Health Resources

In both good times and bad, most people may feel stressed or anxious in some aspect of their lives.

Stress: a response to a threat, situation, person, or interaction. 

Anxiety: a reaction to the stress; more long-term, and chronic.

Anxiety is different and more serious than stress, which is adaptive and can be protective. Stress before a test or a big game helps our body and mind focus and perform, for example. However, untreated anxiety or persistent stress can be debilitating (learn more here).

Stress can cause the following:

• Feelings of fear, anger, sadness, worry, numbness, or frustration
• Changes in appetite, energy, desires, and interests
• Difficulty concentrating and making decisions
• Difficulty sleeping or nightmares
• Physical reactions, such as headaches, body pains, stomach problems, and skin rashes
• Worsening of chronic health problems
• Worsening of mental health conditions
• Increased use of tobacco, alcohol, and other substances

It is natural to feel stress, anxiety, grief, and worry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Below are ways that you can help yourself, others, and your community manage stress.

Healthy Ways to Cope with Stress

• Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including those on social media. It’s good to be informed, but hearing about the pandemic constantly can be upsetting. Consider limiting news to just a couple times a day and disconnecting from phone, tv, and computer screens for a while.
• Take care of your body
  • Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate
  • Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals
  • Exercise regularly
  • Get plenty of sleep
  • Avoid excessive alcohol, tobacco, and substance use
  • Continue with routine preventive measures (such as vaccinations, cancer screenings, etc.) as recommended by your healthcare provider
  • Get vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine
• Make time to unwind — Try to do some other activities you enjoy
• Connect with others — Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling
• Connect with your community- or faith-based organizations — While social distancing measures are in place, try connecting online, through social media, or by phone or mail

If you are struggling to cope, there are many ways to get help. We are here to help you at the Cypress College Health Center. Call our Health Center Nurse-line at (714) 484-7361 to talk with one of our medical professionals to schedule an appointment. Mental Health appointments are available both tele-health and in person by appointment only.

24/7 Crisis Resources

• If you are in crisis and need immediate support and/or are having serious thoughts of hurting yourself or others, please call 911 or the OC Crisis Assessment Team at 1 (866) 830-6011
• OC Crisis Phone Line: 1 (877) 7-CRISIS or 1 (877) 727-4747
• Crisis Text Line: Text “COURAGE” to 74171
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1 (800) 273-TALK (8255)

Call from anywhere in the United States. You will be routed to the closest crisis center in your area. Call for yourself or someone you care about. Your call is free and confidential.

• Never ignore or underestimate remarks about suicide. If you think your friend is in immediate danger, do not leave them alone— stay there and call 911 or the lifeline.

If someone you care about talks about having suicidal thoughts, it can be frightening. It can be even more frightening if you find yourself thinking about suicide. The Cypress Health Center is here to help and support you. There is help and there is hope. You are not alone.

Crisis Hotlines

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1 (800) 273-8255
• OC Suicide Prevention Crisis Line: 1 (877) 727-4747
• Veterans Crisis Line: 1 (800) 273-8255 and press 1
• Crisis Text Line: Text COURAGE to 741741
• LGBTQ+ Trevor Project National Hotline: 1 (866) 488-7386
• National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1 (800) 656-4673

Helplines

California Youth Crisis Line

Call 1 (800) 843-5200

The California Youth Crisis Line runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Crisis Text Line

Text “Courage” to 741741

• Free 24/7 support for anyone in crisis
• Text from anywhere in the United States, anytime, about any type of crisis. A real-life human being will receive the text and respond, all from a secure online platform. This trained, volunteer, crisis counselor will help you move from a hot moment to a cool moment.

Disaster Distress Helpline

Call 1 (800) 985-5990

Text “TalkWithUs” to 66746

• Free 24/7 crisis counseling and support for anyone experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters
• Call for yourself or on behalf of someone else from anywhere in the United States to be connected to a trained counselor. Support is available in Spanish and more than 100 other languages. The service is free and confidential and provided by SAMHSA (the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration).
• The helpline is for anyone experiencing emotional distress related to disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes, incidents of mass violence, infectious disease outbreaks, incidents of community unrest, and other traumatic events.

National Sexual Assault Hotline

1 (800) 656-HOPE (4673)

Free, confidential, 24/7. Chat option available at rainn.org.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides confidential assistance to anyone in crisis (and their loved ones) through a live chat and free 24-hour hotline at (800) 273-8255.

Trevor Project

1 (866) 488-7386 

Free, confidential, 24/7. Crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people. To view other services info (like text and chat options) and times of availability, visit thetrevorproject.org.

National Eating Disorders Association Helpline

1 (800) 931-2237

Free, confidential. Chat option available at nedawareness.org.

