Depression in College is Nothing to be Embarrassed By
Depression is a word that most don’t want to associate with in the college world, but that doesn’t stop the reality: many students will find themselves facing some tough challenges. If you’re just in an area to attend university, it can be lonely being so far from home. Sure, in the Skype era there are a lot of different ways to keep in touch with people, regardless of where you live. But it’s hard to beat a hug, a kiss, or just some good old fashioned eye contact. When you’re going to school with people that you really only get to see here and there between class, it leads to feeling even more disconnected.
Thankfully, you don’t have to let college be a depressing display of loneliness. There are ways to get help confidentially, without letting everyone know your business. Keep in mind that you don’t have to be ashamed that you needed help. There are plenty of people that need help, and they have the opportunity to get that help.
Student services will talk to you privately about what options that you have. If you want to step off campus to really get the privacy you need, there are organizations that will help you on a sliding scale basis. If you’re in the UK, you may have counseling options that are free thanks to NHS, but you’ll need to contact each center privately for how things are billed.
The important part here is reaching out for help. If you just need to find someone to talk to, don’t think for a second that nobody is going to want to listen to you. School is a challenging time for many people, because they are doing something that has a chance to fail. We don’t handle failure well as a society. There are plenty of people that left university life for their own reasons, but we label them as “drop outs”. That’s a pretty tough pill to swallow. Even though a college degree is valuable, it’s just one way to get educated. If you find that now isn’t the time to take college courses, you can always come back.
When you sit down with a counselor for the first time, it can feel difficult to know where to begin. That’s where the professional will step in and lead the session. If you need additional services, they can offer you referrals.
If you are in danger of hurting yourself or other people due to the pressures of college, please see someone immediately. It’s just not worth it, no matter how you slice it!
