A lot of students get stressed in college. It's the first time they're living on their own, there are bills to pay, they have a lot more freedom and responsibility than they did in high school. It can be scary. Unfortunately, there are a lot of students that drop out because of mental health related reasons. A survey done by NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness) found that 64 percent of students dropped out of college because of mental health related reasons . Like I said, very scary. Most colleges have mental health resources, however, a lot of them are somewhat limited. For example, my school has an option to have 12 sessions with a counselor for short-term counseling which would be used for things like adjusting to college or getting over a breakup. Unfortunately, most schools don't have resources for people who have actual mental health issues. I'm not saying that short-term counseling isn't useful but for those students whose mental health issues are lifelong. No person should have to give up on their education because of an inability to find resources to help them cope with a disease that they have no control over.
I'm a sophomore. During my freshman year, I had a lot going on; not really academically but personally. I had a lot of family members that were going through some pretty serious health issues. Not only that but I was struggling with undiagnosed bipolar II, anxiety, being in a new area, having more responsibility, etc. It was terrifying. Freshman year was one of the hardest times of my life. I was having panic attacks every other day at 3 a.m., I was skipping classes, I was sleeping too much, I wasn't sleeping for days on end, I had crying spells, I isolated myself, etc. I wasn't who I wanted to be but I didn't think I could change it. I'm going to be honest: I didn't think I was going to survive the year. Somehow I made it through the school year. I was home for two weeks after the school year ended before I admitted myself into an in-patient care facility.
This article isn't about me being in the hospital, though. This article is for students in high school or college or really anyone who might be struggling. Please, if you feel hopeless or unhappy or uneasy or anything of that sort, do not ignore it. Your feelings aren't wrong. It's like if you were standing in front of a car going 80 miles per hour; you wouldn't say "Eh, it won't be that bad. I can deal with it." You would jump out of the way to save yourself. That's what you need to do; you need to save yourself. Your mental health is exponentially more important than studying for a test or finishing homework. Take the time to find a therapist. I know there's a stigma around therapists that they're only for crazy people and you'll be laying on a couch talking about your dreams but I promise you, there's nothing wrong with it. One in four adults receive mental health treatment. Going to therapy or taking medication is not something you should be ashamed about. Getting help doesn't make you weak. It means you have the strength to keep fighting. I understand that school is important to many students. You don't want to miss classes or assignments or have less time to study but I promise you that seeing someone and being able to talk for an hour a day will make you feel exponentially better than finishing an assignment while feeling depressed or anxious.
Your mental health should never take a backseat to working or school. Your mind affects everything you do from how much sleep you get to your appetite to your concentration, etc. Having a healthy mindset may take time and you might need to take a break from everything for a bit, but take those opportunities while you can. Don't put off seeing someone or even just talking about it to your doctor before it's too late. Mental illness is a life-long battle; there are going to be good days and bad days but don't let the bad days cancel out the good days. You're not just a number or another face in the crowd. No matter how you feel or who you are, you matter. You are worth more than you think and while you may think it's impossible for things to get better, they will. You are stronger than your illnesses. You can fight. It might not be now, it might not be tomorrow but whenever you choose to begin fighting, I'll be fighting with you.
