I struggled with depression all through high school. As much as college has already been worlds better for me, mental illnesses don't magically disappear.
Sometimes we have an expectation that when our situation gets better, everything instantly improves. But for most folks dealing with major depressive disorder, it still clings to you and follows you wherever you go.
There is no denying how much this sucks. You’re taking harder courses then you’ve ever experienced. You’re surrounded by new, awesome people and a plethora of exciting events, but you still manage to feel as though your shoulders bear a tremendous weight and no matter what is happening, there will still be days you won’t want to get out of bed.
After a year of dealing with my own depression and college, I’ve picked up a few things.
1. Take a mental health day
I’m very serious about this one. You are now in charge of yourself and this means you have a responsibility to treat yourself well. Now, I know, college is expensive and you’re not paying tens of thousands of dollars to sit around all day and miss class. However, you are allowed to cut yourself a break every now and again. So take the day and do whatever it is that makes you feel a little more human. Maybe it’s staying in PJ’s under the covers watching that episode where Jim and Pam get married and having a good cry. Or maybe it’s freshening up and getting the hell off campus and doing something you love (public transportation is amazing).
2. Keep up with your schoolwork
So there is a catch to the mental health days: you don’t get to take them every single day. When I say “keep up,” what I really mean is take on a good amount of work, but not more than you can handle. If you need to drop a class because you’re realizing that you actually can’t keep up with the work, drop it. After you’ve recovered a little from a mental health day, haul your butt to the library and get cracking. I know this one sounds very contrary to the tip before, but falling behind in schoolwork will only worsen the way you feel. You’ve got this.
3. Talk to your roommate(s)
This one is pretty hard, or at least it was for me. I made the mistake of not really telling my wonderful roommates last year about my depression and it sucked. The people you live with need to be in the loop so they can help, or at least give you the space you need. Once I started telling my roommates when I was having a bad day, everything drastically improved. I shot them a text saying I wasn’t feeling well and I needed some space or needed some love. While curled up one day, one of my roommates came in, put a donut next to my computer, patted my head and left. That was one of my favorite moments with this person. Because I had kept her in the loop that I wasn’t doing well that day and needed space, she gave me exactly that. Let them know what’s going on, they’re only going to help.
4. Talk to someone
It’s really easy to get swept up in the excitement, as well as stress, of college and let your mental health care fall by the way side. Like I said before, you are in charge of you now. Make your mental health a priority. A good place to start is at the counseling center. Most universities offer a certain number of free sessions, and if they don’t or you can’t find someone at your school that fits what you need, ask for references. Many schools have a reference sheet of people in the area you can go see. Start making appointments, it’ll pay off.
5. Take advantage of everything your college has to offer
College is amazing and has some really awesome perks, especially if you live on campus. You should be taking advantage of the fact that you’re literally surrounded by people who are experts in their field and the fact that you can always find something fun to do on campus. Take advantage of the little things you get just by being an undergraduate student. For instance, the gym – it’s free, go use it. If you have crappy dining options for dinner, make yourself a kickass salad. While there is the temptation to use your freedom to allow yourself unhealthy habits, resist that with every fiber of your being. You have the chance to make your life what you want it to be. And if what you want is to feel better, you can easily make choices on campus that will help in at least some small way to feeling better, for both your physical and mental health.
I don’t expect these to work for everyone or to cure every episode of depression, but college is a wonderful time of new experiences and everyone should have the chance to make it count.
