College– a word that mostly carves a fun picture of youngsters making moments that will stay forever in their hearts as happy memories. However, this is not same for all the students. Today, thousands of students are struggling with mental issues due to personal and professional insecurities. Whether they are pursuing any of the B. Tech courses, MBA or any other stream for that matter, mental problems can affect any student regardless of their age or stream they have picked up.

Thanks to the taboo associated with mental health in India, most of these students remain in the closet for a long time and suffer from intense emotional trauma throughout their life. It not only affects their studies but also hinders their ability to connect with the real world and live a normal life.

In an effort to help everyone break this taboo and spread awareness about mental health, we have listed down five common mental health problems that students face and how to stay away from them:

Depression

A quite common yet serious mental problem, depression is not just about bad mood. It goes beyond that, making the students lose interest in the life. There are some common symptoms that a student suffering from depression may experience:

Symptoms

• Changes in sleeping habits– loss of sleep or oversleeping
• Changes in appetite– overeating or loss of appetite
• Sadness
• Feeling of hopelessness
• Trouble in focusing

Prevention

Though there is no sure way to avert adepression, students can take various measures:

• Learn ways to handle stress and boost self-esteem
• Sleep well and perform regular exercise
• Talk to family and friends about the things that worry
• Get help if the feeling of depression comes in. Waiting can make it worse
• Pursue a hobby

Anxiety

Anxiety is often a part of everyone’s life. However, if it starts affecting the daily life of a person, it can become a serious disorder that needs immediate attention. With the stress level going up in the students’ life nowadays, anxiety is turning out to be a common mental issue affecting their personal as well as professional lives.

Below are some of the symptoms and prevention ways:

Symptoms

• Stress
• Getting easily irritated
• Problem in concentrating
• Irregular heartbeat
• Pain in muscles
• Dizziness and sweating
• Fearfulness
• Headaches
• Upset stomach or diarrhoea

Prevention

• A healthy diet
• Practicing yoga and exercise
• Writing the stress down in a journal
• Avoiding tobacco, drugs and alcohol
• Better sleep

Eating Disorders

This disorder is common in both male and female students during the initial years of their college lives. Not many students know,but there are actually different types of eating disorders: Anorexia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, Bulimia Nervosa, and Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS). Some of the common signs include:

Symptoms

• Irregular heartbeats
• Dehydration
• Fear of eating in public places
• Constant excuses to justify eating habits
• Excessive exercise
• Poor body image
• No control on eating habits

Prevention

• Awareness about the various eating disorders
• Talking about the issues with friends or family
• Avoid body shaming
• Build a healthy self-esteem

Sleep Disorders

Another mental problem that creates a ruckus in the students’ mind is related to sleep. Sleep disorders may happen due to hectic schedules and lots of stress. This, in turn, can harmfully impact a student’s mood, concentration ability and overall health. Common symptoms include:

Symptoms

• Trouble in either sleeping of staying up
• Fatigue
• Feeling sleepy in daytime
• Lack of focus
• Irritation and anxiety

Prevention

• Reduce sugar intake and have fresh fruits and vegetables
• Decrease tobacco and alcohol
• Limiting caffeine intake
• Following a sleep schedule
• Exercising

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

In ADHD, the student faces trouble in concentrating on things and acts without prior thinking. If ignored, the condition can affect the student’s life significantly. Hence, once the symptoms are detected, one should seek medical attention or try to control the symptoms through various therapies. Below are some of the common symptoms and signs of ADHD:

Symptoms

• Hyperactivity
• Lack of concentration
• Acting before thinking
• Trouble sitting still in one place
• Talking too much
• Constant interruptions

Prevention

• Educating about ADHD
• Eating a healthy and balanced diet
• Following a daily routine
• Build positive relationship
• Learning attention skills

Amidst the rising competitive that students face in today’s times, mental problems are making their way quite silently. Hence, it is important that students, as well as teachers and parents, must keep themselves aware of such common conditions and break the taboo around the mental health.

A healthy physique without a healthy mind is of no use; hence,it’s time to gear up and push them away for a successful future and happy life.