Response to Upcoming Elections

By THE COUNSELING CENTER

Upcoming elections will determine the near future of our country. The gravity of this election has already begun to weigh on many individuals in our community and nation. The Counseling Center at The College of Saint Rose is dedicated to serving students in processing the outcome of this upcoming election. According to surveys, college students are most worried about the way in which the election is being administered, the dependency of mail-in ballots, foreign interference, and the fairness of the election. Students have also identified that COVID-19, race relations, climate change, inequality, the economy, White House leadership, healthcare, and education as the most important issues to be considered in the 2020 election.

The College of Saint Rose is a member of The JED Foundation and recognized as a JED campus! The JED foundation is a member of the Mental Health in U.S. initiative that has been developed prior to the 2020 election in order to elevate mental health in the national policy conversation in our country. The initiative works to educate and advocate for the prevalence of suicide, addiction, overdose, and mental illness in our country. In addition to these new efforts the JED foundation also offers many other resources for students, including information regarding response to traumatic events. For many, the election of 2016 was a traumatic event causing anxiety for many college students. With this in mind, The Counseling Center at The College of Saint Rose, along with the JED foundation are ready to help students process the results of the upcoming election, no matter what the result may be.

It’s normal to feel powerless, sad, anxious, frightened, angry, or any mix of these emotions when experiencing a traumatic event. During times like these reaching out to family, friends or counselors to express your feelings and explore effective and healthy ways to cope with your emotions is important! According to the JED Foundation we can utilize tips for managing your mental health following traumatic events:

Stay open: talk about your thoughts, feelings, and emotions with those you trust

Stay present: take a break from social media and news when necessary

Stay active and healthy: look out for your health by exercising, eating healthy foods, and getting enough sleep

Stay connected and positive: spend time with people that make you happy

We can also look out for ourselves and one another by looking for warning signs that an individual may be struggling with feelings of hopelessness. These signs include:
Withdrawing or isolating oneself

Sleeping all the time or not enough

Using drugs or alcohol more than usual

Talking about death or dying

For more information and help, please reach out to the Counseling Center. The Counseling Center is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. We are located on the third floor of Saint Joseph’s Hall at 985 Madison Ave. Appointments are now being held virtually. You can call the center at (518) 454-5200 to make an appointment!