Reclaim You- Thriving on Campus: A Guide to College Resources for Mental Health
Season 2 Episode 19: Thriving on Campus: A Guide to College Resources for Mental Health
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On today's episode, hosts Sarah and Ashley dive deep into the world of college support systems. They explore the various resources available to students, with a special focus on mental health, academic assistance, and the crucial role of friendships.
Key topics include:
Mental health resources on campus, including counseling centers and crisis hotlines
Strategies for academic success and managing workload
Tips for building new friendships while maintaining old connections
The double-edged sword of social media in college life
Specific support for eating disorders and continuing treatment in college
Our hosts emphasize the importance of self-advocacy and seeking help when needed. They provide practical advice on utilizing campus resources, joining clubs, and finding online support to enhance the college experience.
Whether you're a current student, soon-to-be freshman, or supporting someone in college, this episode offers valuable insights and actionable takeaways to make the most of these transformative years.
Remember: If you're struggling, help is always available. The suicide hotline number is 988.
Thanks for listening to Reclaim You with Reclaim Therapy!
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Sarah (00:37)
everybody, welcome back to Reclaim You. Today Ashley is back to talk more college experience and today more about how to find support in college or maybe the right support for you depending on what you're going through. So welcome back Ashley. You're welcome, glad you're here to chat about this. I know that last time we talked about transitions to college and how hard the...
Ashley Fox (00:52)
Thank you.
Sarah (00:59)
transition can be. And I think that this is a great topic to support people in finding different resources that maybe they don't even know are available as they, you know, maybe hit some, I don't know, potholes in the, I don't know, is that the right metaphor? I don't know, a pothole?
Ashley Fox (01:12)
Mm-hmm. Bump, puddle, yeah.
Sarah (01:16)
what else is there? I have no idea. Okay, anyway, so support in college. Why don't we start with support that's available to people just generally for general mental health stuff, or maybe even starting with what is some general mental health stuff that people might be experiencing, just kind of piggybacking off of our last episode together.
Ashley Fox (01:35)
Yeah, I think obviously with college that transition comes a lot of change and for people it might be the first time they are experiencing a change in their mental health and they might be unaware of like what even is available or what was available before college. So college obviously has a bunch of great resources that are usually free and like included in tuition but aside from that I think a big one is like the suicide hotline in general and that 988 number.
I think a lot of people aren't aware of just how easy it is. Like you don't even have to pick up the phone. can text message it or I think on the website there's like a chat feature. That website also has a lot of great like blogs and information just even if you don't want to physically talk to someone else there's a lot of information out there just to read and feel supported in that maybe someone else is having a similar experience and just feeling a little less alone.
Sarah (02:30)
so the suicide hotline, can you share again what that number is?
Ashley Fox (02:34)
It is 988. Yes. Yeah, text call.
Sarah (02:36)
Okay, and you text it. Okay. And get connected to support if you're having thoughts of self harm or suicidality, any of that kind of stuff. Okay, and then you mentioned the website. What is that website?
Ashley Fox (02:42)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
It is 988lifeline.org. so on there is the chat feature and then along with it, there's a bunch of little tabs that you can search through, a ton of information.
Sarah (02:57)
So what are maybe some just a brief overview of some, you know, symptoms or experiences that people may want to use the hotline or the website?
Ashley Fox (03:07)
Yeah, I think any changes in how you're feeling and feeling down, feeling alone, especially it can be really easy to compare to everyone else who maybe isn't talking about what they're experiencing and maybe feeling a little bit more sad or homesick or whatever it is and wanting that extra support that maybe it's uncomfortable to talk to your friends or someone else about. So having like a mental health professional to talk through those things.
Sarah (03:33)
and I know that the folks on the crisis lines, they're trained to handle crisis situations and situations that people are just feeling like, don't know what's going on. Can you point me in the right direction to get some extra support? So they certainly can be a really solid resource, whether you're in crisis or whether you feel like you're moving towards crisis or you're just like, WTF is happening. Yeah.
So that's super helpful. What about on campus? What are some on campus common resources for people just to be aware of?
Ashley Fox (04:03)
Yeah, I think most college campuses have at least a counseling center, wellness center, whether they're connected or not. Looking into that, there's usually some information on the website. But even going there, don't want to say all colleges, but most will have like drop in hours where you can go and see a counselor or you can maybe set up like regular appointments. I know the struggle sometimes with that is that they are super limited just because the stigma is becoming lessened around mental health.
more people are feeling a lot more comfortable reaching out and actually using these services, which is great. But however, then it's kind of like figuring out how to give these services to that can be a great place to at least start. Maybe it's your first time in therapy and you're not sure what it is going there for a few having that support like week to week while you're on campus.
