I decided to finally give CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services) a try this semester, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve made this spring.
I had been dealing with a lot of personal things this last year, and throughout my high school years really, but they all seemed to worsen after COVID hit. Having spent the fall semester at home, I was alone with my thoughts a lot and it became extremely unhealthy.
I won’t go into detail about what I went to CAPS about, but it felt really nice to let everything off my chest to say the least. I’ve been able to talk to someone who will listen without any bias, which is something that’s hard to find these days. It felt like I had a clean slate, where I could just explain everything without any outside factors coming in.
Even though I study Brain and Behavioral Sciences, I’ve always been hesitant to try therapy because it was admitting that I’m not strong and I’m not okay. But the truth is that everyone goes through things in their life, and it’s okay not to be okay. Sounds cliche, but that’s something everyone realizes in life sooner or later. And I’m glad that I realized it now.
I’ve never wanted to go to my friends or family about my problems because I felt like a pest or that I was taking too much of their time, so it was really relieving to realize that there’s someone who’s job is to listen to me. I felt a lot of weight lifted off my shoulders as I didn’t feel guilty for taking up anyone’s time, and I could finally talk to someone about a lot of things that I had never talked to anyone else about before.
If you’re ever struggling with anything, I would recommend talking to CAPS. Personal therapy is free to Purdue students, and the phone screening is especially helpful for finding out what you need. My experience so far has been nothing short of amazing, and I have no doubt that this will only help me in life.