When I started college, I was overwhelmed. I was three hours away from home for the very first time in a new place with thousands of new people. Oddly enough, I was, for the most part, okay being away from home in a new place. It was the people that overwhelmed me. It seemed like every time I went somewhere, there were people.
The only place there weren't people was my dorm room. I couldn't stay in there, though. I had classes to go to. A lot of the times, I had to convince myself to go to class. I would tell myself things like "It'll be over before you know it," and "Maybe there aren't that many people today." It was hard. Really hard.
Eventually, I learned to cope. It wasn't healthy, but literally every time I stepped out of my dorm room, I called my mom. I think it was probably because if I was focused on talking to her, I wouldn't be focused on the people around me. I didn't know what was wrong with me, but I did know I had a problem. I basically handled it on my own until about November. I was encouraged to go to the Counseling Center, so I did. I talked to my counselor about how I felt like I didn't fit in and that I couldn't be around people. I told him I get really nervous being around people, especially in big groups, like in class, for example. He told me that I probably suffer from social anxiety, and he taught me some coping mechanisms. He also suggested I see my physician to be officially diagnosed and treated. When I went home for Thanksgiving break, I was officially diagnosed, and I am currently being treated with medication.
The medication has helped tremendously. I went from struggling to go to class first semester to joining a sorority second semester and becoming very involved with it. There has been a complete shift in my mental health since I started the medication. Of course, there are days I still struggle, as a pill is not a "cure-all," but I am much more social and much happier.
I would like to end by saying this. There is such a stigma around mental health care problems. I wasted so much time, even though I knew I had a problem I needed to deal with. And it was because I was scared to talk about it. I didn't even tell my mom until I couldn't hide it anymore. But, it's nothing to be ashamed of. Social anxiety is so common. And it is so important to get help. If you are struggling with social anxiety, depression, eating disorders, or any other mental health challange, I encourage you to go to the Counseling Center or talk with your doctor. Don't be ashamed. Break the stigma.