Sarah (04:49)
And I know because you worked in a college counseling center, you have experienced being one of those people who maybe does a little bit of short term work and then some maybe longer term work and also connecting people to outside resources because I know a lot of the college counseling centers, like you said, they're overwhelmed with the need. And so they're referring out for longer term work a lot. So they're a great stop to just say like, am looking for a counselor for the long term. can you help me?
Ashley Fox (04:57)
Mm-hmm.
Sarah (05:16)
me and most counseling centers will be happy to do that. But also in your experience, what about groups and support groups and workshops and educational stuff? What's out there?
Ashley Fox (05:25)
think usually.
the Wellness Center, Counseling Center, whatever it is, is promoting a lot of activities, events, whether that's, you know, like stop by and see the therapy dog or these little events on then there's also a lot more like structured groups oftentimes. So I guess it depends on your college campus how they're promoted. If you have to like access a counselor to find out what's going would be like my first suggestion is just ask the Counseling Center. Do they have any groups running? What are they?
And I mean, it's very dependent on the college, but they can have pretty like general mental health ones or maybe a little bit more specific of like a breakup group or I don't know what exactly someone is going through, maybe a specific major and like the struggles that they are experiencing. So whether you're in a general one or a specific one, it can be really helpful just to connect again with other people and feel less alone, share those common experiences, maybe even like.
get some tips on how to handle the stress that's coming along with college or whatever that specific group is about. So that can be really helpful to just, again, feel less alone and have maybe weekly, know, something to look forward to and know that that's there for you.
Sarah (06:33)
I know I just got an email from Cedar Crest, is a college in the Lehigh Valley about like a workshop that our practice could maybe help run on campus. So I think that people are doing really cool things to get different layers of support available to their people.
And then, you know, I think a really important level of support.
for people is academically, when either you're getting really overwhelmed with maybe the amount of work, the type of work, classes, class load, all of that kind of stuff. Finding academic support feels so important in college and not just putting your head down and trying to barrel through. So what are some things that are available for folks academically on campus?
Ashley Fox (07:15)
Yeah, yeah. I think especially it can be a huge change from if you're a freshman or even once you get into your major classes and you're like, whoa, this is a lot harder than my gen it's really never too late. It's not like only freshmen can reach out and use these resources. But I think a great one is your academic advisor. Usually that's someone that you're meeting with every semester and probably pretty comfortable with. know your workload and what's exactly going on.
And they can be a great resource for, again, if you're feeling overwhelmed, like maybe let's drop a class or withdrawal and there's like a W on your transcript and that's okay. Sometimes we need to take a break. So they can really point you in the right direction academically of what is best for you and how to support you to not feel overwhelmed and kind of like do your best at succeeding. Whether that's slowing down, taking a break, adding more, whatever it is that you need,
Sarah (07:58)
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Ashley Fox (08:09)
help determine like what might be the best course of action. And I also think professors as much as like, yes, they are that authority figure. And sometimes it's a little bit scary to go to them. They can be a great resource to talk to about like, hey, this is going on in my life. I might need an extension or, you know, a break or whatever it is, or maybe after the semester ends, I need a little bit more time. they can help.
accommodate again, it's like on a case by case basis of how they're going to work with you. But I always say it's better to be proactive and reactive. And if something's going on, reaching out before it gets to a point of like no return. And now, you know, it's finals week, and now you're asking the professor for like, all of these extensions and help. And they're like, you should have came to me a little bit earlier. So reaching out as soon as you notice something might be a little off or that you might be falling behind.
Sarah (08:34)
Mm-hmm.
Ashley Fox (08:57)
It's definitely the best course of action, I think.
Sarah (08:59)
Yeah, for sure. it's really vulnerable to be open with maybe professors or, you know, really anyone, advisors, whatever it is, but knowing that really, I mean, there's exceptions to the world, but as a whole, people want you to succeed, right? They want you to have what you need to learn and to grow and to be ready to like launch into the world. So.
embracing the vulnerability, feeling into it, getting support around it, and like doing the thing, knowing that it's gonna cause you less stress later, like at finals week, that you don't have a bunch of crap to catch up on.
