Asian center offers stress relief

With the stress of midterms building up, some students found a much needed break in an unlikely place. \nThe Asian Culture Center co-sponsored a free "Massage Break and Mood Check" evening with the IU Counseling and Psychological Services Thursday night at the ACC.\nThe evening included free massages from the Associates of Integrative Health, a local massage school. The ACC also provided healthy snacks of fruits, vegetables, crackers and apple cider.\nCheng-yi Liu, a graduate assistant at the ACC, said the timing of the event was chosen to correlate with midterms.\n"Midterms just concluded, so this is a perfect time to do something like this," Liu said. "Students can come out for a study break, get a free massage and also find out if they might benefit from some professional advice to deal with stress and mood-related difficulties."\nLiu also said the night was based on an idea to get students tested for possible depression but that the massage aspect was added to give students an extra incentive to come to the event.\n"We thought it would be difficult to get students to come get voluntarily screened for depression, so we tried to make it into more of a relaxation, study break-type program," Liu said.\nMelanie Castillo-Cullather, director of the ACC, said the center realizes the problems students go through with stress and co-sponsored the night to help spread information about the resources on campus.\n"We recognize the need to address very important health issues that affect students, and with this program, we hope to send the message that there are support offices on campus that students can turn to if they need some help in overcoming stress," Castillo-Cullather said.\nLiu said sometimes students don't realize the consequences of overworking themselves.\n"Students often try to take on more than they can handle and the resulting stress can have long term negative effects," Liu said. "Too much stress can affect your physical health as well as your mental health."\nHelen Yu, a second year law student at IU, said she thinks students fail to realize the stress that comes with "a loaded plate."\n"If you don't treat stress now, it could lead to more serious problems like depression," Yu said.\nIU Counseling and Psychological Services had a table with information about depression. Representatives from CaPS handed out a quiz to test students' knowledge on subjects about depression and a test to determine if a person has common symptoms of depression.\nRon Beebe, CaPS employee, said it's perfectly normal for someone to be treated for depression and it shouldn't be viewed as a sign of weakness.\n"It's a normal experience, getting depressed and stressed," Beebe said. "The effect of emotional abuse is a serious problem."\nTony Piccuta, second year law student at IU, is a member for the Asian Pacific Islander American Law Student Association and came by the center to relax.\n"(The relaxation night) is a good thing for people who need help," Piccuta said. "It's not a clinical setting; it's a place to come and relax."\nCastillo-Cullather and Liu said the ACC hopes students leave the event with more information about how to handle their stress and the range of support that centers like the ACC can provide.\n"We would like students to come away knowing the services of the Asian Culture Center and the Counseling and Psychological Services on campus," Castillo-Cullather said. "These support offices are here for them and that they should not hesitate to contact or visit anytime."\n-- Contact staff writer Ashley Lough at amlough@indiana.edu.