Admitting my condition to readers is not the direction I would have imagined I’d be taking when I first started writing. I’m the anxious student and I have no shame in saying that. It’s something I’ve come to accept and I’ve grown knowing I’m not the only one in this world and on this campus that struggles with their anxiety. I knew that talking about my journey at Nazareth and its impact on my anxiety was an idea I wanted to touch on as not only a creative outlet for myself but as a resource for all of you. I haven’t seen anyone make a blog post about this yet so I am navigating into uncharted territory! I hope that my courage to write about something that isn’t always so fun to write about and isn’t written about often inspires you to accept who you are and encourages you to find comfort in the accepting community that surrounds you. 

I’ve struggled with anxiety all my life but wasn’t diagnosed until my sophomore year at Naz. The Covid pandemic definitely brought some of my anxious struggles to life but I like to say it acted more as the straw that broke the camel’s back. This anxious turmoil had just been building up, and despite having been to therapy almost my whole life, I was never medically considered anxious until March 2021. Thankfully being at Naz made the entire process so much easier. Throughout my journey my professors were so supportive. I chose to open up to some of them about my experience and I was met with so many understanding responses. I had accommodations made as well, I moved off campus to be closer to my family and rightfully so my therapy sessions were considered excused absences if they interfered with class or events, just like any other medical appointment or condition. Don’t forget your doctor’s note! Nazareth encouraged me to take advantage of every opportunity that I was offered to better my mental health and improve my self care. There are always events on campus that are mental health focused, involve activities that can brighten your day, as well as resources that can help you overcome any obstacle in your way. I was fortunate enough to have a therapist I had already been seeing but I have heard nothing but great things about the counselors and therapists at the Health and Wellness Center. There is often a misconception that they only take students that need help with any challenges or barriers that are keeping them from their schoolwork but that couldn’t be more untrue. I’ve known individuals who’ve grieved from a loss of a family member go to the Health and Wellness Center for guidance all the way to individuals who got a bad grade on a test. Both reasons and all the reasons in between are completely valid reasons to ask for help. Nazareth will always give their students the help they need or help them find somewhere/someone that can. 

Since facing my anxiety head on, I’ve still managed to keep my head up doing everything I love, as well as finding strength to get through the difficult times. Working at the college and being able to interact with so many amazing people everyday has most definitely helped. I’ve found a purpose in the work that I’m doing and figuring out what you love to do can take a lot of anxiety out of your life. In these past 3 years I’ve grown so much as a woman, a friend, a daughter, a student and a coworker that my fear of the future and what it will hold is merely a small thought. It was replaced with excitement and joy, that all of these amazing experiences I’ve had so far will likely continue after I graduate. That’s not to say I don’t have some bad days anymore or even bad weeks. They can feel so long and so dark. Situations can make me physically tense up or shake me to my core, but I like to remind myself of something. I was fun, strong, smart, a good friend, an engaged student and so many more things before my anxiety and I still am now. While I talk about anxiety being a large part of my life, it does not define my life nor does it define me. What defines you and me is our wit, our willingness to grow and our determination to carry on. Anxiety is one small part of a much larger and beautiful picture. 

My biggest recommendation to anyone, whether anxiety is present in your life or not, is to take your time in college as a chance to grow. Learn from every experience and indulge in all of the opportunities. Nazareth will give you so many chances to explore your interests, heal your mind and body, and better yourself. Your growth will not be stunted by your anxiety and Nazareth will always nurture you to reach your full potential.