Ashley Fox (09:32)
Yeah, yeah. And even that just made me think of the kind of long-term effects of advocating for yourself. And this is a life skill. College is about building life skills and not just academics. learning how to ask for what you need and seeing the great results that you can get from that is honestly a great learning experience in and of itself.
Sarah (09:52)
Yeah, that's for sure. And then what about, I feel like we may have talked about this a little bit on our last episode, but finding friends on campus, friends that are maybe the right friends for you. Because I know, especially as freshmen, right, we all go to college, for the most part, we go to college, we don't know anybody. We make friends with our roommates and the people on our floor, and then we start to expand out. And that can be such a scary process. But what are a couple good ways to connect with people?
who you're wanting to connect with, who can be the type of friend that you're actually looking for or not, like that just happened to live next door to you.
Ashley Fox (10:24)
Yeah, yeah, definitely. I think as generic as it is, like clubs again are great resource and you know, there's literally a club for everything and so many out there. I know they have like that kind of like club fair, whatever it is, usually at the beginning of every semester, you can really like see everything. But I feel like there are also lot of drop in activities at a lot of clubs that you can
whether it's like mid-semester and you're realizing, my friends aren't a great fit, like I don't really know where to go from here. Usually there's you know a website with like here are the activities going on or the Instagram pages of all the different clubs, like looking at those and seeing what they have around campus and honestly just showing up again like people want to help you and you know talk to you and they're probably happy that you showed up and are there. So they're definitely willing to have the conversations with you and
Finding a club that is something that you're passionate about can be really helpful. Or even a club that's related to your major and finding like-minded people there. then those can be the longer-term friends that are with you throughout college and are really sharing similar experiences of what those classes are like.
Sarah (11:31)
And I feel like now they have really unique clubs because my niece was just telling me that she joined a cheese tasting club at her college and I'm like a cheese tasting club? That's amazing!
Ashley Fox (11:43)
Mm-hmm. Yeah, literally something for everything. Yeah, and so easy. Yeah, like low maintenance. It's not a huge requirement and it's fun.
Sarah (11:46)
So cool. Yeah.
Yeah, I was like, what did you do? And she was like, we tried cheese. And I was like, that's literally it. You just went around and tried cheese. I'm imagining like charcuterie boards everywhere. It's a dream come true in my brain. My son was like, when I'm in college, can I join a cheese tasting club? I was like, dude, I think there's gonna be much different clubs when you're in college. Yeah, super cool ones, because this is so much cooler than our clubs.
Ashley Fox (12:01)
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, super cool ones.
Sarah (12:15)
Anyway, and then along with friendship, there is that really hard, I don't know, hard transition of maintaining connection with friends that you've left behind that are maybe at different schools or maybe stayed home or maybe chose, you know, to go a different route other than transitioning into college. So how do you, how do you kind of hold that?
Ashley Fox (12:37)
Mm-hmm. Yeah, it can be really easy to fall into the trap of like paying attention to what's physically around you and kind of forgetting like what is back home and all of those strong bonds that you have. And I mean, yes, there are a lot of breaks in college and you are home more than you probably think you're gonna be. So there are those opportunities, but even, I mean, it can feel really overwhelming when you move in, you have all these classes, all these clubs, extracurriculars, whatever it is.
and you feel like there's no time. My favorite thing to do is like walking to class. I would always pick up the phone and call and like, I don't know, usually it's a far walk on campus if you're on a big school. So that's a great like five, 10 minutes. Hey, how's your day catching up? Even like calling your parents, calling home. It doesn't just have to be friends. But everyone's schedules are so all over the place at that age, no matter what you're doing. So there's usually someone available and there are.
as hard as it is to find there are those little pockets in your day of time to connect and you know, whether it's like sending a funny TikTok video that you saw or sharing a picture of what you're doing, like there are those little ways of keeping up with that connection.
Sarah (13:41)
Yeah, that's a great tip. I think, especially calling home, if it's something you're like, I don't really want to come call home, but my mom or dad or parent or caregiver, whoever really want to hear from me, it's time limited. So you have five, 10 minutes, right? It's not going to be an hour long conversation. It's a great way to be like, I'm on my way to class. I'd say hi, right? Or not, right? Or calling a friend or whatever. But that's great tip.
Ashley Fox (14:00)
Yeah.
Yeah, then you can really get my class, bye.
