@unknowncreature – Just checking in to see how you are doing today, and if you were able to reach a counselor at the CAPS program.
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Thinking about you, @unknowncreature.
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@unknowncreature , I didn’t jump in a couple of days ago because you were receiving great advice. But I also didn’t want to abandon you without speaking up.
Aside from all the great advice you’ve received from these wonderful forum members, I strongly recommend you schedule an appointment with a Therapist. Not necessarily to diagnose an emotional ailment. More specifically simply to give you a sounding board
A lot of people misunderstand the role of a therapist. Often, it’s simply a good, unbiased, non-judgemental sounding board. You go in, talk about what’s bothering you, the therapist allows you to digress but keeps you focused on what’s important, and you talk and talk. Eventually, over several appointments, together you figure out a lot of things.
Having a sounding board can be very important in emotional development, and a lot of people lacking that resource in their family/mentors either achieve that development later through very extended trial&error or they never really achieve it. From birth through young adulthood and beyond, a lot of people don’t have anyone in their lives to serve that role. And without seeing a Therapist those people lacking that outlet/input might never experience the type of personal growth that is possible with having that sort of support.
None of us are born with these sorts of reasoning and coping skills, and many of us are not taught this while growing up. With a therapist, you might experience exponential growth and coping skills in a relatively short period of time. It’s most definitely worth attending a few appointments to see if you can find a fit.
Good luck, and keep reaching out here if there is nowhere else for you to reach out.
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The hard part is that theoretically, insurance doesn’t pay for a sounding board. Insurance requires a diagnosis code. I have found therapists who talk about this issue openly. When I was in a situation with multiple stresses dealing with the problems of others, one therapist actually asked me what diagnosis I would like! Often they put in PTSD. It is absolutely helpful for us parents to have a therapist to talk to when our kids are struggling.
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Yes, they were very helpful
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I’m so glad. I hope that they are able to help you figure out your best path forward.
Please keep us posted as you can – we are all thinking about you and wishing you well.
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The more I know about students’ mental health issues, the more I doubt my decision to apply to college. How can I prepare myself for it to avoid depression, anxiety, and other problems?
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Planning to avoid depression, anxiety and other emotional difficulties is a good start of a plan.
Making a plan to realize when depression/anxiety is becoming a problem and having a plan in place to address it is probably an even more important plan.
Students who have a history of such difficulties should create a plan for both 1)trying to prevent episodes of such difficulties, and 2)knowing exactly what you will do when the episodes inevitably break through.
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That’s how hyper-competitive schools work. Only the select chosen ones get into useful majors. The rest are basically thrown to the wolves. The point of college is an educational opportunity. My suggestion is to transfer to a less competitive university. This will open the doors to employable majors. It worked for me.
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