Chris B.
Photography by Evan Harris
If you’re reading this, you don’t have to be perfect.
You don’t have to be perfect. Your world may be telling you that you need to wake up at a certain time, eat certain things, exercise certain ways, and study a certain number of hours a day to find success in this life. The truth is, there is not one cookie-cutter method to it all. Each of us uniquely defines success, and that is okay.
I was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in October 2023. I have always been a pretty anxious person, but it was not until college that I saw this anxiety manifest in certain obsessions and compulsions. For example, one of my obsessions is being productive and successful day in and day out, like a well-oiled machine. This would manifest in compulsions like washing my hands frequently to ensure I didn’t get sick or stretching excessively to prevent injury. Though unwelcomed, these were intertwined like evergrowing weeds on my life’s landscape.
If you find that these mental weeds are taking over your garden, it is not only permitted but encouraged that you seek help. Weekly exposure therapy helps me through the obsessions and compulsions I am experiencing as an anxious college student, and my therapist understands me as I go through the ups and downs of college life. Whatever you may be going through, I guarantee you are not alone. Seeking help does not make you weaker: it strengthens you.
The image of success is not only painted in the eyes of academia. Practicing self-care, exercising, and eating well can all be factored into your definition of thriving in college. One can achieve perfect grades at the cost of one’s physical and mental well-being, and I want you to look back on your college experience with the knowledge that you found a balance among these things. You’ve got this.
Sincerely,
Chris B., Wake Forest University
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To follow IfYoureReadingThis at Wake Forest on Instagram, get in touch with our chapter, and learn about more resources available to Wake Forest students, visit our chapter’s homepage.
