| Written by Julie P. |
I remember the day when I finally decided that I needed help. Some days were easier than others, but I just felt like there was a lot going on in my life that I needed to get through. I felt like I was being overloaded with all of my school work, my relationships, and family situation. I was constantly worried about the next thing that was coming, I wasn’t sure about the decisions that I was supposed to be making.
A few years ago, I was going through a hard time adapting with a lot of changes in my life. I was just finishing up my first year as a transfer student at Rutgers–Camden. The transition from community college to Rutgers–Camden was pretty easy, but I was still feeling really stressed out and didn’t know in what direction my life was going. After a while, I just got fed up. I told a friend how I was feeling and they referred me to the Health Services on campus to see a professional psychologist. I was a bit hesitant to go, but, after thinking about it, I figured maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
Counseling sessions are free for students with eligible insurance or student insurance plans. Since I didn’t live on campus, I stayed on my family’s insurance plan and waived the student insurance plan. Students that live on campus are able to use their student.
When I was in the waiting room, someone was there to guide me through the steps to take. After that, I had to complete a sign-in form on the computer. I put in my information and then there was a small questionnaire to fill out based on how I had been feeling the last few weeks and/or days. This information was needed to help the psychologist to get a grasp on and keep track of how I was feeling.
When I was done filling out the form, I sat for a few minutes and my doctor came out to see me. I sat down in his office and I had no idea what to say. I felt pretty nervous about everything, so much so that I forgot why I was there in the first place. He started asking me simple questions that I could answer, like how my day was, what do I do on a regular basis, what my family and friends are like, etc. As I became more comfortable talking about the little things, I just started to word-vomit all the things I needed to say and I couldn’t stop talking. I felt like everything that I had been bottling up inside just kept coming out, things that I didn’t even know were bothering me suddenly came up.
The hour session went by so fast that it only felt like I had been there for a few minutes. I decided to make another appointment for the following week. I ended up seeing him once a week until the beginning of summer. After working through my thoughts and feelings with the help of the psychologist, I felt I was ready to stop seeing him. Classes were over, summer was starting, I found a summer job, and I felt a lot better about my life. All-in-all, I’m glad I took the steps necessary to get help with not only my school-related stresses, but my personal situation as well.
If you want more information on Rutgers–Camden Student Health Services, their number is (856) 225-6005 and their website is https://healthservices.camden.rutgers.edu/. The office is located in the Campus Center (326 Penn Street) on the second floor.