I am feeling lost.

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Umm…Hi.

I am a college student and I am struggling with depression and anxiety. I have had mental break downs out of no where and have come close to dropping out of school. I recently have dropped a class because I could not handle the stress and my parents thought it would be the right thing to do before I go insane. But I feel as though I am nothing but a disappointment towards my family, friends and my boyfriend because I might have to stay an extra semester. Is there a way that maybe I could handle the stress better? Any suggestions?

asked October 30, 2013

4 Answers

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I have serious anxiety problems as well. I am swamped all of the time and sometimes I feel as though I dont even have time to breathe. You are most definitely not a disappointment. You are doing what is best and most logical for you. Your health and well being is what is ultimately important to your family, not one extra semester in college.
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One extra semester in college is nothing in the bigger picture. Try an extra 2 years. Yeah, I took my time. But I took advantage of the time by also working and taking lots of extra classes which have helped to make me much more well rounded. If you take some extra time because of your anxiety issues, that is perfectly okay. It sounds like your parents support your decision so they obviously care about the trouble you're having and want to help you by making things a little easier. I'm sure they're not disappointed by you. Have you ever talked to them about this? Or anyone? Have you seen a psychiatrist about your anxiety issues? You might want to start there, he may refer you to a doctor, because there might be a medical issue causing your anxiety. There are definitely anti-anxiety medications available. If you're open to prescription drugs, then that might help you to get to a normally functioning level so you can try to finish college in time, if you'd like to.
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V
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You are pressing too much against your own mind. The first thing you must realise is that, if something is not making you happy, then no matter who you make happy in the process, it will only do you damage. Anxiety, mental breakdowns, and things of the like are caused by you forcing yourself to do things. In this case, it sounds like you are pushing yourself far too hard, and it's taking its toll on you mentally. When was the last time you did something for yourself? I understand where you are coming from with wanting to make your family happy. However I highly doubt they would think any lesser of you if you needed to take more time to do things than doing them as fast as possible. Family is there to support you, so don't pressure yourself so hard. Just take the time, even to catch yourself when you begin stressing out about things, to stop for a moment, and relax. Simply, breathe. And things will all be alright. Allow yourself to loosen up and relax. Life is portrayed to be much more difficult than it actually is. When it isn't taken so seriously, it's quite a lot of fun :)
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Nothing's worth your peace of mind and your ability to reason with yourself. If your boyfriend and friends and family are true to your heart, they'll be true to your best interests as well. I wish I could convince myself of this, but NEVER do anything with the fear of disappointing anyone in mind. It puts the burden of being untrue to yourself on every action, and often compromises you into unrealistic expectations of yourself. College is an adventure =) so let it be your adventure. You can handle stress doing anything - from video games to poker to hiking to reading. Anything that doesn't force you to be someone that isn't you. Allow your heart to reconcile with you, and the stress of being your expectations instead of your reality just melts away.