Sarah (14:06)
Gotta go, yeah, class is starting, I'm at my building. Uh-huh, I'm out. Mm-hmm, yeah, and I know for some people...
going to school is like a breath of fresh air because maybe they didn't have great connections at home or maybe their family relationships are really strained or pretty dysfunctional, you know, and going to college or going away feels like a clean break and you can kind of start over and establish relationships that you really want to establish. And so that's where it feels super important to find like-minded folks to spend your time with and to...
to not force yourself to be maybe somebody that you aren't, or that you've been trying to live into the mold of. It can be a really wonderful opportunity to come home to yourself and what you desire in relationships.
Ashley Fox (14:52)
Absolutely.
Sarah (14:53)
Yeah. then, you know, so I think I said this on the last podcast, Facebook came out when I was a freshman in college. So it was only available to college students at the time. And we're all like, well, what is this? I remember sitting. It was after holiday break. And we came back and we're all like, what is this thing? You know, and so social media has changed significantly since then. So what is the culture like of social media on college campuses right now?
Ashley Fox (15:18)
Yeah, I feel like it's it's everything like it's where you get Basically all of your information. I mean people don't even have like cable TV anymore. Like everything is streaming online TikToks like very short videos Instagram reels, whatever it is. So I feel like there's just a lot of usage and it can be Again, like you're in this kind of bubble with everyone who's also doing the same thing and on this all the time so
as hard as it can be to break away from it. Like limiting your use can be a great idea. And again, like that will free up a lot of time that you didn't even realize that you had. So like, yes, there are some cons and also going back to like how to find clubs and how to find information about activities going on and things going on on campus. Like it's also a great resource where those like Instagram accounts at like the Wellness Center or this club that you're interested in like
Usually they're posting every single thing that they're doing or like clicking on their story, seeing what they have for the day. They're like, if you're going to be on it, there's also some ways to use it to your advantage.
Sarah (16:19)
Yeah, and not just get sucked into the trap of influencers and comparisons and maybe like little pockets of jealousy here and there of who's hanging out with who and where I'm feeling left out or left behind can all just be a massive trap for exacerbating mental health issues. Yeah, and then there are mental health apps that can be supportive.
Ashley Fox (16:28)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, I feel like I was actually looking at the app store today because I was like, which ones do I usually recommend and like? And even I think it was like the third option down was like mental health apps as like the top categories. So there are definitely a bunch out there and I would say like try them all out. Like it's not a one size fits all of what you like and what works for you, but it's a great resource even.
Sarah (16:49)
Mm-hmm.
Ashley Fox (17:03)
to like on college campuses, everyone's walking around with like their AirPods in or their headphones in. So there are like guided meditations on there and like there's great ones for test anxiety if you're on your way to take a test, like what to listen to, who to kind of pump you up. So not that you need to be like, you know, doing a 10 page journal prompt every day, but there are like these quick little ways to also help your mental health while you're on your phone.
Sarah (17:25)
Yeah, yeah. And along with that, think podcasts too. Podcasts are a really wonderful way to stay, you know, in the know and also listen to things that maybe challenge you and you learn about and that supports your mental health.
And just feels important as usual to talk about eating disorder support and how to access support if you're struggling with an eating disorder, especially if you were maybe working with a team before college and coming into college. I know we talked about it before, but how or how to talk about it with friends, how clubs can support you in your recovery, what some like online resources are, things like that.
Ashley Fox (17:58)
yeah, definitely. If you're working with a team at home, I would say as long as like they're able to continue in your state, continuing with them is probably the top best course of action to do because they know you, they know your needs, they can help you with this transition. It's not, again, another transition you're adding on. So if you can continue with like telehealth visits or whatever it is, that's a great one. If not, and you're trying to look for a new therapist, dietician, psychiatrist,
Again, college campuses have those resources and if they don't, they can direct you where to go. So again, going to the Wellness Counseling Center or whatever it is and asking if they know anyone or if they have any resources that they usually give out. That can be a great way to continue in your recovery. And then I would say with friends because again, there's the two-sided like your friends from home that you're still continuing those relationships with that might know how to support you.
And then these new friends that you're creating and new friendships that you're making that it can be a little bit hard to talk to them about it. And again, like, yes, that stigma of mental health in general is kind of dissolving. It's still there and it's still big. And there's still the stigma around eating disorders and what they look like. And it can be awkward and intimidating to bring those conversations up. However, the
Again, it's like talking to your professor. Like, yeah, it's scary, but also the benefits of it are so great that usually afterwards people are wanting to help you and, you know, asking what they can do to support you. So I think it's great to just bring it up as best as you can and as comfortable as you are with these people. You know, maybe talking about like, these are some things that I might need from you. When we're at the dining hall, can we...
like not talk about what's on our plates or not talk about XYZ, whatever it is. Even if you don't want to directly have that conversation, like kind of talking around it of just like if they talk about that, changing the subject or getting up and filling up your water. Like there are ways that aren't so direct if that's not really your style and your vibe. There are ways that you can support yourself in those conversations too.
