College is a time of big changes and adjustment. If you haven’t been feeling like yourself, that’s totally normal! But, if your funk seems to be lingering or starting problems, you might be suffering from depression or anxiety. Here are a few feelings that might sound familiar and could be more significant than you think.
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You have trouble focusing. This was a big one for me. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t read my textbook without spacing out and having to reread every word.
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You are tired all the time. So, college students are typically tired all the time. But, if you’re getting a decent amount of sleep and you wake up in the morning feeling just as tired as the night before, this might be an indicator of depression.
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You have no motivation. If you’re feeling like you don’t have the energy or the willpower to study for that exam, don’t beat yourself up for it. This one was big for me, too. Even though I did want to study to get a good grade, I couldn’t force myself to study enough.
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Nothing sounds fun. Maybe your regular hobbies and social activities just don’t seem as great as they used to. Maybe it seems like work instead of fun. If the only thing you want to do is curl up in bed and be antisocial while your friends are out having fun, you could be suffering from depression.
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You worry a lot. Things just seem to be a bigger deal. Maybe you are worried about that one embarrassing trip on your way to class or a below average grade on a quiz. If you feel like you can’t shake this feeling off as easily as you could before, it may be a sign of anxiety.
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Your emotions are out of whack. If you’re quick to get angry–about seemingly minuscule things–have low self-esteem, or are experiencing really high high’s and really low low’s and can’t bounce back the way you used to this could also be a sign of some mental health instability.
If any of these sound familiar, please know that you are not alone! I know these feelings all too well and a lot of your classmates do too. My best advice is to be gentle with yourself and to seek help be it with your general practitioner, counselor, or even gynecologist whoever you feel comfortable with and they can help point you in the right direction.