What do you do when you come back to school or work from a long relaxing vacation, thinking, “all right I can do this, bring it on?”

Instead of being like you imagined, the universe turns your world upside down by throwing a cream pie of stress, anxiety and reality at you.

Those are the times when you need someone to listen as you let your heart bleed out to them.

That happened to me in the first month of my final semester at City College when I got back from being home in Sweden for Christmas.

It all started great with the airplane forgetting my bag between Washington and Los Angeles. After spending what felt like hours in LAX filing a missing luggage application I sat in a private shuttle for three hours as I was to lazy to grab the air bus. I arrived at my roommates tired as death and collapsed on the bed in my dorm.

I spent the days before the semester getting my bag back and trying to relax as I waited for the semester to begin. Going to the first day of class, I realized that the class I was too difficult for my liking but thinking that it might get easier. I stayed, and as the weeks flew by, I realized, “Hell this class is too intense for me.” Each class I attended I got more and more behind.

It continued until the teacher called me to her office and recommended that I take a pass-no pass because I was failing. She said that I should schedule an appointment with one of the therapists on campus because I might suffer from a mental disorder.

Hearing that you might have a mental condition from a teacher, or just anyone, stings. Even though they might not have meant it in a mean way. With all the stuff going on I went to a therapist the very same day, at the Student’s Services Building.

In the waiting room, after checking-in, I was very nervous. When I first stepped into that room and sat down in a chair facing the therapist I was uncomfortable, but afterwards when I stepped into the sunlight, having booked an other appointment, my heart felt lighter than it had for a long time.

Since then and as the semester went on, I have meet with my therapist three more times. Sometimes when I’m blue about something and other times when I just wanted someone to talk to. But every single time walking out of the session, I feel better then I did before.

Having someone who listens and cares about what you say, even if it’s only a therapist, helps you get a new perspective and the strength to get off your knees during dark and hard times in your life.

I’ve never really had the need to go to a therapist, but it has helped me improve my schoolwork through the semester. I have two more sections left out of the six free ones offered by student services.

I will use those two sessions, because I know that I am one of those students who will freak out about finals.