Sarah (19:40)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, yeah. And then hopefully being able to at some point draw those boundaries around what you are able to talk about, what you're able to hear, know, what you'd rather talk about instead. It, especially in beginning when you're making new friends, it can be so hard because you don't feel safe with them because you don't know them, right? So establishing safety first, however you can, and then over time, hopefully like drawing some lights in the sand about like, I'm thinking about
Ashley Fox (20:17)
Mm-hmm.
Sarah (20:25)
what must be a minefield still getting changed to like go out with groups of people and the comparisons and the outfits and yeah, it feels like a hot spot of and a hard place to say I'm just not into making negative comments about bodies, you know, can we just not do that? It feels really difficult, but it's also really impactful when you don't have to worry about people shaming themselves because of their bodies.
Ashley Fox (20:28)
Mm-hmm.
you
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Sarah (20:50)
And then what about clubs? How do you feel like they can support you in recovery?
Ashley Fox (20:54)
Yeah, I think, again, finding those ones that seem like a good match. finding something that you like and you enjoy.
and trying out all the different ones that fit. like, say you go to a meeting and you really hate it, you don't have to go to the next one. Yeah, there's no obligation. So it can be exhausting, finding a therapist, like finding a good fit, but finding a good fit for a club, again, like the benefit is so great when you find something that really clicks and something that works. Even like, I'm thinking of that.
Sarah (21:06)
don't have to go back.
It is. Yeah.
Ashley Fox (21:23)
that like cheat tasting club would be like a great, you know, challenge and recovery and maybe trying new foods and you're trying it. So if you don't like it, you don't like it. And that's that. Yeah.
Sarah (21:31)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And you don't go again. Yeah, or you go when you feel like you're ready to go. Yeah, that's totally fine. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I'm also thinking about how clubs can help you.
reclaim parts of your identity, right? Like if you've had an eating disorder for a long time or even a little bit of time, it can be hard to see past the identity of having an eating disorder or the struggles because they are so deep and they are so clubs that tap into other interests and tap into other values, I think they can help you remember that there's multiple parts of you outside of the eating disorder and can you still experience like fun and joy and all of those things.
while also holding the fact that you are deeply struggling with your eating disorder. It feels difficult to hold both, but it's certainly possible. And I think it can help move people along in recovery, remembering and being reminded that there is so much more to them and there is so much more to life as well.
Yeah, yeah. Anything else?
Ashley Fox (22:26)
like that's mostly everything but again just like as negative as social media is like the internet and social media is a great resource so you know going on your college website and seeing what's out there or going on like these general mental health websites and seeing what's available and what you feel connected to is a great option.
Sarah (22:34)
It is.
Mm-hmm. Yeah, using it for good and trying to curate your algorithm. It's really hard to do, though. I gotta tell ya, I try to reset my algorithm all the time. I think I talk about this on every podcast, but social media is like the bane of my existence. But trying to view things that you want to view so that you don't see all the other shit.
Ashley Fox (22:55)
you
Yes, yeah, which is hard.
Sarah (23:03)
It is hard. It is hard. If Instagram is listening, I'm not a TikToker. So if Instagram is listening, they should make it easier to reset your algorithm. But I think they do it on purpose. Well, they definitely do.
Ashley Fox (23:12)
Yeah, yeah, it's like you watch one video and then it's like all they show you for the rest of the day. Yeah.
Sarah (23:17)
Yeah, for like a year. Well, thank you so much for this. I think this is going to be super helpful for folks as they're, you know, navigating what it's like to be in college or when they hit kind of snags in their experience in college. So yeah, thank you so much.
Ashley Fox (23:30)
Thank you.
Sarah (23:31)
Alright everybody, we will be back next week for another episode. Until then, take good care.
Reclaim Therapy is a group of trauma therapists that provide therapy for eating disorders, EMDR Therapy and therapy or Complex PTSD.
Our team is passionate about helping people reclaim their lives from diet culture, body shame and the impact of trauma.
We would love to support you as you Reclaim YOU and the life that you undeniably deserve.