People will tell you that university will be one of the greatest times of your life. You'll meet new people, travel to new places and enjoy a new level of freedom you have not yet seen before. The truth is for someone who is mentally ill, university isn't always sunshine and rainbows. However, your time spent at university is a formative learning experience in not only the realm of education but also in life, itself. If you are one who struggles with mental illness you will stumble upon challenges that may seem at first daunting, You will feel as though you are unable to tackle them. In time, you will be able to succeed and even thrive in this world of great uncertainty.
Without further ado, I present five pieces of advice for surviving college while battling mental illness.
1. Don't be afraid to contact on-campus mental health services.
If you are like me, someone who is not only anxious in social situations but simply anxious about everything, you may feel as though you're bothersome to those working at your on-campus health center. Perhaps you're trapped in the mentality that your problems aren't as important or that you're not as mentally ill as you believe you are. Believe me when I say that your issues do matter.
The people at your school's mental health center are here to help you cope with life's struggles, whether those struggles are short-term or long-term. Your feelings are valid no matter what. Recovery and treatment are vital to your survival. While you must combat these feelings of inadequacy and sadness every day, mental health professionals exist to help you deal with your mood or personality disorders in a productive manner. You may have to cycle through different therapists and psychiatrists or different medications (if you choose to pursue this route) but it's all part of the process toward a mentally healthier you.
2. Talk to your professors.
Nothing is worse than being overwhelmed with projects and homework to the point that you begin to question your very existence. Yeah. Not fun. Completing tasks on time can be difficult for those who are mentally ill; however, dropping by your professor's office hours for a quick chat may just save your grade.
Don't feel ashamed to ask for an extension on your research paper or to ask them to ease up on the participation grade. Explain to them why you miss class every so often unexpectedly, especially if it begins to impact your performance. Professors are there to guide you through your academic career.
I won't pretend; there are professors out there who will not listen to you and will accuse you of making excuses for poor academic performance. I have, however, encountered more sympathetic professors who are more than willing to at least listen to what I have to say. I assure you, cultivating a strong friendship with your professors will take you far.
3. Talk to your friends.
The first few weeks of freshman year were difficult for me. As an only child with parents who did not complete university, I was thrown headfirst into an entirely new world. I believed that escaping my old, dull suburban life and the people from my past would alleviate my hardships and I would thus emerge as a changed person. Unfortunately, life is not so forgiving. I learned the hard way that running away from your problems only gets you so far. Sooner or later you must confront them head on and you cannot do it alone.
This is why I say: talk to your friends. You will, without a doubt, meet some wonderful and interesting people during your time at university and they will be more than willing to help you if you let them. I, the perfectionist, believed I could pull myself up by my bootstraps and conquer mental illness on my own. I was wrong. You are not an island. Articulating your feelings is a difficult feat to accomplish. Believe me. I am still working on it.
Ultimately, you must find ways to tell people how you are feeling. Even if they are unable to give you advice, the chance to rant or rave should never be passed up. In the long run, you will not regret it even if the process feels wildly uncomfortable at first.
4. Take a break!
No, this doesn't mean slack off on your homework and party all weekend, allowing an avalanche of required readings and lab reports to come crashing upon you on a late Sunday night. Taking a break means enjoying the "little things." In such a fast-paced world that expects nonstop productivity, it is difficult to find a happy medium between workaholic and couch potato.
If able, venture out to that new café everyone has been talking about or take a stroll to the nearest park. Indulge in a New York Times bestseller or relax in a bubble bath. Treating yourself doesn't have to be glamorous. Even taking a 30-minute nap could take a bit of the edge off when you're in a time crunch.
If you find yourself in the position that you cannot continue with your education at this point in time, it is okay to take a break from university. You are not a failure. You are simply taking care of yourself and that is the best you can do. You don't have to be the person who takes on a full course load if you can't handle it. People who love you will understand and encourage you to participate in self-care. Your mental health comes first and foremost, no matter what anyone else tells you.
5. Don't be afraid to fail.
I believe number five on this list is the most difficult of all to do. Our society is often so focused on success. Any mention of failure tends to raise the hair on the back of our necks. Freshman year I received a low grade on a paper, went back to my dorm room and cried my eyes out. It wasn't even a failing grade but as a perfectionist, this grade was just as bad as failing for me. There were two paths I could have chosen at this point: I could believe I'm the worst person alive and give up or I could learn from this experience and better myself as a writer and a student. I took the latter path as I realized that we all need these failures in life in order to become stronger, more experienced people. Failures are only bad if they beat you down a path of no return. You can allow yourself to become better than your failures. You are strong. You are brave.
At the end of the day, life is going to throw some curve balls your way. You won't be able to hit them out of the park every time but with these five tips I hope you will be able to see yourself succeed and grow stronger with each passing day.
We believe in you. You are not alone.
