It is tough. I have experienced it. Dropping out of college is not just about stopping attending classes. It involves handling your mental health after taking the leap.
The period that came after I dropped out of college was one of the hardest I have ever experienced in my life. When I hear about someone who is in depression after dropping out of college, I don’t blame him.
He is not a weak person. The circumstances are just too heavy to handle. If that is you, I’m sorry for the pain you are going through.
However, don’t worry anymore because I am here to help you out of the pit. I stand as proof that you can drop out of college, go through the tough period that comes immediately after and still get your act together and forge on in life.
I am pleased with the life I am leading right now despite the rough past I have gone through because of dropping out of college. If you are interested in reading my story of how I dropped out of college, check out my eBook.
Why Depression after dropping out of College?
Even though it looks as if the depression you are experiencing is caused by many factors, there are just a few factors that are causing it. Those are the factors I want to focus on.
Once you know why you are feeling depressed after dropping out of college, it will be easier to work your way out.
1. Having no Direction
The number one reason why you feel depressed after dropping out of college is because you don’t know where your life is heading to.
Not having control over where your life is heading to will always make you feel depressed. You feel like a prisoner of your own life.
Again, you don’t need to have control over everything that happens in your life. Actually, trying to have control over everything in your life will cause more problems.
You only need to have sufficient control over a few things that matter in your life. From my experience, I found out that having control over how you get money and who you relate with makes you feel in charge of your own life.
Being in depression in most cases is a result of having no plan of making money and having no people to relate with.
When it comes to the factor about making money, read my article the easiest way to make money after dropping out of college.
Making money is a science but it is not as hard as rocket science. I have seen many people who were nowhere close to intelligent but they had a significant amount of money.
Though making money requires a lot of knowledge, there are basics that will earn you a lot of money even with little knowledge. That is what the article I wrote addresses.
The other factor; having control over your relationships, takes a bit of work to get it right but it is doable. If you find it hard to relate with other people, the most probable cause is your boundaries.
I had the same problem and a book by Dr. Henry Cloud called Boundaries solved 90% of my relationship problems. If you can get the book and read it, your relationship problems will disappear in no time.
2. Falling Behind your Peers
Falling behind your peers is a hidden cause of depression especially after you drop out of college. When you drop out of college, you see college as a waste of time.
You feel you are better off without a college degree than with one. In your mind, you see yourself doing much better than all your peers in college.
All that is totally fine until when you fail to achieve the success you expected to achieve. Not only will you be failing in your endeavor but you will also be under pressure to prove that your decision to drop out of college was right.
Before you know it, the pressure to beat your peers to success in life pushes you into depression.
To help yourself, it is wise to set achievable goals and try as much as you can to avoid comparing yourself to your peers who stayed in college when you dropped out.
Just because you dropped out of college doesn’t mean you have to be the richest among your peers. Many of them may ridicule you for not achieving anything substantial even after you dropped out of college but you must stick to your lane.
Read Also: 5 Signs College isn’t for you and what to do
When I dropped out of college, I wanted to build a lifestyle of freedom. I wanted to create an asset that would earn me passive income and enable me to enjoy my life without having to work on a daily basis.
It doesn’t matter to me how well my peers who stayed in college when I dropped out fare on in life. If they do well, I know it is because they have worked hard and deserve it.
As for me, the best I can do is put in the work that is required to achieve my ideal lifestyle. Knowing that my ideal life is dependent on me, I don’t bother about what my peers say about me.
Therefore, don’t allow external pressure of what is expected of you push you to the extreme. Take your time, follow your plan and create your dream life.
After all, it is your life and you choose how soon or late you want success.
What to avoid when experiencing Depression after Dropping out of College
1. Acting as if everything is fine
If you are in trouble you are in trouble. Do yourself a favor and stop acting as if everything is fine. Don’t fake smiles or try to put on a cheerful face when you are dying on the inside.
Let your exact situation be portrayed in your demeanor.
After dropping out of college, there is pressure to show that you are doing well. You may not want people who were against your decision to know that it is causing you pain but whether they know it or not is none of your business.
Let them see you in pain and let them talk. At the end of the day, your mental health will benefit if you don’t suppress your feelings.
2. Seeking Instant Gratification
Our minds hate pain. They do everything in their power to give us enjoyment even if it is at the expense of our future.
That is where the concept of instant gratification comes in. If you are not careful, you will fall into traps such as gambling, casual intimate relationships, using hard drugs etc.
Your mind will obviously get tired of being in depression day in day out and will trick you into doing something ‘interesting’ to cheer up.
Related Post: Is College making you Feel Depressed? Do this one thing
Don’t!
No matter how pressed you feel to do something you know is bad for you in the long term, don’t give in.
I had a terrible addiction at the time I dropped out of college. The stress that followed after I dropped out of college fueled the addiction further.
I found myself constantly indulging in what I knew was wrong for me in the long term.
I put up a fight against them and luckily I won.
Be safe. Don’t yield to the urge to have instant gratification.
How to handle Depression after Dropping out of College
Now that you know the cause of your depression and what you must avoid, I want you to do one thing to propel you out of your depression:
Get Company
The easiest and fastest way to come out of your depression is to open up. Get people who are ready to listen to you and just talk everything out.
You don’t have to have physical friends for you to open up. You can go to forums like Quora and get a group of people talking about depression and dropping out of college.
The more you participate and talk about your pain and struggles, the more the depressing feelings will die down.
Even reading my story of how I went through depression after dropping out of college will help you heal. Knowing that you are not alone in the struggle is important.
Don’t die alone.
Conclusion
Don’t let the depression monster eat you when you can easily get help and beat it. I have walked the same path you are on right now and I assure you there is light at the end of the tunnel.
I rose from the miserable position I was in after dropping out of college to living a lifestyle of freedom that I had craved since I was a teenager.
Go for it. You are strong.
All the best!