If you've ever experienced anxiety or depression, you're definitely not alone. According to the New York Times, anxiety is on the rise among college students, and is the most common reason college students seek counseling services. With more and more students being affected, it's more important than ever that we not only know what the symptoms of anxiety and depression are, but to know that we aren't the only ones coping with it. That's exactly the message a new video from the Chronicle of Higher Education sends.
In the video, a handful of students who have anxiety or depression opened up about what their symptoms feel like, and what they wish their professors and friends knew about mental health. By sharing their stories, the students hope to break down the stigma around mental health, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, making it easier to talk about.
The students in the video described how they feel when they have a panic attack, naming symptoms ranging from the classic panic attack hallmarks like racing thoughts and a sense of dread to more physical symptoms like the chills.
"It can be hard for me to hear things, hard for me to listen, hard to understand," one person said.
"Debilitating, and I can't function," another said.
To cope with their anxiety, the students in the video said they do things like call a parent or friend, name how intense their anxiety is on a scale of 1 to 10, going out and being social, and even dropping a class because it was too much. What's most important is finding a coping mechanism that works for you. That could be a breathing exercise, doing some yoga, taking a walk, or anything else that helps reduce your anxiety.
Coping with your own anxiety can be tough, but it's also hard when others don't understand what you're going through — especially when that person is the one who will decide what grade you get at the end of the semester. The students in the video opened up about what they wished their professors knew about dealing with anxiety or depression.
"Sometimes when students skip class it doesn't mean that they just don't want to be there," one student said. "Sometimes they just need a day, or they just need a couple hours just to chill."
"I would like them to know that I'm not that shy student that doesn't want to talk," someone else said. "I'm also not not coming to class because I don't want to learn or I'm not serious about my education."
Other students wished their professors knew that they might need a little while longer to work on an assignment, or that it was easier and more normal to tell a professor that you can't come to class because of your mental health — just like you'd tell them you can't attend class because you have the flu.
Ultimately, these students are proof that there are ways to cope with whatever you're feeling, and that you're not alone.
Related: App Helps Detect Anxiety Through Nervous System
