Reaching Out and Asking for Help
Depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and more can all be a result of college students' mental health plummeting. More than 60% of college attendees met the criteria for at least one mental health problem, according to a study. Students may not have the chance to look into resources that help them, and don't want to waste their time with something like that, especially when they have a job, school work, and other personal needs that need to be met. Many can get a start and admit they need help, but where do you even go for something like that?
A student here at Oakland University, Martina Avara, opens up about her struggles with balancing everything. She is the president of a sorority here, works two jobs, and has a full course load studying in the medical field.
“I really did not know how I was going to be able to balance everything, and I thought, there is no way I can balance everything on my plate. I often leave my house at eight am and don't get back to my house until eight pm or later. With everything I have had to do these past two semesters, I finally admitted to myself that I needed to talk to other people about how I have been feeling.”
Avara goes on to tell me how she started neglecting self-care and not spending enough time with the people she loves as her workload became a lot for her. “When I talked to my parents about this, I was scared they were going to tell me to stop complaining and lock in. But they were very supportive and honestly seemed kind of worried about me, and wanted to help in any way they could. I opened up to some friends, too, and it was a relief to hear they felt the same way.”
Talking to people in your life that you love or are close with can be that first step to getting help.
While Avara shared great insight on that average working college student, it is still evident that many are not getting the help they need. Many may need more than just opening up about how they are feeling and how they are doing mentally.
Oakland University offers a wide variety of choices to help students. There is a counseling center and student support groups that cover topics such as crisis intervention services, suicide prevention, if you have been sexually assaulted, how to see your signs of distress, while offering substance abuse prevention and psychiatric services.
If students do not want to see someone in person or go completely out of the way to receive help, there are many online resources to help. Two apps called Headspace and Calm can give students a feeling of relief and to help them with their anxiety, and to give them a moment of peace and comfort. There are many hotlines students can also use, and a platform called betterhelp.com, where students can meet with a counselor completely online. Other ways that students can start to prioritize their well-being are by going for a walk, maintaining a healthy sleep schedule, putting their favorite show on, expressing themselves through art, or journaling, as mentioned in the College Mental Health Toolkit article.
Reaching out is a big first step to take, but the best one. This can kickstart one’s journey to receiving the help they need and to getting their life back. Mental health is important to prioritize, and when life gets overwhelming, it is okay to ask for help.
Comments