As a college student, I deal with stress every single day – whether it’s with my classwork, extracurricular activities, or just having to do my own laundry. Usually, this stress is manageable and I get my work done on time – however, it sometimes becomes too overwhelming and I’m ready to break down.
If you related to that, I want you to know that you’re definitely not alone! Especially now, since many colleges are completely online, there are more and more expectations from professors and advisors to do more.
Many colleges provide a counseling center for students to meet with a licensed counselor for no extra cost. Even if you don’t think you have a mental illness, counseling can give insight into your problems and serves as an outlet for all students.
However, these counseling centers are helpful for an even more important reason. A large number of college students in the United States are living with mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression, but they don’t seek help.
According to CollegeStats.org, 75% of college students do not seek help when they are struggling with depression. While that number is harrowing, it’s an unfortunate reality. Sometimes students don’t know where they can get help or sometimes they’re afraid to tell their parents that they’re struggling.
Adelphi University provides counseling services included with the tuition. They are currently providing these services in a remote capacity due to Covid-19 restrictions. They also provide a list of emergent and non-emergent resources on their website for students to access.
They host therapy groups for a variety of needs such as an Eating Disorder Treatment Group, an Anxiety Support Group, and a Stress Workshop Series. See more information for these, and many more, on this website.
Personally, going to the student counseling center at my previous university was the best decision I ever made. The counselor was understanding and provided me with a list of psychologists and psychiatrists who could help me with what I was struggling with.
If you don’t feel comfortable going to counseling, there are a lot of great apps such as Sanvello that can also help you. Remember: you’re never alone and there is always somewhere to seek help!