College anxiety.

We've all gone through it to some extent, whether it affected our lives very much or very little, for a short time or a long time, noticeably or un-noticeably. I've chosen to write about this "taboo" subject, because although it is quite widespread, it is often not discussed on a public platform. But, whether you have experienced this issue on a personal level, or just would like to know more, (I hope) this is worth the read.

If I had to define college anxiety (and don't get worked up, my definition is obviously subjective), I would describe it as: a mental health challenge experienced by college students, due to the immense pressure and responsibility they face because of their academics, social life, and personal life during a time of great transition. That definition is likely relatively ineloquent, but it still applies to at least some situations.

But, the good news is:

- If you are going through college anxiety (or any anxiety in general), there is hope. Absolute hope. Don't lose hope.

- If you aren't going through college anxiety, having a better understanding of the triggers and possible treatments can help you, help a loved one, or even a stranger (go random kindness!).

As I highlighted in last week's post ("10 Things I Learned My Freshman Year of College You Need to Know"), college is a time of immense changes. Students move out of their homes for the first time in their lives, some moving farther than others. Students are expected to live, survive, and learn all on their own, without the family and friends they grew up with. And, on top of all of that, students are expected to deal with all the peer pressure associated with college and subsequently make responsible, adult decisions. It is only natural that our hearts and minds take a hit, and often, we are not emotionally read to deal with it.

The symptoms? It varies for everyone. In my personal experience, many of those around me have not realized that they are facing this very issue because it was masked with the excitement of something new - our first semester in college. The days were still sunny and fresh, new friends were made (no drama yet, and none of your course material extended past what you learned in your AP classes, but maybe that was just me). The bottom line, however, is that our excitement overshadowed our fear of beginning something new. As that "high" wore off, however, we were hit with reality.

We began to feel hopeless and frustrated. School got harder. We got through our first set of finals and made it out, don't know how, but we did. We had a month off for winter recess, during which most of us spent with our loved ones, but that ended way too quickly. Second semester began, a slew of information was thrown at our faces, and we were expected to absorb it all in time for our first set of midterms only a few weeks later. Sleepless nights, caffeine filled-days, and unimaginable stress followed. Were we ever going to get through this? Was it ever going to end? This was only the first of many years. How were we going to do it?

We left our high school friends. We left our realm of comfort. We left the friends, some of which we'd known since we were babies, others that knew your whole life story like the back of their hand (I actually haven't memorized the back of my hand, but I'll resort to that colloquialism here). We dove into new friendships, with people we felt a connection with (some of those connections lasting shorter or longer or stronger than others). Our whole circle changed, and some of us as individuals did too.

We didn't see our families everyday anymore. For some of us who did our homework at the kitchen table, hung out with our siblings during our free time, or annoyed our parents by asking them to do stuff for us all the time, going home to an empty dorm room was a rude awakening. There was no one to make your bed, serve you food, or make you hot chocolate and tell you that you're going to make it when you're having a difficult night. There wasn't a team of people who had your back and believed in you no matter what came your way, available 24/7 and whenever else you needed them.

These are just a few examples of the life changes many college students experience that could cause anxiety, but that definitely does not mean that these are the only reasons why college students have anxiety.

But, all of that aside, my question to you is, why is it that we cannot have an appropriate conversation about anxiety? Many of the people who experience if refuse to acknowledge they have it themselves, let alone speak about it or look to treat it. Often times, anxiety goes unnoticed, or untreated, both which can lead to severe consequences. But what if, just what if, we were able to have a conversation about it?

What if we were able to help that college student that is overwhelmed, struggling to get through their day without wanting to have a meltdown? What if you could give morale to someone who feels as if they’re at their end, with no hope? What if you could be the difference between someone’s trip to the brink of insanity or not?

Share this article on social media, and ask your friends to comment. What have they been through? What can we learn from their experience? How can we help others going through the same thing?