Hey I’m 21 and a student. I joined this space because there isn’t anyone in my life that I can talk to about my mental health right now and it’s so overwhelming. I’m constantly anxious, I was depressed last year and got better after a while but I’m scared it might be starting again.
In case anyone is willing to share what has helped them on this journey I’d really appreciate it. I just want to feel less alone.
One of the things that helped me was actually coming on here because there is alot of people who have the same or have felt the same as I did when I joined. And everybody is pretty kind and stuff so I think you came to the right place . You definitely aren't alone.
thank you I appreciate it. I’ll take it one day at a time
Welcome Stargazer21,I find writing down what's bothering me. Helps to get it out of my head so I stop worrying so much.
welcome ❤️
I understand how you feel. I am 25, Ive been dealing with social anxiety and bouts of feeling depressed for a while now. I have my ups and downs, never been diagnosed with depression but I have been diagnosed with anxiety by a therapist. I think its great you are taking steps to find solutions, by joining this forum. I didnt have the courage to do that at your age, I wasnt ready to acknowledge my anxiety, I wasnt fully aware of it. I was lost in it and didnt know how to describe my problem. I ignored it and told myself I was just young and that i would figure it out, but some unfortunate circumstances in 2020 made me fall even deeper in the whole. And I also havent found the courage to change the things I know I need to change to improve my mental health. BUT, things have gotten better: cognitive behavioural therapy has helped me understand my problem, verbalize it, comprehend where it came from, how it started, plus its helped me cope and given me tools to deal with my anxiety. Its helped me see the problems more clearly. So I would recommend finding a good licensed therapist to talk to if you want to go deeper and understand the issue before it gets bad again. One book I read that helped me see more clearly is called Stop worrying about everything and nothing by Robert Ladouceur. I recently bought some stuff at the TherapyShoppe, they sell toys for kids, teens and even adults that can help reduce anxiety. I just got my first package so still have to try it. I strongly recommend staying away from social media and youtube, anything made to be addictive and driven by the algorithm. Forums like this one or spotify or watching a show or movie is okay, but addictive compulsive scrolling is awful for concentration, which affects social skills, and can lead to isolation and anxiety especially if you use it to feel better when stressed. I did that, it made everything worse, added wood to the fire. Might have been in a better place right now if it werent for screen addiction... starting to deal with that now. Finding hobbies, things that make you grow and you enjoy, can be lifechanging. Learning a new instrument (there s plenty of adult learners, no shame in being a beginner), join a theatre group. Maybe find things you can do on your own that help you avoid being suffocated by negative thoughts, like coloring in a coloring book. Anyway, those are some tips I have. Hope you feel a bit less lonely:)I know how you feel. Im well acquainted with the feeling of being anxious... but i dont doubt for a second im going to get out of this predicament
Coming here is a great start. I have been on and off for a few years and coming here has been a life line. Anxiety seems circular to me. You wonder why you have it and then you get more anxious! I have been diagnosed with GAD since college....am now 43 and a normal human...so that's ok. When I was younger, I managed it all with fitness and sort of suppression of bad memories too. I did develop PTSD over time. Coming here now for you is perfect timing. So in youth, running and sports helped a lot. In my 30s, I was too tired with three babies....but I did suffer once with post partum. I think knowing that you have a bit of anxiety is good. You know yourself. I try some breathing exercises now that I am older that do help. I have some physical issues happening so some of my medications overlap and help with the anxiety. I will say I knew well enough so long ago to get into counseling. I started therapy in college and now have moved into specific PTSD therapy which has helped a lot. To find the root cause of my anxiety, it took a very solid therapist. The root cause was from youth trauma that I never told anyone about. It was freeing to finally be able to say it....but it took over 20 years. I wish I had a website like this when I was your age! I find reading some other posts to be helpful too. Sending a virtual hug.
whatever you put into practice before that helped go through that procedure again at least this time you see the signs so act before it hits.
Welcome 🙂
You are not alone. There are some great people here who will probably understand how you feel.
Welcome to the forum. I think that you will find a lot of support of people here and also people who can share their own experiences. You will quickly realize that you are not the only person struggling with problems.
I have found that there are several techniques which I have used and generally recommend.
First, to relieve anxiety, there is meditation, deep breathing, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioral therapy.
To deal specifically with depression, I have found that cognitive behavioral therapy can be highly effective in changing how do you think about things so that you think more realistically and less negatively. I generally recommend a book Feeling Great by David Burns. It is one of the best books out there on CBT and, if you actually do the exercises and homework, can be very useful.
Please take care of yourself.
Hello... I too suffered as a student. I started talked therapy in college, but I didn't find someone that I really liked until I was older. I guess finding a therapist is like dating, sometimes you have to go out w a few before you find a good fit. Meditation can help the body unlearn the pathways of anxiety in the brain. The brain is like a highway system, the "roads" that get the most use get the most funding. So, if that's anxiety and depression, those roads will be highway systems in your brain. When you start meditating, a little dirt road of peace is formed in there. W continued practice, it gets more "funding" and becomes a more substantial road system until its the major system. The brain has an amazing ability to change, it just takes practice. A powerful form of meditation that's soothing for the body and mind is called yoga nidra, between asleep and awake. You do it in bed, and there's lots of vids on YouTube for it. A breathing technique will also be your friend, to call on when anxiety hits. I use the 4 square technique as it's simple to remember. I breathe in for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, breathe out for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, repeat until better. Exercises like yoga and Tai Chi are great because they are meditations for the body and the mind and they decrease anxiety and depression as well. All these things teach mindfulness, which will go you to cope in the moment w your depression and anxiety. Walking for at least 45 minutes 5 times a week has been shown to lift depression in people as it's a natural antidepressant. And if feels good too!! Being a student is stressful, I know. Hang in there and know that things do get better ☮️
I don’t know how to feel
Hey I’m new here
Hey, I’m new here. : )
I don’t know what I’m doing
I don’t know what to do anymore 
