Saddleback College Clinical Psychology intern talks to students about combating mental disorders

Students listen to Saddleback College Clinical Psychology intern Corrine Werner present the various mental disorders and the importance of self-care. (Diana Tomseth/Lariat)

Saddleback College hosted a presentation about combating disorders in the Associated Student Government room Thursday, Oct. 5 for Mental Health Awareness Week.

Corrine Werner, M.A., a Clinical Psychology intern from the Saddleback College Student Health Center gave the presentation.

She explained that many students visit the health center due to anxiety and depression, stress related issues with school, relationship problems and suicide-ality.

“College is an age where a lot where a lot of stressors come about, so I want them to be able to know that they do have support on campus and that we’re here to help them in case they don’t have it elsewhere,” Werner said.

Werner discussed Bipolar, Schizophrenia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder in her presentation. She went in detail about each of the four disorders, including symptoms and ways to cope.

She said Bipolar is the most common disorder that she sees students come with, at the health office. Bipolar is a mental disorder that brings extreme high and low moods.

“Bipolar is often misdiagnosed as either depression or some other mental or mood disorder, so often times we will see kids come in who are maybe just having their first bipolar episode, which often emerges in young adulthood,” Werner said.

She said Bipolar looks like mania, hypomania and depression, and combination of some of those. Mania and hypomania specified as the highs include grandiosity, flight of ideas, restlessness, not needing as much sleep, someone kind of all over the place. Depressive episodes which know as the lows consists of very deep depression, loss of pleasure, hopelessness and fatigue.

“I hope people learn about ending the stigma, and that just because somebody has a certain mental health disorder or anything of the sort, that they are people just like you and me and that these are topics that we should feel comfortable talking about and that we shouldn’t be afraid to speak out about,” said Erica Delamare, 19, Saddleback College ASG President

Bipolar, a lifelong disorder can be managed with medication. Werner talked about the importance of self-care as a way to cope with all of the disorders.

“I actually do use the mental health services here at Saddleback and if anybody were to need them, I would recommend them,” said Jensen Walsh, 19, Saddleback College student

Students can visit Saddleback College Health Center for psychological assessments and services located at SSC-117 or reached at 949-582-4606.

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