The de-stigmatizing of mental health struggles has been a pretty big thing in the media the past few years. Celebrities have opened up about their struggles with various issues and have even used their platform to help raise awareness or funding. However, I've found that it's a lot less likely that it gets discussed in everyday life unless there's a specific setting for it.
On campus at my college, they'll occasionally have some kind of little event with a cheesy name that is advertised as something to do to ease anxiety or to brighten students' moods. There is also a student counseling service, which they love to talk about on college tours. From what I've noticed, however, people tend to keep their daily struggles with college life to themselves.
This is, by far, the busiest time of my life and I know this is the case for many others as well. We have classes that take up the majority of our days, yet we are still expected to have friends and a social life. We all feel the pressure, no matter how much we like to pretend that we don't let it get to us.
This is why no one should be made to feel self-conscious if they want to talk to someone about their mental state of being. Of course, it can be difficult to open yourself up to someone that you might not know all that well and talk about this kind of thing, and I understand. It can take me a while to feel comfortable enough with someone to talk to them about my anxiety without feeling like they're going to think that I am just being dramatic. Over the years, I've known a lot of people that feel the same kind of way.
Last week, my roommate and I had just a chill talk about how difficult mental health can often be and the cycles that are so easy to fall into. We compared notes on how we sometimes feel pulled down by all the stuff going on in our lives, and how hard it can be to keep your head up through it all.
We need to make sure the people in our lives know that we're there for them. And, even if they're complete strangers, never make someone feel like whatever mental struggles that they have are unfounded or invalid. Understand that there may not be a way that you can help them to get better, and that getting better doesn't just happen overnight. The best that we can do is make sure that they know they're not alone and have someone around who will listen.
