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Ella Brownstein

English 1201-515

Professor Salbird

16 January 2019

Anxiety and Depression Amongst College Students

I know multiple college students who have dealt with anxiety and depression. I have seen

anxiety and depression take over the person completely and make them feel as if there was

nothing good in their lives anymore. Some of these people have considered dropping out of

college because of their anxiety and depression. I have also seen some students resort to drugs

and alcohol to deal with their anxiety and depression. These people have been very close to me

but their anxiety and depression makes them shut down and push everyone who cares about them

out of their lives. It is very hard for me to see people who I deeply care about go through such

pain. I have an interest in this topic because I want to know why this happens to college students

and the things that can be done to make sure it stops happening.

A person who I have known my whole life went through his whole first year of college

with depression and anxiety. He felt like he had no one to talk to about how he was feeling and

was constantly struggling with knowing what to do about his anxiety and depression. It took him

an entire year to finally ask for help and have people who care about him get him on the track. I

know that he always put so much pressure on himself to do well in school and in his athletics. He

has always been a tremendous student athlete but he got to a point where his mind was not

dealing with all of his pressure and stress the right ways. This caused to him to make many poor

decisions and he treated people differently. Once he finally received help he was happier and
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found a way to not put as much pressure on himself and now I can say he is going through life

with a more positive outlook and is no longer letting his anxiety and depression define him.

This topic makes me feel like I need to help others and find a way to make sure college

students do not have to deal with anxiety and depression alone. I feel as if college students

should learn to not always put so much pressure on themselves and all students need to learn

about anxiety and depression. I think there are so many college students experiencing anxiety

and depression that have no one to turn to. I think anxiety and depression are more prevalent in

college students than most people think. I believe that many people do not realize what anxiety

and depression can do to a person's physical and mental health. I also believe that not all students

with anxiety and depression know that that is what they are experiencing and they try to deal

with it the wrong ways. I already know that anxiety and depression are very prevalent among

college students. I also know that a lot of students choose substance abuse, suicide, drug abuse,

and many other things to cope with their anxiety and depression.

I still need to know what the causes of anxiety and depression in college students are. I

also need to know what the options are for students who are experiencing anxiety and

depression. I will find my answers to those questions through websites, articles, and books.

http://www.bu.edu/today/2016/college-students-anxiety-and-depression/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/resolution-not-conflict/201603/the-disturbing-truth-a

bout-anxiety-and-depression-in-college

http://www.inspiringinterns.com/blog/2018/06/coping-depression-university/

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/07/education/colleges-get-proactive-in-addressing-depression

-on-campus.html
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https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED577642

https://afsp.org/our-work/education/real-college-students-mental-health/

https://www.nami.org/learn-more/mental-health-conditions