R.A Brock
Copy Editor/Staff Writer
It is approaching the time of year as a college student where things tend to be the most stressful. Finals season is upon us and our fellow peers are working their hardest to get the grade.
Let’s be honest, it’s hard to be a college student. It comes easy to many but for those with mental health issues, it can be a mountain instead of a molehill. The added stress that comes with trying to maintain a degree of sanity on top of jobs, classes and their assignments, extracurricular activities and relationships. Oh, and also don’t forget to eat, right?
This is a challenge for me. I have clinical depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Looking at me, I seem like a happy-go-lucky person. I wear a smile, make people laugh and engage with others, which is not something people associate with depression and anxiety.
This all goes downhill later. After being around people all day, I am so exhausted. I don’t know if it is realistic to be able to do everything I do in a day and not be tired, or if it is just my depression. Maybe some of this could be a source of my depression.
The fact that I have to question myself in that regard tells me something is wrong. I am not the only one waging a daily battle with myself. There are so many college students like me, and many that have it “worse.” I have made a choice to be medicated over being numb, and even then that is another struggle in of its own.
That being said, getting help with my mental illnesses is one of the best things I have done for myself. A step towards wellness is a step up. I would encourage anyone having the same issues to also do so, as I have before.
Walking down Spring Garden St. to my next classes, I pass by others like me. I wonder who else is fighting the same battles. I do not know the battles others are fighting with themselves.
This is where the stigma about mental illness comes from. Internal struggles are not always visible. Individuals with mental illnesses are not broken or crazy.
I am not. I am so much more.
I am an ambitious and caring person capable of creating so many beautiful things. My story is so much longer than this article. Before we judge anyone, it’s important to understand the struggles you cannot see.
Everyone is stressed out during this time of year. It’s time to be more patient and understanding with one another. This can be as simple as doing something nice for someone, like complimenting someone or even flashing a smile. Those are free ways to change someone’s whole day. Believe me, it has changed mine before.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
Categories: Opinions
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