What Causes Depression Before Going to College?

If you’re heading off to college soon, you might be dealing with some complicated emotions. When other people ask if you’re excited, you tell them that you can’t wait for this next chapter. Yet deep down, you feel melancholy and numb. You may even be struggling with some symptoms of depression.

Perhaps you find yourself crying spontaneously. Maybe you struggle to feel much of anything when you think about college. You wish you could muster up the same excitement as other incoming freshman. But you’re not looking forward to the experience. In fact, you’ve started to dread it.

Dealing with symptoms of depression before going to college is a fairly common experience. Here’s why so many incoming college students experience depression.

Pressure to Succeed

College represents a massive investment of time and money. You might feel like you’re under intense pressure to succeed. Maybe you’re pursuing a competitive major and hoping to gain acceptance to medical school one day, or maybe you’re a first generation college student who doesn’t want to let your family down.

Alternatively, you might be taking a risk on enrolling in an arts program, and if you’ve taken out student loans for a humanities degree, you may be wondering how to get your foot in the door of your field when so many other young artists share the same goals. Sometimes, experiencing such immense pressure to succeed can make it hard to find things to get excited about.

Saying Goodbye to Loved Ones

Even if you plan to live with your family while attending college, this chapter of life involves a long string of goodbyes. You might miss some of your favorite teachers or coaches from high school. Naturally, you dread saying goodbye to your closest friends.

If you will be attending school far from where you grew up, you might find yourself unexpectedly realizing just how much you’ll miss your hometown and your family. It’s not easy to uproot yourself from everything you know, and you might worry that you won’t be able to build the kinds of relationships you have at home again.

New Routines

When your routines are disrupted, your mental health can suffer. As you rush to get everything ready for college, you might feel unsteady in your day-to-day life. You may be busy wrapping up things at your summer job, meeting up with friends, getting started on summer coursework, or trying to register for classes. As a result, you might be losing sleep or falling out of your exercise routine.

Fears About the Future

Getting ready for college can leave you questioning your entire life path. You might be wondering if you’re really ready to take such a big step or if you’ve chosen the right major. Part of you may also be wondering if you’re making smart decisions around your relationships, such as breaking off a romantic relationship, or choosing to stick with a long-distance relationship. It can seem like you have to determine your entire life over the next four years.

Prior Untreated Mental Health Struggles

Maybe you previously brushed your mental health struggles under the rug, or chalked up symptoms of depression to mere teenage growing pains. But now, you’re going through a period of change in life. All of the issues you tried to suppress are coming to a head. It may be a good idea to connect with the counseling services at your college to address any untreated mental health struggles.

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Are you struggling with depression as you prepare to start college? You can shift your perspective through depression therapy. Fill out our contact form to request an appointment.