I recently was away from campus for two weeks, and a large part of my absence was due to a decline in mental health. I don’t think I realized that I was declining mentally until my mother told me I was. I think this could be the case for many students in school. It’s so easy to push our emotional state to the back burner that we forget it affects how we process things mentally.

No one is arguing that mental health isn’t important; we all know it is. However, that doesn’t change the fact that there is a large amount of stigma surrounding seeking help, as if it’s a bad thing. I spent the last two weeks in a mental health ward in two different hospitals, and my initial reaction to going was that I didn’t need help. But the truth is, I did and still need help processing and digesting my emotions. Sometimes help doesn’t have to be that severe to be admitted, but I think that everyone should go to therapy.

I started in therapy at 12 years old. I went to the same therapist up until I was 18, and when I got to college, no one quite filled her void. So I’m aware that it’s hard to connect to people, much less divulge your life to someone that you may not trust entirely. And I didn’t find a counselor I liked at Eastern Mennonite University until I was in my junior year. But she wasn’t available this year, so I stopped going to therapy altogether and told myself I would just go when I was out of school. I told myself that I was better, so I didn’t ever notice the signs that I needed someone to talk to.

Everyone should go to therapy at least once a month. It is hard to find a therapist that you connect with, and suspicion is natural, but speaking to someone is important. You have to get the thoughts out of your head. And therapists aren’t allowed to discuss their sessions with anyone besides you.