College can be rough!
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 80% of college students feel overwhelmed by school and 45% feel hopeless. These are early signs of depression. College can be very stressful for students. There’s a lot of anxiety, depression, and self-doubt that effects some students. School work doesn’t help and a lot of students aren’t prepared to deal with so much at once. A lot of students deal with these feelings alone and don’t seek help to control these thoughts and feelings. West Chester University is aware of the strain college can have on students. They provide services for students that are mostly free. This is beneficial because not all students have health insurance.
Take it from me.
I am not just writing this post to spread awareness and information about dealing with mental health. I want to share my story because I want to help someone else who is also having these feelings. It’s hard and I felt alone most of time. I thought no one could understand the things I felt, but I want to let you know that there are people who get it and want to help you. I am a recovering alcohol abuser and I recently decided to get the help I needed to help me deal with my depression and substance abuse. Thank goodness I did because I didn’t know if I could finish school or live to see the next day. But I put my big boy pants and went looking for the help I needed. I ended up at the counselling center here on campus and I am so proud of myself that I took that chance and I want you to be very brave and get the help you need.
Services provided by West Chester University.
The counseling service website that you can find the link to at the bottom of this post is very easy to go through. They make it very clear what someone can do if they are interested in the seeking out help. First,the website does a good job of having a section on identifying distress. So if someone is unsure if they need help, they can look over that and see if anything on there matches the feelings and thoughts they have. The Counseling office has a variety of different services that are offered to WCU students and most are for free. They have individual weekly counseling, group counseling, crisis intervention, psychiatric services, outreach, drug and alcohol counseling and many more.
Take the Chance.
If you are unsure about seeking out help, you should walk into the counseling center. You can have a conversation with the specialists. They make sure everyone feels welcomed. They will make sure you receive all the information you need and will encourage you to set up a time to talk to a counselor and if your luck you can meet the in-office therapy dog, Mudd. This is a safe space and all the staff is there to help you feel better. So don’t be afraid, dealing with your mental health shouldn’t be shameful but you should feel brave that you took the steps to better yourself. Remember you matter.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255
Refrernces:
https://www.wcupa.edu/_services/stu.cou/default.aspx
