As I have written about previously, being a psychology major is something that I am extremely proud of and love more than anything. I'm fortunate enough to get to take classes that I thoroughly enjoy and learn about things that I can actually apply to my daily life. But with every upside, there, unfortunately, is always a downside...

I'm sure many of you guys have heard of the idea of "medical student syndrome," or the idea that med school students begin to think they are experiencing symptoms of the various diseases and illnesses they are learning about. I can understand how that could be difficult, especially for someone who is slowly realizing that dealing with these scary diseases and medical issues are what they are going to do every day in their career. Well, unfortunately, this illness doesn't just apply to med students.

I remember the first day of the AP Psychology disorders and treatment unit, my teacher warned us that this similar phenomenon would probably happen to us. With every type of mental illness we learned about, we would begin to start thinking that we had them. As much as I appreciated the warning, I feel as though if she didn't say that, I wouldn't have ended up feeling that about all the disorders. And while I was fully aware that I didn't display symptoms of bipolar disorder, learning about the various illnesses definitely caused my mind to wander.

But the interesting thing about psych major syndrome is that it persists beyond mental disorders. What's great about what I learn is that so many things are applicable to my life experiences, often explaining why or how people think about things and make decisions. But because these instances are so prevalent, I often find myself thinking about what I learn in school and applying it to EVERY situation in my life.

Case in point. Last semester, I took a class called close relationships, and let me tell you, it was quite interesting. Between my friends, families, and my own experiences with relationships, pretty much every single day I was in that class I couldn't stop thinking about how the information related to my own life. I'm constantly internalizing pretty much everything that I'm learning in that class and applied it to myself when in reality it wasn't necessary. I am fortunate to find what I'm learning in my classes so helpful when it comes to dealing with my own problems, but if it's going to cause me distress at times then that doesn't do anyone good.

My psych major syndrome also comes to life not just in school, but in interactions with my family and friends. My friends who are also psychology majors joke that we see right through the bullshit. When someone is acting in a certain way, we usually can pinpoint the underlying behavior. Between my friends' problems with boys, other friends, and their own problems themselves, there is usually a psychological explanation to it all. My family also has their fair share of these moments, too. It's hard to sometimes just sit back and let people make their own decisions when you just want to shake their heads and tell them how you can help. Yes, there are definitely times where my knowledge of psychology can assist me in combating various challenges in my interactions with others, but it can't always happen so easily and that's where I struggle. I am the ultimate over-analyzer, and while it's sometimes good to take a step back and try to see all outcomes of the situation, it normally has the tendency to hurt me more than help me.

Ironically enough, I came across a book entitled "Psych Major Syndrome" and immediately I knew I had to have a copy. Just solely based upon the summary, I knew that this was a book I would relate to on a whole other level. The best types of reads are not only those that are well-written or a good story, but those where you feel like you relate or connect to the narrator/author on a whole different level, and that's what this book has already given me.

I fear that my future dream of becoming a therapist is going to be problematic down the road. Many therapists explain the importance of not "taking their work home with them," meaning that you aren't going to talk to your family and friends in the same way that you may talk to your clients. Helping your loved ones with their own problems is a slippery slope because while yes, you've been trained in the area, you may not be able to view situations as objectively as you would with your clients. I know that I am good at giving advice and want to continue to do that for other people in the future, but it's important for me to be cautious about what I am saying and maintain my titles as a therapist by day and supportive friend/family member by night.

My point in writing this article is not to share that I have some magical solution that will make psych major syndrome disappear overnight because let's face it, it's not happening. Unfortunately, you can't tell any illness to go away. Instead, you have to learn to live with it. Although I don't know where my career is going to take me down the line, I am excited for all the possibilities that being a psych (and now creative writing) major can provide me. It's not always easy to embrace a condition or aspect of your life that makes you unique, and unfortunately psych major syndrome is no different. However, I am finally ready to see where this it can take me and continue to let this "illness" help me grow and shape me for the better.