Essay
Scenario
Marlene is a 20–year–old junior majoring in health education. She is
chronically tired and often blasts her friends with verbal outbursts when she is angry. She is
cynical and hostile to others when she is stressed. She often feels like crying, but the tears never
come. Marlene can't sleep well, and she is gaining weight. Even her closest friends are getting
fed up with her, and rarely invite her.
You've probably known someone like Marlene in
your life already; someone whose life seems to be crumbling away from around them, who's trying
to keep his or her head above water but is barely making it. The person has been a friend, but just
seems to be pushing everyone away now and is changing right in front of you. You try to reach out and
help, you try to be supportive, but you just keep getting pushed away. How long do you keeping
reaching out? What else can you do for your friend? Changes in a person's life can cause
emotional distress and can become too much to deal with. All of us are susceptible to such emotional
reactions, but often we let the condition go for too long. Why do you think people resist help from
friends? Why do people wait so long before getting help for emotional
problems?
Conclusion
What do you think is happening to Marlene? What are the outward
signs that Marlene is in trouble? Has this ever happened to one of your friends or to you? If you
were one of Marlene's friends, what would you do to help her? What programs and or services on
your campus might be of use to her? Why is it often so difficult to confront someone who is acting
like Marlene? Do you know anyone right now who is displaying some of these same symptoms? What is
happening in his or her life that might be causing the problems?
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