It’s pretty safe to say that in our college years we undergo many changes. Our interests change, our friends change and we develop into more of who we are supposed to be.
As collegiettes, this is a time in our lives when we question a lot of things that we go through. We wonder why we didn’t get invited to movie night with all of our girlfriends. We wonder why that boy didn’t text us the next day like he said he would. We wonder why we didn’t do so hot on that last exam or paper. We wonder if it’s just all our fault. We bottle everything up inside, and refuse to talk about the things that matter or the things that are bothering us.
We can talk to people on Facebook, we can talk to people through that little screen in our hands, but how often do you talk about the things that matter to you, things that are bothering you? Opening up is really hard to do, but we can each understand that on a different level. However, if there is something that has become a persistent problem and it’s affecting your day to day life, you’re going to have to do something about it to get yourself back to feeling on top of your game and put the pep back in your step.
Going to talk to someone, like a counselor, can be intimidating. You have to open yourself up to a stranger who is sitting there, and you’re just thinking “they’re analyzing everything I say, I’ll be admitted to the psych ward of the hospital any second now.” Want to know a secret? They’re not. There’s no scary doctor hiding in the closet ready to analyze your brain and dope you up on medicine to see what works best. Seeing a counselor is like having a human diary sitting in front of you, but even better, because they can talk with you about everything, and will never tell a soul about what you confide in them.
You may be thinking that the only people who see a counselor are “crazy.” Stop right there. Having a mental illness does not qualify someone to be labeled as “crazy.” In some way, shape, or form, most of us, as college students, suffer from mental illness. College students are more likely to have bouts of depression and anxiety, which are… mental illnesses. It can be a scary term to say, especially with all the stigma around it, and the fact that sometimes it just isn’t taken as a serious situation. Mental illness has affected so many people, from celebrities, to the girl who was the star athlete, to that boy who we attended school with…
There are support groups, there are counseling services, there are ways to help you through a time that you just don’t feel like you have a strong hold on your mental stability. You know what? That’s okay. As members of the Appalachian community, there are many resources right on our campus that are waiting to help us thrive in our college years. You don’t have to commit to seeing a counselor all the time, just as often as you would like. You don’t even have to tell people you’re seeing a counselor.
If seeing a counselor isn’t your thing, try some techniques that have been shown to increase overall mental health, such as writing in a journal daily, taking much needed “me time” out in nature, finding a simple activity like knitting or painting that you can always come back to when you start to feel emotions well up inside of you. A recent article, that you can find here, suggests that every night for 30 days you write down things you like about yourself. These things don’t have to be physical traits or mental traits, but something you did that day that made you feel good. The next morning, read those things to yourself.
The years spent as undergraduate collegiettes should be spent thriving, growing, changing, and finding out who we really are inside. If you believe that you are in need of help dealing with (here comes the scary term) mental illness, contact someone that can help you overcome anything you may be feeling that isn’t positively influencing your life.
Remember. You are never alone.
Sources:
http://www.sheknows.com/health-and-wellness/articles/997103/obama-lets-bust-mental-illness-stigma
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/AbVWZTEPbZQDmGT-ruIzDWdtvMkC3cVBOS9ZwVpNdw5jhsiTC5w9FrU/
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/275564070922031491/