• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

College Magazine

College Life, Dating, Career & Campus Advice

  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

You are here: Home / Life / Health / Why I Spoke Out About My Mental Health Struggles

Why I Spoke Out About My Mental Health Struggles

December 30, 2015 //  by Meghan Gresk

Shares58FacebookTweet

An aching gut, stomach in knots, sore throat and extreme fatigue make up a pretty hefty list of symptoms to handle all at once. Many people see this as a traditional physical illness. For me, those symptoms became my reality due to the anxiety that plagued me my freshman year of college. These unbearable struggles really began to surface when a series of unfortunate events turned my perpetual bad mood into a sadness I needed professional help to escape.

The beginning of my freshman year saw few bumps in the road. I cried like Elle Woods after a breakup the first night, but aside from that I made instant friends and loved the school’s extensive orientation program. I didn’t expect the truck load of problems that would come during midterm season in October. My birthday just passed unnoticed, and I felt things getting rough. Nineteen didn’t really mean anything significant, and the few good friends that I did make were too overwhelmed with homework to go out and celebrate.

After the birthday fiasco, I found myself in a bit of a funk, even amidst my occasional adventures around Chicago and schoolwork. But the stress began to knock the wind out of me. My first midterm in my Intro to Psych Class should’ve been a piece of cake, but I found myself beginning to crack.

Later I got a Facebook message from one of my best friends saying that he didn’t want to be my friend anymore. The message came out of nowhere, and I didn’t get much of an explanation or response. Just abandonment. I cried some more, but eventually I shoved it into some back corner of my mind out of harm’s way.

As I started skimming psych chapters for the fiftieth time, my stomach in some of the tightest knots I had ever experienced, my roommate asked me why I never made it to a dorm event that day. I told her I needed to study, which lead to our first major fight. At this point, I felt lost. At around ten at night I still didn’t see an end to my studying. I tried to calm down so I could go study somewhere else, but I felt the physical symptoms of anxiety beginning to tear me apart. My tears wouldn’t stop. My body shook and I feared I would get sick. I ultimately found refuge in the bathroom, where I tried to call my school’s hotline for any sort of guidance. However, I felt so desperate that when I was put on hold, I hung up and called my mother instead.

Even though I talked to everyone from my RA to my mom, in the end, nothing helped. That’s the scariest part: when you follow the steps they teach you at those support groups and try to act responsible by reaching out to others, it still doesn’t make anything better.

At first, something stopped me from asking for help. I didn’t know what to say; even my psych book told me that depression took six months to develop, and the anxiety seemed only circumstantial. Did I really have anything worth talking about?

A few days later, I went to one of the walk-in sessions a counselor was holding on campus. He ended up being the executive director of CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services) at my school. Although the counselor didn’t provide many concrete suggestions, his comforting personality encouraged me to find other people at my school who would support me without judgment.

Things didn’t improve immediately. To this day, I sometimes find myself in similar bouts of physical and mental struggles. I still stare at my phone knowing I should email that counselor or call the hotline, but I can’t bring myself to do it. Regardless, the options still comfort me. Speaking out will always lead to change for me, even if the light at the end of the tunnel is still pretty far.

 

Shares58FacebookTweet

Filed Under: Health Life

About Meghan Gresk

Hi, my name is Meghan and I'm a sophomore at Northwestern University. I've had a passion for creative writing ever since I was creative editor of my high school paper, and now I'm pursuing the creative writing major at the college level. I love writing in my own voice to help other people get through tough times.

You May Also Like

Keeping Up with the Coronavirus: How is it Spread?

spin class

CM’s Top 10 Schools for Health and Fitness Fanatics

Counseling at a table

Seeking Counseling in College: Why Your Mental Health Will Thank You

covid-19 dating

Your Ultimate Guide to Dating Safely During COVID-19

Juul

Yeah, I’m That Girl Still Addicted to the Juul in 2020

halloween

10 Best Ways to Celebrate a COVID-Safe Halloween

College-19: Back to Campus During a Global Pandemic

COVID-19

PSA: COVID-19 Isn’t Over — Reasons You Should Still Wear a Mask

How Not to Take Your College Final Exams

I Don’t Cry: My Great Airport Meltdown

Battling Poland Syndrome: How I Learned to Love My Flaws

girl on spin bike

College Fitness Chewed Me Up and Spit Me Out, Here’s Why

hospital

A Trip to the Hospital: A Guide to a College Student’s Least Exciting Vacation

A Quick-Start Guide to Your New Quarantine Hobby: Meal Prep

Instagram’s 5 Best Fitness Influencers’ Workouts

How to Survive the Apocalypse: Coronavirus Edition

social isolation

COVID-19: The Costs of Social Isolation

How to Stay Active

12 Ways to Stay Active While Working from Home

Insomnia

Battling Insomnia Through College

Zoom Dating

Keeping Romance Alive in the Days of Social Distancing

Arial view of Dartmouth College's campus.

Campus is Closed: Where Do I Go?

relationship with yourself

Building a Healthy Relationship with Yourself during Quarantine

Don’t Forget about Us: Ronald McDonald battle with COVID-19

Coronavirus

10 Ways to Survive Corona from Your Couch

Previous Post: « College Good Girl or Convict?
Next Post: University Press of Florida »

Primary Sidebar



Trending Posts

Chill Colleges
2978

CM’s Top 10 Most Chill Colleges in the Country

climate change protest
309

Top 10 Colleges Where You Can Make A Difference in the Climate Crisis

food buffet
304

Top 10 Colleges with the Most Delicious On and Off Campus Food Options

69

The 10 Best Organizations You Should Donate To in 2021

41

Why Pixar’s “Soul” is Groundbreaking: Lessons for 2020 and Beyond

Featured Chapter: UCLA

Footer

logo

College Magazine is the national daily guide to campus life. Our articles for college students feature university rankings of U.S. colleges, college guides, academic advice, college prep, career advice, student health and collegiate dating tips.

Written by students for students, by a team of journalists from universities nationwide, we’re on the pulse of the college experience.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Colleges

  • College Guides
  • College Rankings
  • Campus life
  • Academics
  • Dating
  • Freshmen Year
  • Health
  • Party

Majors

  • All College Majors
  • Most Popular Majors
  • Choosing a Major

Intern

  • Internships Directory
  • How to Write a Resume
  • How to Write a Cover Letter
  • How to Interview
  • How to Get an Internship
  • How to Network

Money

  • How to Make Money
  • How to Save Money
  • How to Get a Job
  • Credit Cards 101
  • College Loans

Travel

  • Study Abroad
  • College Spring Break
  • How to Travel Cheap
  • Things to Do

Shop

  • College Packing List
  • Gift Guides
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

Copyright © 2021 College Magazine · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc.