WOW! There is a lot to handle during your first year in school and even as your college career progresses. You have to adjust to being away from home, new independence, stress from classes, maybe new romance or a broken heart, and all of that while trying to maintain your grades. It is natural and normal to go through a transition and an adjustment period when you first start college or even throughout college when you are under a lot of stress. But if that feeling of sadness, apathy or hopelessness does not go away within a couple of weeks, you need to address the issue. You may be suffering from depression. That is not so unusual in your situation!
Go to the college counseling center and talk to someone to get an objective opinion. Remember that no one has to know you are talking to someone about your feelings, unless you feel like telling someone. There is nothing wrong with being depressed or feeling overwhelmed, and you should not be shy about sharing your feelings with friends, family or roommates. They can’t help if they don’t know what is going on. Here are a few things you can do to help you feel less overwhelmed:
Have a plan for the day and week – if you do not feel overwhelmed by emergencies and last minute projects, you will have a sense of control.
Get plenty of rest, exercise and take breaks – studying is important, but you have to treat yourself well too. You will get burned out if you don’t take care of yourself.
Find an outlet – do what you like to do to have some fun. If you plan your time, you will have some balance and you can fit fun into your schedule so you will not feel as if you are in prison!
Talk about your feelings – use friends, counselors, family, roommates or anyone who will listen to talk about what is happening to you. If you don’t get it off your chest, it will get worse.
Use techniques to relax – try meditation, stretching, deep breathing, and relaxing music or nature sounds to help you relax.
Get more help if you need it – talking to your regular doctor at home or to the counseling center to find the name of a local doctor to use is a good idea. If you are not getting better using other techniques, be sure you see a professional to help you through this. While they may or may not recommend medication or other methods to get you back in balance, ignoring the problem will not make it go away.
If the feelings of anxiety, emptiness, mood swings, or sadness persist beyond several weeks, become worse or make you think or act in a self-destructive manner, you need to get professional help. If you feel hopeless, guilty, negative about life or helpless to help yourself, if your sleep patterns or appetite changes, if you feel fatigued and listless, you need to get help!
When you talk to others about what is happening, you will begin to realize that what you are going through is not all that unusual, and THAT ALONE is a help. You don’t have to feel afraid or embarrassed. Everyone needs help and support sometimes. Just ask! You be happy you got the help you need and there will come a day when you feel much better, more balanced and ready to tackle whatever obstacles you encounter. In the mean time ask for and accept the support that is available to you. It does make a difference!