Welcome to our special section, Thrive on Campus, devoted to covering the urgent issue of mental health among college and university students from all angles. If you are a college student, we invite you to apply to be an Editor-at-Large, or to simply contribute (please tag your pieces ThriveOnCampus). We welcome faculty, clinicians, and graduates to contribute as well. Read more here.
Dear self,
I know times have been rough for you lately. You staying up all night while the world around you sleeps peacefully, unperturbed by any unsettling thoughts. I wonder what crosses your mind in that deadly silence of the night, one thought leading to another, before you realise it’s too late to turn back now. And hence, your mornings ensue on a chaotic note now.
You try to turn a blind eye to the thoughts playing inside your head but I wish it could be that easy. So nowadays, you try to hide behind your piles of work and try to keep yourself busy all the time. But yet, there are times when you feel estranged, a little lost in the unending loop of your emotions. Confusion and self pity clouds your mind and there you go again. Breaking down into millions of pieces and finally giving up on the game of pretense. You cry. Shed a lot of tears. Then you stop. Accept it and keep going on, until it happens the next time. Again.
But I hope you will find a way out of this, won’t you? I hope you will learn to put yourself first before everyone else. I hope you will learn not to expect too much from people ’cause disappointment is inevitable. I hope you will learn to not treat yourself as a victim but a warrior, who has fought her way through so much. I hope you will learn to be grateful for what you have been blessed with, rather than regretting what you lost.
I hope you will take your time, fight through this and emerge much stronger than before.
P.S.: I love you. Please take care of yourself. ?
Yours,
Mind, soul and body.
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More on Mental Health on Campus:
What Campus Mental Health Centers Are Doing to Keep Up With Student Need
If You’re a Student Who’s Struggling With Mental Health, These 7 Tips Will Help
The Hidden Stress of RAs in the Student Mental Health Crisis