i go to get help. I want it to be confidential. (August 13, 2003)

ANSWER: If you are a student at UIC, you are able to go to the Counseling Center in the Student Services Building (SSB) on the East side of campus. There are well-qualified counselors/psychologists to talk with and all your information is completely confidential. They are located on the corner of Harrison and Racine, the room number is 2010 SSB, and the phone number is 312/996.3490. This is a free service (up to a certain number of sessions) for students and again, everything is confidential.

If you are not a UIC Student, you can call the In-Touch Hotline
at (312) 996-5535 from 6:00pm - 10:30pm. "Calls placed to the Hotline remain confidential and are treated in an objective, non-judgmental fashion."

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QUESTION: Is there a place on campus where I can get free counseling?

ANSWER: The UIC Counseling Center provides free personal counseling and career development to students, consulting to faculty and staff, outreach programming to the entire UIC community, and training programs for doctoral psychology interns and externs and undergraduate paraprofessionals.