The life of a college student can be stressful. From class, working jobs and maintaining relationships, life during this point can be a lot to juggle mentally.
As of 2017, the National Institute of Mental Illness website stated that one in five adults in the U.S. experience mental illness each year.
Citrus College has a plethora of mental wellness workshops throughout the semester, including licensed therapists who help with advice for students who attend these workshops. These mental wellness workshops are hosted by therapists and help students through issues such as building healthier relationships, dealing with procrastination, getting focused and managing stress.
These services are free to all Citrus students and are found at the mental health center in the student center.
An anxiety support group also meets twice a month hosted by licensed therapist Flory Alvarado. To contact this support group for more information, call 626-914-8671.
The support group has helped students in the past, with one student mentioning the severity of his anxiety before he had gone to this support group.
The student was granted anonymity by the Clarion because of the student’s fear of social stigmatization.
“During dinner when I came home from school, anxiety would just break into my thoughts, so that made speaking to my family about my day difficult,” the student said. The Citrus student stated that anxiety is something he couldn’t shake, but seeing a therapist at Citrus and participating in these support groups really made a difference for him.
Later this year, the Student Health Center will introduce more programs concerning the physical and mental health of students.
“Opioid awareness and health risks of vaping and second-hand smoke are new topics that we will be covering soon, as these things can cause issues mentally,” Student Health Director Shauna Bigby said.
Students who do not use the mental health services at Citrus also think these programs can benefit someone who is in search of help for mental health.
“I believe I would benefit from the mental health services and I know people that could benefit from it as well,” psychology student Ricky Vazquez said. “ I think if you are struggling to find help, that would be a good place to start and find resources.”
The Mental Health Center is on the first floor of the Student Services building. For more information, go to http://www.citruscollege.edu and click on the current students tab. Next, click on the student health center tab and then the programs and workshops tab. For more information call 626-914-8671.
