I’m at a huge and very popular public state school. Within the last twelve months three students have committed suicide in the same manner at the same place. In addition there have been serval crimes on campus including kidnap and murder, murder suicide, and terror attacks. It makes me feel really uneasy and in the back of my mind I always worry somethings going to happen at any moment. As I walked down the steeet tonight tons of emergency vehicles blew past me to go to the scene of a suicide. Any advice on how to feel less anxious about all this??
You could take a self defense class. And follow good practices in general on campus – don’t walk by yourself at night, if you are going to go to a party, go with a friend and keep an eye on each other (and each other’s drinks). If you feel like you are having mental health issues (depression, for example), go to the campus health center to talk to a counselor. Encourage your friends to do the same.
Maybe stop reading the campus paper or wherever you are getting info on campus crime, honestly. All big campuses have some crime, including some violent crime. And suicide happens at colleges. You should practice good habits to stay safe and encourage your friends to do the same.
Well, for starters, the suicides that have happened pose absolutely no threat to you. Yes, it’s something the school needs to address, but not something that has any bearing on you or your safety.
As to the other issues: Are you taking full advantage of the safety features on campus? Is your dorm room ALWAYS locked? Do you travel in pairs? Do you use the escort feature if you’ll be walking around at night? Are you aware of the blue poles and their location?
And consider stopping by the mental health center for coping strategies.
There is irrational fear and rational fear.
For the rational fear, look on your College’s security web page and read about the resources they have for your safety.
Lock your doors, walk with others late at night, request an escort when necessary.
I would go to the Counseling Center to talk about your (reasonable) anxiety.
Colleges now report more instances of crime and suicides in the past. It was scary to learn later that a man with a razor waited in rest rooms in the building with my classes. Dean didn’t want to scare us. Women left the building as a group and followed each in cars until we were ready to leave the parking lot. Guy was caught.
Think of college safety and security. You are living in the same size community as the college size. For example, if your college has 30,000 students than you are living in a town of that size. There is no reason to believe that students, except for similar ages, are any different than the people of a similar sized community. Campuses aren’t inherently safer so always take precautions. One thing I was careful about was poorly lighter areas with bushes and tres.4th
Not enough mental health counselors and prescribers on college campuses these days. You can help advocate for better mental services for your peers and those who come after you if you want to do something about it.
Hopefully you are continuing to receive counseling.
Seems as though you do need a change of environment as feeling overwhelmed at a campus of 60,000 students is understandable.
Your parents need to get more involved/concerned with your mental health/state of mind. After reading all of your prior posts & threads, I am convinced that you need a change of scenery in a less overwhelming environment.