Most students come to college with excitement about the opportunity but often have not spent time thinking about the challenges they may encounter beyond academic stress. As humans in a position for the first time to truly think for themselves and make decisions about what they want in life, it can be unexpectedly difficult to find direction. It is a time of balance between what you already know about yourself and what you discover as you go along. This developmental time of learning your own values or life guidelines can be distressing and overwhelming on its own. The collision of what your parents taught you was important to you and what you are finding to be important is confusing. For most of us, there is usually already some level of personal experience with depression, anxiety, or maybe ADHD.
Pair that with the most intellectually/ academically challenging tasks you’ve experienced while having to #adult for the first time in your life and you have a perfect storm. This situation can freeze even the highest functioning, smartest people out there. For some, freezing may then trigger a downward spiral. Enter existential crisis, loss of motivation, social anxiety, and general dysfunction with the things you came to college for in the first place. This is way more normal than most people realize; this is the very reason why college counseling centers are busting at the seams and having to manage care in a way that keeps people safe in a crisis but does not necessarily get folks to a place of thriving…. They just don’t have the time and resources to provide full-service care.
Here are a few articles that talk about the nationwide epidemic….
Counseling Today
Scientific American
Time
Inside Higher Ed
I share this information for several reasons. One is because it’s important to understand that the need is a normal part of the lives of productive, gifted students. Mental health is fluid, we all have times of greater need than others and it makes sense that regardless of your starting gate mental health status when you start college- it’s likely that the need will increase based on the stress and demands of being a student. Another reason is that asking for help and not getting it can be traumatic. Due to the demands placed on university counseling centers, you may not have a great experience if that is where you start. Rushed, delayed or short-term care are symptoms of the supply and demand conundrum university mental health providers are faced with. My hope is that this doesn’t deter you from continuing to assess your options in the local community where more continuous and complete care can be provided.
I have worked as a counselor at two universities myself. I have first-person experience in the dilemma of being a therapist in an overflowing counseling center full of people without enough resources to help. Some of the best therapists out there are at universities. There just aren’t enough to meet the need. It’s really no one’s fault, it’s just a system that has yet to be mastered. People get lost in that system. If you or someone you know are considering therapy and are struggling to find the support you need at the university level, I hope you will consider finding a community provider before you give up on the possibility that counseling could help. If you are one of the lucky folks who have found a clinical home at your university, be thankful for that.
No matter where you are, you should be able to explore your community resources by visiting https://www.psychologytoday.com/us. You should be able to type in your zip code to find verified licensed therapists. Don’t be afraid to help yourself- you’re worth it!
Take Care & Good Luck!
