You could not have thought that joining college will be such a game changer. After all, in high school you didn’t have to balance your academics with social life, sharing a room with total strangers, feeling free or being so far from home. College life is hard and stressful, and many students fall into depression. There are ways to deal with this. Read on to find out how you can overcome it.
Reasons Why College Students Suffer from Depression and Anxiety in College
You will feel that you have a lot on your plate. You fear that you might disappoint your parents or guardians with your performance because the tuition fees are not in any way cheap.
Other worries that can make your life even harder include making it to class on time, having to contribute to class discussions or the concern of getting a job after school;. Is this happening to you already? It doesn’t stop there. Social and peer pressure doesn’t spare you. You want to have fun, party hard, meet new people, experience new things and the list is endless.
How to Know You Are Falling Into Depression and Anxiety
With all the things you are juggling, depression and anxiety might start to kick in. If you are experiencing the following symptoms, you might be depressed.
- The world doesn’t interest you anymore.
- You have trouble remembering simple things and focusing in class
- Your appetite has changed.
- You feel guilty for something you don’t know and even start experiencing suicidal thoughts.
- You most probably lack sleep at night or remain in bed all day.
- You don’t have to go through this silently!
How to Deal With Depression and Anxiety in College
To get through this phase of your life here are 7 ways to take control of your life in college again and deal with depression and anxiety head on:
1. Ask for Help
Okay, you are feeling gloomy and in a dark tunnel with no possibility of light at its end. You might even feel like the world has lost its color. You do not have to deal with all this alone. It is time to seek professional help. Get into psychotherapy. Do not be embarrassed to approach your school’s mental health counselor for assistance.
Talking to them about your issues will help you identify the factors to your depression symptoms and how to rise above them. You shouldn’t wait for the problem to get worse. The earlier you get started with your treatment, the better. You will even be surprised that you’re not the first student to battle depression and you will make out of it just fine.
2. Join a Support Group
Make a point of joining groups of other students who are battling with depression and anxiety. Listening to their experiences and the steps they are taking to recover might be what you need to learn to deal with your situation.
You will also need to seek the support of your family and friends. They know you better; thus regularly sharing your feelings with them shouldn’t be hard. They will listen and offer you the encouragement that you need. Having a support system goes a long way in overcoming depression.
There is strength in accepting that you have a problem and wanting to solve it is the most significant achievement.
You are not perfect. Forgive yourself and treat yourself with kindness when you make mistakes.