Busting the Blues: We hope that you enjoy your holidays and have a safe and happy winter break. But we also know that being back at home can be stressful. If you should find yourself, or one of your friends, feeling depressed and alone, friends and support are only a phone call away. Following is a list of resources that could provide help for you over the holidays.
The LGBT Resource Center will be open through December 21 and will re-open on January 2. The office hours are 8 am-4:30 pm, M-F. You can contact us at (815) 753-5428 or e-mail lgbt@niu.edu to ask for assistance.
The NIU Counseling & Student Development Center provides regular services through December 21, between 8 am and 4:30 pm. During office hours, a CSDC staff member is available to assist with emergencies and/or crisis situations. Contact CSDC at (815) 753-1206. If you need to talk to someone after regular office hours or at anytime after Dec. 21, an on-call counselor is always available. Just call NIU University Police at (815) 753-1212 for instructions on how to contact a counselor (the Police only serve as an answering service to relay messages; they do not get involved in the situation). The Counseling Center re-opens on January 2.
Center on Halsted LGBT Info Line offers resource counselors to provide information and assistance, as well as support, counseling, and crisis intervention. They can be reached between 8 am and 10 pm at (773) 929-4357 (voice) every day.
The Gay, Lesbian. Bisexual, Transgender National Hotline offers peer counseling Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., Central Time, Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Central Time.
The toll-free number is (888) 843-4564.
GLBT National Youth Talkline: (800) 246-PRIDE; toll free, Monday through Friday from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., Central Time. Provides telephone and email peer-counseling. Telephone volunteers in their teens and early twenties speak with teens and young adults up to age 25 about coming-out issues, relationship concerns, parent issues, school problems, HIV/AIDS anxiety and safer-sex information, and lots more!
The Trevor Helpline is a national 24-hour/7 day, toll-free suicide prevention hot line aimed at gay and questioning youth. The Trevor Helpline is geared toward helping those in crisis, or those wanting information on how to help someone in crisis. Calls are handled by highly trained counselors and are free and confidential. The number is (866) 4-U-TREVOR). Their website, www.thetrevorproject.org, has helpful information about signs of suicide and how to help someone who is suicidal.