Start by trusting yourself and how you feel physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. Talk to people you trust about the kind of life you want to live right now. There is power in connecting with others through honest face-to-face conversations. It enables you to hear yourself tell your story, speak your truth, sort your ideas, and connect the dots (your observations) that create solutions. You are the expert of yourself, but other people might have some feedback and insight about best practices that will help you find and maintain the balance you seek.

NC State College has a partnership with Ohio State University (OSU)-Mansfield to provide students with access to a recreation center, recreational activities, and student groups through the department of Student Life & Engagement. NC State also has partnerships with local organizations that provide students with access to a variety of support. Make use of services, events, and groups that inspire, energize, and promote healthy living. Some examples of wellness activities and services include the following:

• Intramurals
• Bike-share program
• Outdoor recreation
• Fitness classes like karate, yoga, rock-out workouts, dance-based stretching
• Mind-body meditation
• Mindfulness stress reduction
• Personal coaching and counseling
• Crisis services for mental health emergencies
• Disability services for chronic health conditions
• Food pantry, childcare services, counseling services, and transportation subsidies
• Student groups and organizations
• Veterans’ groups and organizations

For personal issues, all students* who are currently registered in for-credit classes have access to on-campus mental health counselors and to resources like the food pantry, childcare services, and transportation subsidies. We also provide referrals to off-campus community services that can help you through a job loss or layoff, a reduction in income, a housing crisis, legal concerns, and emergency repairs for your car.

For academic issues, you have access to success coaches, academic liaisons, tutors, and other staff who can help you with academic planning, study skills, time management, financial aid, work study, career services, and much more.

You may also find help from fellow students through student organizations and student groups like NAMI on Campus.

* Editor’s Note: Middle school and high school students enrolled at NC State through the College Credit Plus (CCP) or College-NOW programs should contact their middle- or high-school counseling or health departments for mental health services.

Yes. All students* who are currently enrolled in for-credit classes at NC State are eligible for the free on-campus Student Assistance Program (SAP), which is administered by licensed counselors and social workers from New Directions counseling center in Mansfield, Ohio. All services are confidential, which means SAP staff protect your identity and any information you choose to share about yourself: they do not provide that information to anyone else, not even your family. SAP provides assessment, brief counseling, and referral services for a wide range of concerns. Examples include the following:

• College adjustment
• Test anxiety
• Basic-needs assessment (e.g., food, housing, transportation, healthcare, childcare, personal safety)
• Emotional health
• Social stressors & universal stressors (e.g., global pandemic, racial injustice, police reform, public safety, political uncertainties)
• Relationships (building and maintaining safe and trusting relationships)
• Domestic violence
• Gender and sexual identity
• Parenting
• Finances
• Legal concerns
• Veterans’ issues

Counselors and therapists also help students with various emotional and mental health issues. Examples include the following:

• Stress
• Anxiety
• Social anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Depression
• Relationship difficulties
• Eating disorders
• Substance abuse
• Suicidal thoughts
• Episodes of intense emotions, obsessive thoughts, mental health symptoms, or psychosis
• Trauma experiences (being a witness to or victim of violence and other forms of physical or emotional assault and neglect)
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Much more

* Editor’s Note: Middle school and high school students enrolled at NC State through the College Credit Plus (CCP) or College-NOW programs should contact their middle- or high-school counseling or health departments for mental health services.

The first thing you can do is be a good friend. Be present. Be kind. And listen without judgement. You can also validate their feelings, appreciate their courage, and refer them to sources of support: this approach was developed by a national student-to-student support organization called Active Minds. The approach is called the “3 V-A-R Steps: Validate, Appreciate, Refer.” We include it below because we believe in its power to help.

• Validate their feelings. Let them know that what they are feeling is okay and that you believe in them. Validate sounds like this:
  • “I believe you.”
  • “That makes sense.”
  • “That sounds difficult.”
  • “I’m sorry you are struggling right now.”
• Appreciate their courage. Speaking up about personal challenges and pain can be a challenging step. Let them know it’s a good one. Also show you are there to support them. Affirmation sounds like this:
  • “Thank you for sharing.”
  • “Thank you so much for talking to me. That took a lot of courage.”
  • “You are not alone.”
  • “I’m here for you.”

• Refer them to skills and support. Let them know help is available and refer them to appropriate resources. Refer sounds like this:
  • “I’ve been using this meditation app. It’s really helped me slow down my thoughts.”
  • “I think it might be helpful to talk to someone. I can stay with you while we call/text a hotline.”
  • “Sometimes taking time for self-care and listening to a comedy podcast helps me. Can we do that together?”

• 3 V-A-R Steps: Validate, Appreciate, Refer | Active Minds | https://www.activeminds.org/about-mental-health/basic-var/var-steps, opens in a new window

• Suicide Hot Line: 800-273- 8255 (TALK)
• Crisis Hot Line: 419-522-4357 (HELP)
• Crisis Text Line (Ohio): text “4hope” to 741741
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233 (SAFE)
• Crisis Hotline for LGBTQ Students | The TrevorLifeline: 866-488-7386
• Crisis Text Line for LGBTQ Students | TrevorText: text “START” to 678-678
• Success Coach | Student Success Center: 419-755-4536
• On-Campus Counselors (New Directions) | Student Assistance Program (SAP): 419-529-9941
• Veteran & Service-Member Affairs | Student Success Center: 419-755-4536
• Student Life & Engagement | OSU-Mansfield & NC State: 419-755-4011 | https://mansfield.osu.edu/student-life/student-engagement/, opens in a new window
• NAMI on Campus: 419-522-6264| https://www.nami.org/home, opens in a new window

For more information, consult the “Resources” link at the top of this page.