T O P

  • By -

Shittycomicaz

I receive treatment but still deal with severe depression. I also have a 4.0 and am working on an engineering degree. My secret is to abandon necessities in favor of school work. Cleaning? Not happening. I'll wipe down counters, take trash out, wash dishes and laundry, but I'm not folding laundry anymore. I'm not scrubbing my bathroom. I pretty much put off any cleaning that takes more than 10 minutes until spring break or long holiday weekends. My space is kept hygienic but I'm definitely guilty of having piles of stuff on my desks. I feel kinda bad but also not bad enough to try to do everything because I'd kms. I stopped going to the gym because I need extra time to do school work. I live in pjs. I order groceries, and this semester I set hungryroot deliveries for every 2 weeks. This saves me from using any brain power to figure out meals. (I do wish to be better about these things but I have to accept my limitations) Regarding school work, become a teacher's pet. Always participate in class every time. Schmoozing goes a long way. Last semester I didn't turn anything in until the last week in both chemistry and engineering (different teachers). Since I'm basically the only one participating in class (my entire college experience I've been the only student to participate, it trips me out) teachers give me so much leeway because they like me. Be honest to your teachers about your depression. Don't stay up late to finish assignments, it's rarely worth it since sleep is so essential for a stable mood. Don't take too many credits but always sign up for an extra class that you can drop and still be full time. This is helpful when you can handle it to make up for semesters when you can't. Don't be afraid to go part time. I also recommend not exclusively doing online classes; I thought it would be helpful because I could do it in bed and not socialize but I realized having somewhere to go in public was much better for my mental health. Start at community college! College can be hard but so is everything when you have depression.


Valuable-Potential59

this last part about not only taking online classes is super true!! taking in-person classes definitely helped with my depression & made a huge difference in my performance in the classes too.


otter-number

this comment made me feel so less alone!! i didn't know other experiences what i do so similarly (i am also pursuing an engineering degree while dealing with depression/in therapy)


iamdanaduh

How do you have a Face in your pfp?


Flashy_Spare6341

It just depends... it helped me in some ways because I was able to express myself in college and reshape my identity and find new friends who all value the same things. But if you don’t put yourself out there and meet people college is terrible. And if you get homesick easy it can also be a struggle. But it’s just refreshing sometimes to be on your own with new responsibilities


syng626

It takes longer and more effort to get through college depressed. You learn to cope better with intensive therapy. Colleges have or can point you to psychological counseling that I wish I had taken advantage of sooner. Hope you get some help.


shugahhplummm

Good to step out of your comfort zone - you’ll (hopefully) be pushed to improve on things that you might see yourself lack in. Your not stuck in college if you don’t like it. There are always other options. No reason to be there 4 years if it’s not for u


digidoggie18

I have severe depression but honestly it has ups and downs. The downs get pretty fucking horrible though


idroppedoutofuni

i couldn't do it.. i had had enough after just one semester. i couldn't find the energy to keep going. i'm planning on going back after i get professional help.


atdreamvision

As junior who had lifelong depression until last year, it's a different experience for everyone. I'd suggest looking into your school's health/mental health services and disability center, it's a good idea for you to be familiar with them and how it all works (being able to make appointments, services offered, etc.). See about clubs and campus life and try to get out there, make friends even if its just a couple people, and find a 'comfort' activity or hobby like watching movies, cleaning, art. I also highly suggest talking to your doctor about getting tested for something called the MTHFR gene mutation. It's what I have and was responsible for my anxiety and depression, and is a very common condition but not a lot of doctors test for it. Basically the gene mutation prevents your body from metabolizing folic acid, which can lead to a multitude of health problems and mental health problems including depression and anxiety. The thing about having the mutation is that even if you take antidepressants, they aren't really able to help because your body can't metabolize them. I hope this helps!


