A support network of friends willing to talk can be a major boost for people suffering from depression, campus experts said.

About one in seven people in the United States deals with depression, according to information provided by Student Counseling Service at Iowa State.

Dr. Marc Shulman, staff physician at Thielen Student Health Center, said the stresses of college bring underlying pressures to the surface.

True depression lasts longer than three months, he said. It is more than being stressed about a test or feeling homesick, but these things can add to it.

Although depression is treatable, some people refuse to seek help.

“It’s hard to admit to yourself that you’re having those problems,” Shulman said. “[Depression’s] not viewed as an illness like high blood pressure or diabetes. They think it’s a character flaw. It’s not.”

Marty Martinez, psychologist at Student Counseling Service, agreed and said that seeking counseling is often viewed as admitting weakness.

“You pull yourself up by your bootstraps and carry on,” he said.

This stigma is why being a friend can be so important. Friends are not concerned about their friend having depression, they are concerned about how serious it is and what can be done to help, Martinez said.

“Be there,” he said. “Be a great listener and care. Friends should never underestimate the value of being a friend.”

As friends, however, people also need to know when things are too much for them to handle, Shulman said.

“It can be just as hard on the support person as it is on the depressed person,” he said.

Martinez said he recommends finding other resources when attempts to talk to a friend are not enough.

“Playing counselor can hurt a friendship,” he said. “It’s telling what to do instead of listening. Sometimes a friend’s empathy and a counselor’s objective opinion are both needed.”

Martinez said people should trust their instincts if they feel something is seriously wrong even when a friend says it is not.

“They’re there for a reason,” he said. “Most people don’t regret following their deep instinct.”

Sometimes a friendship can put people in a difficult situation. It may be hard deciding what to do when a friend admits to having suicidal thoughts but asks that the information remain confidential, Martinez said.

“Friends should never feel bound to keep from doing something to help a friend,” he said. “Tell them everything will be for your best interest. It won’t go any farther unless you tell me to tell someone else.”

But he said thinking about suicide is indirectly asking for help, and friends should respond to the nonverbal plea.

“You’ll feel disloyal,” he said, but sometimes the relationship has to be risked. Martinez said the depressed friend may lose trust after a response, but the knowledge that a life was saved should be worth it.

He recommends keeping a list of resources and phone numbers close. Iowa State provides many resources for students suffering with depression.

Students can walk into Student Counseling Service during regular hours, and no appointment is needed for emergencies, Martinez said. Any other time, calls can be made to the Department of Public Safety to be forwarded to the counselor on call.

If the depression is neurological, physicians at Thielen Student Health Center can help find the correct medication, Shulman said.