Texan Mosaic

by CHANISE RAY//Staff Writer

Untreated mental illness could be seen as an epidemic in the United States.

As a college student I can personally say college is very stressful. Students, who conjointly have a load of stress, can be treated. Most college campuses have a health and wellness program where counselors can be used at students’ disposal just to talk, or vent. Talking to someone can help relieve stress and ease your mind. Carrying stress inside and not talking about it could be unhealthy.

College students are jam packed with things to do. Not to mention college athletes have even more to do, especially if they obtain a scholarship. Being sleep deprived because you have to stay up until 3 a.m. writing a paper could put anyone in a bad mood. Sleep deprivation is known to play a role in depression.

Depression is relatively common among college students because of the everyday stress of homework. Students can utilize their academic advisors as well. They specifically aim to help with students’ studies and possibly their organization. However, being able to vent to a person who knows about what you are going through and can possibly explain why you could be experiencing certain things is very refreshing.

As a student at SPC, I utilize the college’s counselors because I believe it is very healthy to decompress and talk about everyday things. I do not always go to my counselor to vent, or cry. Sometimes, I like to go just to talk. I have friends I talk to, of course. However, I find it more useful to talk to my counselor because I usually find out more about myself and what type of person I am. With my friends, I am uncensored and I can say just about anything. But with a counselor, obviously I can say anything. But when I feel as if I am embarrassed to tell my counselor something, or before I say it and I think it sounds funny or incompetent, I realize that maybe I have an opportunity to grow. In other words, I feel as if counseling has made me a better person.

Students who are athletes in college could benefit from a counselor not only for their studies but also for their performance in their sport. A friend of mine who currently plays basketball for Florida State University tells me all the time about how the team has access to a therapist. He says his coach believes that a healthy mind helps with efficiency on the court. So the players are not stressing about anything during game time.

Of course, counseling is not the quick fix to being perfect all the time. Everyone has breakdowns and bad days. But having someone to talk to when these breakdowns occur can be very abating.

College is especially stressful when dealing with the workload put upon most average students, not to mention the social life mixed in. It can be pretty overwhelming. College campuses are more vulnerable to acts of bullying and assault. These things can be traumatizing to some students and can cause them to abandon classwork and class in general. Counseling can be especially beneficial to these students because of the affects these things may have on them.

I would recommend counseling to every one of my classmates because of how helpful it has been in my life. There is always someone that is willing to listen to you vent, and you are not alone.