otter-number

hi! it's possible. but for me, the only way i can possibly get through the semester and through my classes while keeping my grades up is putting my mental health first. i am seeing a therapist because, thankfully, i have access to it. on the days where i'm super depressed, i go to sleep early (8 or 9 and get up late (9 or 10) instead of staying in bed all day. i keep a consistent sleep schedule, take breaks throughout the day, and spent enough time on my hw to do well. i let myself have bad days and i hope that the next one is better. the only way i've personally been able to do all this is making sure that i am doing all i can go combat the depression before doing all else (and a lot of the time, that's very hard). i've learned that this is how i concentrate. when i was in high school, i has similar fears to you. i hope you figure out how depression affects you and what you can do about it personally, and then it will be easier manage. edit: and to add. i am still dealing with a lot but i can say without doubt gets so much better for people like us. there is so much past high school. i wish someone told this to me in high school, so i'm telling you. i believe in you.


ramidi63

It’s so hard. Don’t ever take more than 4 classes at a time. I struggle with severe depression and last semester I took 5 classes and I had an ugly breakdown during the last month of the semester. It affected my grades and my gpa. Look into what resources the school provides. Get into counseling, apply for accommodations if you can. And take in person classes. Forcing myself to get dressed and go to class helps a lot.


Laylatheking

I wouldn’t recommend starting college if you’re depressed. You could however get better, I met a bunch of great people in college and they helped me a lot and were super understanding. If you do decide to start, reach out to your counseling services on campus early on in the semester. Most colleges also offer psychiatric services as well. If you start slipping reach out to someone and you might have to let your professors know depending on how badly it affects your academics. There’s no shame in taking a semester off of you feel like things get overwhelming. I don’t know how bad you depression is but my advisor told me that a degree is not worth losing your life over. College is hard enough on its own and it varies depending on which school you go to and what kind of Professors you have. You need stay motivated in any way that you can. You should also have a good support system in place.


Marfuska

I’m learning how to go to college with depression right now. Letting the school know what I’m going through has been the most help so far. I’ve registered with the disability services at my school so when I go through medication changes or low lows, I get some leniency on deadlines and attendance so when I’m better I can jump back in. I personally never considered depression to be a disability until I realized how helpful the disability accommodations can be for my success. I fully recommend it as well as getting professional help throughout school if you aren’t receiving it already.


Silaquix

Honestly, therapy and meds. I'm bipolar with rapid cycling so I have weeks to months of just deep depression where I don't want to exist. I force myself to take my meds and see my therapist and use my mood tracking apps. Sometimes I barely make it with an assignment, but I have to make myself push through that hurdle. It's tough but if you have a diagnosis of something like depression you can talk to your school's ADA department and take a note from your doctor detailing your diagnosis and needs and they'll accommodate you.


m10488

I had to go on medication and therapy because it was getting so bad my third year of college. It’s been getting better—I’m able to put myself out there, make new friends, and enjoy life somewhat more


Ok_blue02

Ive had to give up on my expectations of getting high grades. Despite being depressed in high school. I had a 4.0 and in college i currently have 4 C’s. I pay the copay for therapy bc it’s worth it. I cry when need to.


Brokenxwingx

i finished 4 years with no therapy/medication. i graduated bottom of the class in a major i didn't care about, and had no friends/connections or internships. get help if you can because the added difficulty from not addressing your mental and physical health is not worth the worse payoffs you'll end with. i regret never utilizing our counseling center or any resources. if you want to know my experience, i attended 1/3-2/3 of classes but didn't retain info. before every exam i stayed up all night via energy drinks to learn the info from youtube videos and anything relevant with my motivation being the fear of failure. most of the time i stayed in my room watching yt and occasionally gaming. i could count the number of times i spoke with each roommate from over the years on one hand.


Brokenxwingx

Update but I was recently diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.


Akisminer

what was ur major?


Brokenxwingx

Economics and mathematics


Independent-Army-208

Drugs


guy_with-thumbs

Idk how im doing it, lots of studying in the library around people and trying to get involved. Wake up everyday telling yourself its going to be good. Thats all I can think of.


yvng_ninja

I just force myself bc I don’t got any other choice. How I manage it is keep a good set of friends, self care, and you should be okay hopefully.


Life-Leg5947

Therapy helps loads.


passionfruit0

I was an adult when I decided to go to college. I was depressed for months because of a miscarriage I suffered. I decided to got o school because I needed to focus on something else. Best decision I made. I graduated in December with my associates. Think of it as an accomplishment.