Anxiety/depression and college

[Rqharper]

I am a junior in college and I am having a terrible semester. My anxiety has been a lot worse than usual and when it gets bad I can't even get out of bed. This has caused me to get kicked out of two classes because of absences. This has made my depression worse also. Does anyone have any advice on how to do better and how to get my professors to understand my problems and how they effect me?

[Hidden]

When I was in college the same thing happened to me. what helped me was taking a step away from school, going back home (I was in MA, but am from CA) and surrounding myself with people who knew what I was going through. Another thing I did was that I began to see a therapist at school and that was really helpful. Also, I would be honest with your professors. Some may understand and some may not, but you might get some insightful support.

[Ajax2734]

Are you at a local college and live with your parents. If not, making this change may help so you are where you feel comfortable and have a support system. I would talk to the health center at the school and see if you can see a psychiatrist/psychologist there. They may be able to help your anxiety and give you tips on how to communicate with your professors and possibly get accommodations.

Most importantly though, you need to get treatment for the underlying issue-the anxiety. It is likely that is will come up even after college so it is good to get treatment sooner rather than later. I suggest seeing a psychiatrist for medication and a psychologist/counseler/social worker for talk therapy.

Best of luck!

[stowne19]

I'm a sophomore in college and my anxiety has been the worst it has ever been this semester as well. In terms of getting your professors to understand, I would just be honest with them. I would either go see them during their office hours or send them an email and explain what's been going on. Some professors will be more understanding than others. Many professors (at least the ones I've had) will be willing to work with you to give you extensions on assignments or allow you to make up anything that you've missed up to a certain grade.

I would also suggest making an appointment with a counselor at school. Many colleges give students a certain amount of free counselling sessions. It may be difficult to get into see someone this late in the semester, but if it's an emergency, they can usually squeeze you in.

What's your living situation like while you're at college? Do you live with your parents and commute to campus? Do you live on campus during the school year, but live with your parents during the summer? Do you live in an apartment off-campus? I live on campus during the school year and live with my parents during the summer/breaks. Fortunately, my college is only 1.5 hours away from my parents house. I find it comforting to know that when my anxiety gets bad, I can spend the weekend at home surrounded by my support system. Is this something that you could do in your situation? If not, you could facetime/skype your parents and maybe just seeing/talking to them could relieve some of your anxiety/depression.

Just remember that this semester will be over soon and hopefully your anxiety/depression will ease up as well. Best of luck!