College Student Issues

The college years are supposed to be an exciting, fun time, or so “they” say. Everyone is telling you to “enjoy the college years,” to “soak up all the good times,” but you aren’t feeling too great.

You are overwhelmed at all the work you need to get done, studying for tests, worrying about getting the right grades, or doing everything perfectly. You are stressed about all the changes happening in your world. You are spending a lot of time on social media. You feel isolated and are having trouble making friends. You are anxious about all the responsibilities you have been given and are struggling to concentrate in class. You don’t know how you are supposed to manage everything and still be happy.

You are tired, scared, and feeling very alone. This is supposed to be an exciting time but instead, you feel the temptation to stay in bed with the blankets over your head.

Being in college means a lot of changes. It is a time when you likely feel a lot of pressure to get things done, do them well, and ultimately know what you want to do with your future. That is a lot to take on no matter who you are or where you have come from. It is perfectly normal, and OK to be struggling with just about everything right now.

Even though you may feel like it, you are NOT alone. It is OK to be struggling with your emotional and mental health as a college student.

You can’t continue to ignore these feelings and hope they go away on their own, even though you may be tempted. The best thing you can do for yourself is to get help.

Ignoring your feelings will only cause them to compound and lead to bigger distress like severe depression and anxiety. The more you avoid the problem, the more you will likely struggle to get things done and move forward in your college years.

You feel isolated, anxious, and overwhelmed. Now what?

If any of these feelings sound like you, then it may be time to get some help from a mental health professional in Richmond, VA, Chesapeake, VA, or Charlotte, NC. A counselor or therapist can help teach you some coping tools, time management techniques, and organizational skills to keep you in control. Those feelings of overwhelm, anxiety, depression and fear of the unknown don’t have to stay at the forefront forever. We have custom solutions to fit your life.

In therapy at Whole Journey, a counselor will work with you to identify what works best for you. The end goal is for you to feel confident, calm, happy, and excited about all the amazing potential these years hold. At Whole Journey, we understand your internal struggle and we want to help you heal.

• Difficulty concentrating or thinking clearly
• Changes in Sleep Habits — Insomnia/Sleeping too much
• Panic attacks
• Frequent nervousness, restlessness, being tense or angry
• Avoidance
• Frequent obsessing over certain things
• Frequent sadness, crying, being tearful
• Physical symptoms— digestive issues, headaches, difficulty breathing, heart palpitations
• Sluggishness/lack of energy
• Lack of desire to do the things you once enjoyed

These are just a few of the many signs/symptoms you may be experiencing. Everyone experiences these things on occasion but they become problematic when happening more frequently, affecting your daily life.

Therapy isn’t a quick fix. It does take some time and effort from both parties—counselor and client. But, you may find that after the first session you feel some weight lifted off your shoulders. Talking to someone who understands and emphasizes in your struggles can make all the difference.

Counseling has been stigmatized, and therefore people are uncertain as to whether it can work. It’s hard to be real about how you’re feeling, especially when you may not completely understand what is going on. The beautiful thing about mental health treatment in Charlotte, NC, Richmond, VA, and Chesapeake, VA is that we move when you do. You will have the space to understand your feelings and figure out where you need to go at your pace. Your therapist is simply your guide. It is important to us that you feel safe, heard, and comfortable.

Our therapists understand that you are going through a lot right now. Whether you are struggling with symptoms of anxiety, depression, or just need some direction, we can help. A commonality between most issues is that your suffering can feel like a heavy cloud that just won’t lift. You may struggle to find the motivation to get through the difficult days. Meeting with an experienced counselor can assist you in getting to the root of the issue.

Whole Journey’s therapists take a holistic and integrative approach to treatment. We use a variety of modalities depending on the client’s individual needs and concerns. We frequently use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, mindfulness, stress tolerance, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Emotion-Focused Therapy.

Research has shown it is effective in treating panic disorder, phobias, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and other anxiety disorders. The benefit of adding in other modalities, allows us to specialize our services to the individual, so no treatment plan looks the same.

This acceptance-based treatment modality allows you to accept your circumstance and change. You will learn to end the cycle of struggle brought on by your feelings and begin to move toward behaviors that reinforce your values.

Helps to restore balance by addressing negative thoughts and emotions. EFT can help to reduce symptoms such as excessive worry, irritability, sleeping difficulties, and difficulty concentrating.

The benefit of mindfulness is that it allows you to connect with the present moment. That allows you to counteract feelings of worry.

Stress tolerance 

Through treatment in Chesapeake, VA, Charlotte, NC, and Richmond, VA, you will learn to handle pressures and distress better. While also developing the ability to effectively handle daily tasks and phobias with minimal anxiety in the event stressful conditions arise.

Ultimately, our goal is to help you release what you cannot control, enjoy freedom, and learn to better manage the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental distress. This will allow you to feel more balanced, fulfilled, and overall filled with happiness and joy. Our therapists want you to trust yourself in this journey and develop the resiliency you need to keep going.