For some students, the holidays are more than merriment and jubilee — many students face dark bouts with depression.

Besides being stressed about studying for semester finals and completing final projects, Nancy Corbin, assistant director for Iowa State Clinical Services, said many students put impossible expectations upon themselves.

She said many people depressed due to the holidays want to “have the perfect holiday” by selecting “the perfect gift” or “preparing good meals” and are upset when they cannot achieve the lofty standard they set for themselves.

Also, the holiday season may not possess the same kind of excitement for students as it did in their younger years and may result in feelings of depression, she said.

For international students who are unable to go home, the holidays can be an especially trying time.

Yenny Ng, sophomore in management information systems, is from Indonesia and has been unable to return home for one- and- a- half years because of uprisings in the country.

“My parents don’t let me go home,” she said.

To celebrate the holiday season, Ng said she hopes to go East with a group of friends.

Jiyoung Choi, graduate student in mathematics, said she will be staying in her room in Buchanan Hall and watching television because she does not want to “be surrounded by couples.”

Another explanation for holiday depression lies in unresolved conflict among family members, said Nancy Stubbs, a counselor at Firm Foundations Counseling Center, 600 Fifth St.

“Most people I’ve talked to dread the holidays because of their estranged family relationships,” she said.

She attributed unresolved childhood conflicts and poor conflict resolution skills as key reasons for depression among family members.

Belinda Backous, undecided sophomore, said the more time she spends with her family, the more depressed she gets when she comes back to school.

To cope with her depression, she seeks companionship.

“Loneliness perpetuates depression,” she said.

Ed Ruppert, counselor at Lutheran Social Service, 1323 Northwestern Ave., said depression may result from the “prolonged stress of the flurry of activity that surrounds the holiday season.”

Ruppert said some people feel isolated because they put up a congenial front, making them appear to enjoy the Christmas season when they are actually loathing the holidays.

These people “don’t want to be a detriment to other people experiencing joy,” he said.

Many people dread the holidays because it conjures up memories of happy times spent with family members who have either split up or have passed away.

Besides affecting people psychologically, Ruppert said stress affects the biochemistry of the human body by depleting neurological chemicals that stabilize moods. Prolonged exposure to stress results in depression, he said.

One of the best ways to treat depression is “trying to figure out why you feel the way you feel and trying to change it,” she said.

Corbin said eating a healthy diet, exercising and getting an ample amount of sleep is essential in avoiding depression.

“Students need to take a bit of time for themselves,” she said. “Taking a walk for 30 minutes might help them study better.”

Above all, people need to “keep [their] expectations reasonable,” Corbin said.

Ruppert said warning signs include: loss or increase in appetite, loss or increase in sleeping habits, self-destructive behavior or vague statements like “I wish I hadn’t been born” or “You’d be better off without me.”