‘Going by the latest data, 9474 students committed suicide in 2016-at a rate of more than one every hour’
College life can be daunting. Dealing with assignments, examinations, peer pressure, building new friendships, being let down, figuring your sexuality, heartbreak, figuring out the next step in life, trying to meet the family’s expectations, trying to meet your own expectations, being a part of the rat race and in spite of all of the above somehow managing to have it all together and tell your mom “I’m doing okay” when she calls - is daunting. As a 21-year-old going through the same thing, I can assure you, you aren’t alone.
When you travel miles away from the comfort of your home, meet 100 new strangers all of a sudden who you are supposed to spend the next 4-6 years together in a completely new environment-subconsciously it takes a toll on your mental health. Don’t get me wrong, some of you out there might have it all chalked out about what to do with your life but for most of us out there it is a big ball of confusion that spirals down ultimately into depression, anxiety, eating disorders or some other kind of mental illness which if not handled or dealt in the right way can end up being regretful. Unfortunately, the easiest shortcut to escape from the pain is to engage in substance abuse or self-harm to oppress the mental pain with physical pain. But who are we kidding? Aren’t we the ones losing out in the end? With a million other healthy ways to deal with the mental stress, we surrender to the exact opposite because it’s easy, cool and half the TV shows or movies make it look glamorous.
Dealing with all the issues especially related to mental health in the tender ages between 18-24 (basically standard college duration) is highly sensitive and crucial. Because this is the time we either make it or break it in life. I don’t know what you as an individual might be going through, but I am sure you don’t want to go through this feeling forever. So TALK. Whether you are putting up a smile, pretending everything is okay and secretly crying in your bathroom or if you are just suppressing the mental chaos thinking it will just go away, either way just TALK. I cannot stress enough about how important it is to talk about these issues you are going through with a trusted adult, a family member, a long term good friend to put you back on track or an even therapist. If you feel that “Oh it is easier said than done” it is not. If someone is saying it, it only means they probably know how exhausting it is to be in a constant debate with your mind and they want the best for you. I can go on and on about the different coping mechanisms but the first step towards tackling mental health is communication. Voice out your concerns, make yourself heard because whatever step needs to be taken next starts with just saying “I am not feeling okay”. The stigma behind ‘what will people think of me’ needs to end because at the end of the day what matters is what you think about yourself and how you can make yourself happier. In conclusion, all I would like to say is, it is normal to not feel your best when there are issues that are dragging you down and shunning your mental peace away. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have a choice in feeling the other way round. You always have a choice, so talk it out.
