To students dealing with mental illness:
It’s January, which means the start of a new semester for all of us in school. I know just how rough it can be to look ahead at the semester while dealing with mental illness. If you’re doing well then you’re afraid you’ll relapse in the middle of classes, and if you’re not doing so great you’re panicking wondering how you can get better before classes start. But I’m proud of you just for trying. I’m proud because you’re here to read this. You haven’t given up—or if you have, you’re still around to pick back up when you’re doing better. In case you need a reminder—it's okay to take time for yourself. Instead of feeling guilty for taking time to make sure you're okay, be proud that you’ve learned to recognize your needs. Instead of comparing yourself to other students, be proud that you’re dealing with things the best way you know how. Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re somehow less for not doing things the way everyone else does. And for those of you who will have a semester with few or no issues, I’m proud of you too. Having a good semester doesn’t minimize what you’ve been through or somehow make it invalid. It just means that for the time being your illness is under control.
I get that saying this is probably about as effective as the standard "have you tried just being happy" or "just stop being irrational," but I think we all need a reminder sometimes. This is an illness, not a character flaw. It can be easy to internalize the "just gt over it" sentiment that's so often expressed, but try to remember this is no less real than any other chronic illness.
I personally haven’t had a semester untouched by my illness since the year I started medication—spring of 2013. My official diagnosis is a behemoth-- generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, and major depressive disorder. Every semester I tell myself it’ll be different and the semester will go smoothly... and every semester I relapse. After almost 3 years I’m starting to come to terms with the fact that the way my brain works doesn’t make me a bad student or a bad person. It makes me a member of a huge family of people who are all going through a similar struggle. Anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, bipolar, borderline, schizophrenia—the list goes on and on. We have different diagnoses and experiences, but we all know what it’s like to fight against our own brains. I want every single one of us to be happy (and I do think that it’s possible). We’re special. We’re strong. And every single one of us can do this.
If any of you need help and want to reach out, there’s a list short list of suicide resources below. I wish each and every one of you the best this semester and beyond. Always remember that you’re not alone.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 (TALK)
The International Association for Suicide Prevention Global Crisis Centre Directory.
Crisis Text Line: Text "START" to 741-741
