personal experience
So why do I care about support for college students that are struggling with depression?
I am one of them.
In order to combat the stigma that is associated with mental health disorders, people who are comfortable sharing their illness with the general public should feel inclined to. Here's a little of my story.
My senior year of high school was rough: I was dealing with the stress of college applications, my closest friend group was breaking apart, and I felt inadequate in many ways. This resulted in me sinking into a deep bout of depression, coupled with anxiety. I was lucky to have the loving support of my family, as they dragged me into therapy and treatment. I don't think I would be here today without their support. I still struggle with depression today, and that's why this issue is incredibly important to me. I know that many students with depression don't feel that they have a support system, and I know if I didn't have the support of my family that I did my senior year of high school and now, I may not be here today.
So, while I am not an expert, I know how hard struggling with this illness is. If you or one of your friends are struggling, I encourage you to seek treatment, whether it be from Emory or from a personal referral, sooner rather than later. Click here for the symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD).
I was able to continue my treatment here at Emory my first year as I sought out the counseling center, trying to make sure I wouldn't fall back into what I experienced in high school. What was a major frustration for me was that the counseling center didn't offer long-term counseling. While I found the short-term counseling extremely beneficial, and I've since participated in various other services that the counseling center has to offer, I still would've liked to continue to receive treatment at Emory, rather than being referred to the outside community and repeat my story, after having built a connection with a therapist at the counseling center.
So now you know my story. If you want to read more of my passion for this issue, you can view my manifesto or my poem imitation.
I am one of them.
In order to combat the stigma that is associated with mental health disorders, people who are comfortable sharing their illness with the general public should feel inclined to. Here's a little of my story.
My senior year of high school was rough: I was dealing with the stress of college applications, my closest friend group was breaking apart, and I felt inadequate in many ways. This resulted in me sinking into a deep bout of depression, coupled with anxiety. I was lucky to have the loving support of my family, as they dragged me into therapy and treatment. I don't think I would be here today without their support. I still struggle with depression today, and that's why this issue is incredibly important to me. I know that many students with depression don't feel that they have a support system, and I know if I didn't have the support of my family that I did my senior year of high school and now, I may not be here today.
So, while I am not an expert, I know how hard struggling with this illness is. If you or one of your friends are struggling, I encourage you to seek treatment, whether it be from Emory or from a personal referral, sooner rather than later. Click here for the symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD).
I was able to continue my treatment here at Emory my first year as I sought out the counseling center, trying to make sure I wouldn't fall back into what I experienced in high school. What was a major frustration for me was that the counseling center didn't offer long-term counseling. While I found the short-term counseling extremely beneficial, and I've since participated in various other services that the counseling center has to offer, I still would've liked to continue to receive treatment at Emory, rather than being referred to the outside community and repeat my story, after having built a connection with a therapist at the counseling center.
So now you know my story. If you want to read more of my passion for this issue, you can view my manifesto or my poem imitation.