Depressed? We’ll Make You Less Stressed!
By: Caylah Molley
Tags: Belonging, Mental Health

The #1 club that I believe should be here at KSU is a club designed for students that are struggling with mental illness, especially those struggling with anxiety and depression. Anxiety and depression are some of the two most common mental illnesses that are diagnosed in teens and adults. You would not believe my shock when I logged into OwlLife and found that there are no clubs at KSU designed for those that are dealing with anxiety and/or depression. Enter the Anxiety and Depression Club at KSU, where we give those who need someone to talk to a safe place to be heard and understood!

Why is this club important to me? I was diagnosed with Generalized anxiety disorder, or GAD, and Clinical depression, also known as Major depression, during sophomore year of high school. Having to deal with these mental health illnesses first-hand every single day, I know that it is crucial to have others that can relate and support you while going through a heightened episode of these illnesses. Having a club, such as the Anxiety and Depression Club, would give those that need to be heard and just be able to talk about their feelings in a place where others can relate is something that is much needed on a college campus. The transition to college can be extremely different and tough, and this club would be a great place to have others be able to relate since they are probably experiencing the same changes through the transition.

How would the club work? The Anxiety and Depression Club would have a designated space on campus, such as a spot in the student center or maybe somewhere outside, where students could meet at different times throughout the week. During the meeting times, students can choose to either talk one-on-one to others or talk as a group. I think that the flexibility of talking to however many people you want to is extremely important for those with anxiety because forced group settings can be very daunting and stressful. The Anxiety and Depression Club would have a zero judgment rule because every single person’s feelings are completely valid and need to be heard to making someone feel that they are valued and understood by others.

What would we do? In the club, we can sit around and just talk or play some fun games just to get our minds off of any stress that may be lingering overhead. Healthy distractions are a really good way to feel less overwhelmed. Another thing that I would like to have is guest speakers that come and talk to the group about their struggles with anxiety and/or depression. While having these mental illnesses, it can sometimes feel that you are completely alone. It is extremely validating to hear that there are others with the same mental illness that are still successful and are more than their mental illness, so I believe that having motivational speakers could be uplifting. Lastly, I would like to take some time during every meeting to focus on self-care. I think that everyone struggles with making time for themselves, especially those with a mental illness, so doing simple things such as going for a walk can have an extremely positive impact on one’s mental health.

In closing, I hope that there is a club that is similar to the Anxiety and Depression Club created at KSU soon because it would help decrease the stigma about mental illness. Having depression or anxiety does not define a person, it’s just a small part of them that makes them unique. Therefore, we should have a club that gives a space for each person to share their uniqueness and share their stories.