Dear Amy: I’m in my first year of college, and I think I might be depressed. I’ve been successful here. I won a scholarship, joined a sports club team and am pledging a sorority. I qualified for the honors program, and I like my professors.
Dear Amy: I’m in my first year of college, and I think I might be depressed. I’ve been successful here. I won a scholarship, joined a sports club team and am pledging a sorority. I qualified for the honors program, and I like my professors.
I used to suffer from panic disorder in high school, and I can proudly say that I have been free of panic attacks since I’ve been here.
Technically, college is going great, but I really miss my old life. I loved high school and I miss almost everything about it. I miss my car, my town and my dog, and, most of all, I miss my friends.
I feel that in college, I only have fun drinking, so I rarely even remember the “fun” that I had. I enjoy partying at college, but I wish I could have some wholesome fun as well. I feel trapped on campus, and I believe there’s something missing.
It depresses me that things will never be the same. I just can’t get over the fact that I have a new lifestyle. So many things have changed, like my eating and sleeping habits, the type of people I hang out with, the type of activities I do, and I’m worrying that my personality has changed too. What should I do?
– Anonymous
Dear Anonymous: It is fairly common to have a little crash after the excitement of your first college semester has worn off. Presumably you were home for the holidays, sleeping in your old bed, with your dog curled up at your feet, and getting together with your high school pals. It’s completely natural to miss that once you’ve returned to college.
Now you need to stop drinking. In addition to making you and your fellow students do stupid and potentially dangerous things; alcohol is a depressant.
Your college counseling office can set you up with someone to discuss this. If you are depressed, then therapy and treatment will help.
Send questions via e-mail to askamy@tribune.com or by mail to Ask Amy, Chicago Tribune, TT500, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611.
I used to suffer from panic disorder in high school, and I can proudly say that I have been free of panic attacks since I’ve been here.
Technically, college is going great, but I really miss my old life. I loved high school and I miss almost everything about it. I miss my car, my town and my dog, and, most of all, I miss my friends.
I feel that in college, I only have fun drinking, so I rarely even remember the “fun” that I had. I enjoy partying at college, but I wish I could have some wholesome fun as well. I feel trapped on campus, and I believe there’s something missing.
It depresses me that things will never be the same. I just can’t get over the fact that I have a new lifestyle. So many things have changed, like my eating and sleeping habits, the type of people I hang out with, the type of activities I do, and I’m worrying that my personality has changed too. What should I do?
– Anonymous
Dear Anonymous: It is fairly common to have a little crash after the excitement of your first college semester has worn off. Presumably you were home for the holidays, sleeping in your old bed, with your dog curled up at your feet, and getting together with your high school pals. It’s completely natural to miss that once you’ve returned to college.
Now you need to stop drinking. In addition to making you and your fellow students do stupid and potentially dangerous things; alcohol is a depressant.
Your college counseling office can set you up with someone to discuss this. If you are depressed, then therapy and treatment will help.
Send questions via e-mail to askamy@tribune.com or by mail to Ask Amy, Chicago Tribune, TT500, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611.
