TRIGGER WARNING: WITHIN THIS ARTICLE ARE MENTIONS OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND SUICIDE.

According to a recent article published by USA Today, “one in four adults experience mental illness in a given year” and “each year, 1,100 college students take their own lives."

College students especially are at risk for suffering from mental health issues. The stressors we face each day from classes, extracurriculars, relationships, and other aspects of our lives are not always manageable. It’s all too easy to feel overwhelmed by the expectations set by your professors, your friends, your family, and even those you have for yourself. For some, these pressures can become impossible to bear, and they can greatly damage one’s mental and emotional health. Depression, anxiety disorders, and panic disorders are just a few of the conditions that can develop from or be worsened by the difficulties of college life.

So what can you do to find relief for yourself or someone you care about?

As an Ohio University student, you have access to the resources provided by Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS).

The CPS offices are located on the third floor of Hudson Health Center; you’ll want to go there if you have a scheduled appointment or if you’re in need of a counselor’s help right away.

Note: this article is mainly about individual counseling, but please know that drop-ins (for emergencies, unplanned visits, etc.) ARE allowed. You can drop in from 9:45 AM to 3:15 PM during the week from Monday through Friday, no appointment necessary.

For help when CPS is not open, please go to your local emergency room or call OUPD at 740-593-1911.

Several weeks ago, I went to CPS because I had been feeling a bit low. I’ve been treating my anxiety and depression for years now, but I hit a low point in my recovery and I was afraid I’d lose progress if I didn’t seek help. In my hometown, I had a therapist that I’d been seeing since my freshman year of high school, but being so far from home, I thought it’d be better to have someone on campus that I could talk to whenever I needed.

I explained to the receptionists that I wanted to apply for a counselor, and they asked me to fill out some paperwork regarding my mental health history. This was to give my counselor some background knowledge so they would be somewhat familiar with me before I went in for my first session.

After I completed the form, I waited for about fifteen minutes to be seen by one of the available counselors for a consultation. There were a lot of pamphlets in the corner of the waiting room about a lot of different issues, from friendship advice to exam anxiety to coping after a break-up. A TV screen had some advertisements on a loop that showed more of the resources that CPS offered for students. I thought that the whole atmosphere of the waiting room was really comforting.

Soon enough, one of the counselors came into the room with a clipboard - let’s call him Joe - and called out my name. I followed him down the hall and down a flight of stairs to the second floor, where he said his office was located. It was nicely-sized and homey-looking, and I had a seat on a soft couch up against the wall as Joe sat across from me. And with that, the consultation began.

Now I’m fairly used to being interviewed about my mental health, but even if I wasn’t, I know I wouldn’t have been uncomfortable at all by the questions Joe asked me. He had my history on his clipboard, so he basically asked me to elaborate on some of the things I’d mentioned on my form. He was very kind the entire time and didn’t pry where he didn’t feel he had to. I really respected that, since I had only just met him - sometimes it takes us a while to open up to our counselors, and he definitely knew and understood that.

After we’d gone over my history, he asked me about what brought me to CPS that day. I told him about what I was going through - that I hit a snag in my recovery, that my then-girlfriend and I had some communication issues- and he listened earnestly. He never broke eye contact (don’t worry, not in a creepy way) and he never interrupted me with his input until I was done speaking. We talked in this way for an hour, and then he asked me if I would like to continue seeing him every week for the time being, and I said I would.

Overall, when I left, my heart felt much lighter and my head felt much clearer. It was awesome.

I would recommend CPS counseling to anyone I knew that was struggling in any way, whether they had a mental illness or just needed an unbiased person to hear them out. I know that talking about what’s bothering you can cause the bad feelings to surface, but it’s so worth it if you can find relief right after everything’s out in the open. CPS wants to help us, but they can only do that if we want to help ourselves.

Individual counseling isn’t for everyone, though, and there’s plenty of other ways you can seek help through CPS. There’s group and couples counseling, psychiatric consultations, eating disorder services, lightbox therapy, and other resources available to you without cost.

Speaking of cost, which is a question a lot of students have, there is no additional fee for students in the guaranteed tuition model! It’s already worked into your tuition!

(Chances are, you have the OHIO Guarantee if you’re an underclassman paying your tuition and fees with a stable, flat rate mapped out over the whole four years. Without this plan (as an upperclassman, graduate, or professional student), you will have to enroll in the WellBeing plan separately ($60 per semester) to receive all of the same benefits given through the guarantee. For more information about this, check out https://www.ohio.edu/wellbeing/#Purpose)

There’s no reason why you should let yourself suffer when you’ve got all of these services right at your fingertips. As any mental health professional will tell you, self-care is crucial to your recovery. You can get started right away through CPS and you’ll see that the results are definitely worth your time.

Helpful links and phone numbers:
https://www.ohio.edu/counseling/ (a webpage all about CPS)
https://www.ohio.edu/counseling/students/FAQ.cfm#Next (Frequently asked questions about CPS)
https://www.ohio.edu/counseling/services/Individual-Counseling.cfm (CPS individual counseling)
https://www.ohio.edu/wellbeing/ (information about the WellBeing plan)
http://www.sptsusa.org (Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide)
CPS and CPS’s 24/7 Crisis Intervention Service: (740) 593-1616
OUPD: (740) 593-1911
O’Bleness Hospital in Athens, OH: (740) 593-5551
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
Athens Teen Line: 1-800-222-8336