What’s guided imagery?
It’s the easiest, most user-friendly form of meditation you can find. It’s simply listening to words and music that guide you on a positive journey, where you imagine yourself relaxing and doing well, with all your senses. Even half-listening works.

How often do I have to listen to it?
Even a few minutes a day has been found in scores of randomized, clinical trials to relieve stress, improve performance, lift the blues, improve sleep, and shift the biochemistry of the body to more positive states.

The more you listen to it, the more powerful it gets. After a few weeks, the positive messages will become automatic and you’ll need to listen less.

How is it different from meditation or self-hypnosis?
It’s really not. It’s a simple, user-friendly form of either.

Why is it called “The Lazy Man’s (or Woman’s) Meditation?
Because all you have to do is press “play.”

Do you have to believe in it for it to work?
Nope. It’s not a religion, just a resilience technique – a very effective one at that!

Why this portal at California Community Colleges?
We specifically chose the downloads on this page to help remedy the issues students tell us interfere with their academic success – stress, anxiety, depression, insufficient sleep, and trouble concentrating.

This allows you to load these powerful audio tools onto your phone, computer, or listening device, and have them with you 24/7. You’ll especially appreciate having them before taking exams or during especially demanding weeks when you’re feeling fragmented and stretched thin.

Ten minutes of listening to guided imagery can save you from hours of distracted, unproductive worry. And if you only have 5 minutes, that’s okay too. Take the five.

How can I maximize the positive impact of guided imagery?
You’ll get the most out of it by:

• Listening frequently at first, even if you only have a few minutes each day;
• listening during those dreamy times when you’re just waking up or just falling asleep; and
• by putting your hands in the same position each time you listen – that way you develop a conditioning cue that will automatically relax you when you’re stressing.

How do I access the page?
Use this link – Cypress College Student Health Center presents Guided Imagery – or scan the QR code and follow the instructions.

What is Sexual Violence?
It is the use of sexual actions and words that are unwanted by and/or harmful to another person. Some common terms that are used interchangeably with sexual violence are sexual abuse and sexual assault.

Charger Assessment Team (ChAT)

• Alcohol Screening
  This site offers screening, information and resources to help individuals who think that they may have a problem with alcohol abuse.
• Birth Control
  “Bedsider” is a free support network and guide for birth control. Get answers to your questions, explore available methods, find health centers, and learn about emergency contraception.
• Center for Disease Control
  This site offers information on various health topics as well as information on necessary immunizations and precautions when traveling in areas outside of the United States.
• Change is in the Air OC
  Take the pledge to help make your community college 100% tobacco and vape-free.
• E-Cigarettes/Vaping
  There are at least 10 known carcinogens in E-Cigarette aerosol. Find out what you need to know in order to make an informed decision.
• Eat Right
  This American Dietetic Association website offers information on nutrition topics as well as links to other nutrition information sites.
• Emergency Contraception Website
  This site offers information about emergency contraception; what it is, references, frequently asked questions and other helpful topics.
• Healthfinder
  This site has been developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  You may use it to find non-profit and authoritative government groups concerned with specific conditions and diseases.
• Healthy Lifestyles
  American Heart Association website for health promotion, healthy living.
• Healthy People 2020
  A website developed by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Helpfully organized into 42 different health related topics as diverse as access to health services, nutrition, genomics, cancer, injury, and many more. Each topic includes an overview, objectives, interventions, resources, and national snapshots.
• Kids Health
  Great resource for information on childhood illness and more.
• Mayo Health
  Health information provided by practitioners at the Mayo Clinic.  Updated daily.
• Menopause Society
  Provides health and resource information on Menopause.  Geared to improve the health of women in mid-life and beyond.
• National Library of Medicine
  Collection of medical information from all over the world on a variety of topics.
• Oncolink
  A site devoted to information on cancer, therapies, clinical trials and support.  Sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania .
• Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence Resources
• Skin Conditions
  “Skintight” is a program that provides medical pictures of common diseases and conditions as they appear on the body. An interactive tool that includes an overview, risk factors, causes, pictures, recommendations, and information on treatments your doctor may prescribe.
• Smoking Cessation
  Orange County Tobacco Education Coalition (OCTEC) — Free information and resources on tobacco-free and smoke-free living.
• Vegetarian Nutrition
  Articles, recipes for Vegetarians.
• Vegan Nutrition
  Nutrition information, recipes and articles specifically targeted to Vegans.
• Web MD Health
  Provides information on a wide variety of topics.  Latest health tips and information.  Search for any number of health topics and the site also provides links to many other sites.
• Women’s Health
  Provides information on a wide variety of topics related to women.  Latest health tips and information.