College is stressful, plain and simple. There are always ups and downs with friendships, relationships, school work, family, you name it. It all goes down during your four years at college.
The way I see it, problems are almost guaranteed to arise at some point, because no one is perfect. When a friend comes to me with a problem or concern, I always give my best advice, as any decent friend does. However, sometimes I can only help so much with the skill set that I have. I mean i'm just a 21-year-old music industry student, and I don't always have the life experience or education to help my friends to the extent in which they need.
This is the point in the conversation in which I usually recommend them seeing one of the schools counselors. When I bring up this suggestion, it is often met with reluctancy. I mean, who really wants to go to therapy. It just seems so extra. I understand completely.
My freshman year at school was pretty much garbage. Not much fun went on in my life. I hated my environment and was homesick, insecure, and cold (the winter was terrible). One day I got so fed up with my own drama that I decided to pick up the phone and call the counseling center. I made an appointment for that week.
My experience was rather simple. I talked about my issues, my counselor asked me questions, and we discussed potential routes to solutions. Ultimately, it was really nothing to stress over. My experience was good enough that I felt comfortable calling again once I felt my life derailing a bit again this year. Thankfully, my positive experiences have also led a few friends of mine to seek help the same way I did.
My main purpose behind writing this article is because I feel there is a stigma surrounding counseling and therapy. People may hesitate to reach out for this kind of help out of shyness, or because they don't want to acknowledge the fact that there might be serious issues brewing within them. In other words, no one wants to feel or seem "crazy." Some people think seeing a counselor might make them feel as if they officially hit the "crazy" mark.
So I'd just like to raise awareness to the fact that seeking legitimate help when you have problems, even if they are not conventional or super serious, does not make you crazy. If anything it makes you smart. We should always be looking to see how we can help improve our mental health and overall well being. Not to mention that at my college, as well as many other colleges, counseling is free. Considering therapy sessions can cost hundreds, this could potentially be your campuses most underrated resource.
No one should ever feel afraid to seek professional help when they need it. After all, it is there to help you!
