You Are Not Alone

This post was written by a CSUCI student.

I cannot remember the first time I had a panic attack, but I do remember the most recent panic attack I had. Being a senior in college has brought a lot of stress to me because not only is it my last semester but having to think about grad school and what you are doing after graduation is stressful. There are times I catch myself wanting to give up and just drop out because of how stressful it has become, but I stop and think, "I can do it" since I am almost done. 

My anxiety has been with me for as long as I can remember. To add my anxiety to all of my stress just makes things worse. I usually have my panic attacks when I am alone and just overthinking stuff. I tend to just keep them to myself because I feel if I were to tell someone about them, they would judge me and say stuff like, “There's worse things going on in the world and you are crying over this assignment.” 

There have been a few times I have mentioned my anxiety and panic attacks to a friend but sometimes I get no response. Which is one reason why I have learned to just keep it to myself knowing that is not the best thing to do. I have always thought about reaching out for professional help, but I overthink and get scared. It can be difficult to talk about your problems, especially with a complete stranger. 

Anxiety will never fully go away but there are many ways to reduce it. I have developed some new hobbies because of my anxiety like painting and scrapbooking. I have also gotten better at talking to someone when I feel like I’m about to have a mental breakdown.  

Mental health issues should not be something scary to talk about because a lot of us have things going on in our own lives, some just might not choose to talk about it. Here are some great ways to cope with our mental health issues: 

• Meditation is a great way to help clear your mind from negative thoughts you are having.
• Exercising is a great way to just keep your mind and body busy. I like going out for walks just to get fresh air and straighten out my thoughts.
• Writing in a journal helps when you would rather talk to someone in person and just wanna write something down quickly. 
• Drawing or painting helps you be creative, and you do not have to be a pro to draw or paint. You can just be creative and let your mind do its thing. 
• Have some alone time! Sometimes you need to go out and watch a movie or go window shopping. 

These are a few things that I felt have worked for me when I am having an off kind of day. Now this might not be for everybody, but there are still many ways for people to cope with their mental health issues. It may take a while to be comfortable enough to reach out to someone but just know you are not alone and should never feel ashamed or embarrassed to ask for help. We can all get through this.