Lately, it seems that college and depression go hand in hand. A staggering 44% of college students reported feeling symptoms of depression. Out of that 44 percent, 75 percent don't get the help they need. Almost half of the college student population is depressed. 19 percent of young people in the United States either contemplate or attempt suicide every year. Does that surprise you?
College students have class all day long and hours of homework while also working either full or part time and then still trying to find time to study and hang out with their friends. College alone is hard. Add in feeling sad all the time and having no motivation to get out of bed and bam, it just got harder. It's easy to skip class because you have no motivation to go. Most of the time you just don't want to go and suffer through a fifty-minute-long class that can barely keep your attention. When you mix depression in there, it's easy to skip class. And when you start skipping class, you keep skipping class and next thing you know it's the final exam and you have no idea what is really going on. Then, in the end you don't do well in the class and it starts to become a vicious cycle.
Depression while in college can be tough. Most students have just left home for the first time and they're away from their family and friends. Essentially they're away from the support they've always had. Most students don't even know where to begin when searching for help. It's easy to get lost in the depression and to fall into a dark place. The dark place can include thinking negatively about things, distancing yourself from your friends and family and skipping out on events such as classes or things your friends are doing. With depression, bad habits can form. Lying, self-harming and abuse of drugs are common events that can happen when depression becomes severe. I myself went through a rough time where I was self-harming and I was drinking to excess to the point where I would black out. It took me a long time to get out of the hole I was in, mostly because I was in denial, but I did it.
Once you fall into that dark place, it's hard to get yourself out. A great first step to healing is to stop self-harming and abusing drugs. You have to have a clear mind to start getting on the right track. Talking to someone about how you're feeling such as your friends or even a counselor is another great way to start. You're friends and family are guaranteed to want to help you get back on the right track. Medication may even be the answer for getting rid of or lessening your depression. Don't let anyone talk you out of medication if you think it's the best option for you. I can guarantee that someone you know is also on an anti-depressant or anxiety medication. 34 percent of college students have felt depressed at some point in the past three months, so don't forget that you're not going through this alone.
Please, reach out to somebody if you're feeling sad, depressed, or suicidal.
National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255
