Are you or your daughter worried about how she will handle anxiety in college? Rest assured, you are not alone.
What can you do right now (as in, this summer)? A few things:
- Try to understand that this is normal. Moving away from home (and all of the support home offers) can be anxiety-inducing for most 18 year olds (and their parents!).
- Seek a counselor NOW, even if your daughter is going off to college in a different city or state. Developing skills she needs to help cope with anxiety will help her now and also carry through to her first year at college. Side note: sometimes if mom is anxious, daughter can feel that anxiety and then she may internalize it. It could be helpful for mom to get some counseling too (I work primarily with college aged women, but if you are a mom of a college student, I’m happy to provide a referral!)
- Learn what resources are available at your daughter’s college/university and encourage her to sign up for counseling EARLY, even if she thinks she is managing just fine. It doesn’t take long for a wait list to develop at the college counseling center.
- Find out what counselors practice near your daughter’s college. I have heard from many of my clients that they don’t like going to their college counseling center and would prefer to go off campus (for more anonymity, primarily).
- Anxiety is absolutely treatable. It does not mean you necessarily have to take medication for the rest of your life (or in most cases, never). A little “talk therapy” can go a long way. 🙂
You can read more HERE.
Feel free to reach out if you have any further questions.