This material was written by a Dallas College licensed counselor. All views expressed in this piece are their own and do not necessarily reflect Dallas College
Sometimes we say things out of intense emotions that we really don’t mean. Something like, “I’ll just die if I don’t get that job,” or “I might as well just give up,” and “sitting home all the time is killing me!” We have a lot of emotions built up and when we just let them out, sometimes there’s no logic or real intent involved.
But sometimes those feelings stay bottled up and keep slowly building and building up. And they make us think things we may or may not mean until we decide one way or the other. We feel tired, sad, alone, unwanted, unnoticed, ignored, made fun of, not appreciated, not wanted, not able, not successful, not given a chance, not given a second chance and not believed.
We see no dawn, no light at the end of our tunnel and no hope for things ever getting better. We feel trapped or defeated and helpless. We want to just scream or run or hit something. We begin to hate the world, or others, or ourselves.
We may hurt ourselves or think of ways to hurt ourselves or hurt others by hurting ourselves – or may not even have the energy to do those. We just want the emotional pain to be over.
A lot of times, talking to someone about how we feel is the last thing we want to do. We’re confused, embarrassed or hurt. We don’t think anyone understands or cares. Therefore, nobody can help, right?
The ironic part is talking to someone is precisely what we need the most. To let those feelings out instead of letting them fester, to tell someone who truly, honestly cares – without ever knowing us, because that’s who they are.
Especially someone who’s trained and experienced to help folks like us, who hurt so much it’s hard to put into words; someone who knows what to say and do, but more importantly, knows what not to say and not do. Someone who cares instead of being scared, listens instead of lectures and sits with us instead of telling us what to do — folks who can help us find answers or solutions.
There are people who will listen and care and are available 24/7. Anytime, day or night, any day of the week or year. Whenever you’re ready to talk, someone is ready to listen. There are folks like this at 214-828-1000 or 866-672-5100 (Suicide and Crisis Hotline). If you’d rather text instead of talk, there are folks like that at 741741 (Crisis Text Line).
If someone you care about seems to be going through this, please get them to call or text the above services and encourage them to contact the Counseling Services below – you might change their lives!
Folks who can also help find answers are only a phone call away. That’s where our Dallas College Counseling Services come in. Our team is comprised of trained, licensed professional counselors with master’s degrees in counseling and years of experience. There are several good things about talking to them:
- Different Ways to Talk – You can talk electronically, either video chat or just voice. Soon, you can again also choose to speak on campus. Choose whichever of these ways is most comfortable for you (and you can go back and forth between them).
- Free – There is absolutely no charge at all if you are enrolled at Dallas College in any way: credit, non-credit, certificate, continuing ed, ESL, GED, etc.
- Confidential – No one will need to know that you are talking to us. If you are a legal adult, no one else needs to OK or give permission, and no one can call and get information about your counseling or even if you are in counseling (except in some instances, but these would be explained upfront)
- Resources – Your counselor would introduce you to other resources at Dallas College and in the community, resources to help you emotionally, academically, financially, etc. These additional support systems can make a huge difference in how well you can deal with your situation.
These counselors are also available if you’re depressed, anxious, overwhelmed, grieving, have relationship issues, etc. One of the main things you may need is hope – that someone cares and understands, that there are things that can help, that things can be better. Let us help you find that hope.
Written by Dr. Jesse Gonzalez, personal counselor at Dallas College
Dallas College Online Counseling for Students
Our professional counselors are still working hard for you! Did you know you can meet with a counselor for a virtual one-on-one session – for free?
Currently-enrolled students can set up a virtual meeting through a safe and secure WebEx link. To get started, all you must do is contact your campus Counseling Center at the email address listed below. From there, a member of your campus Counseling Center team will walk you through the necessary pre-appointment procedure.
Brookhaven Counseling Center: bhccounseling@dcccd.edu
Cedar Valley Counseling Center: cvccounseling@dcccd.edu
Eastfield Counseling Center: jasminegarcia@dcccd.edu
El Centro Counseling Center: ECCStudentCounseling@dcccd.edu
Mountain View Counseling Center: jgonzalez@dcccd.edu
North Lake Counseling Center: nlccounseling@dcccd.edu
Richland Counseling Center: Counseling-RLC@dcccd.edu
Dallas College believes it’s OK to say you’re not OK. At Dallas College, we’re family and family helps each other in times of need.
Please note: If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call 911 or visit the nearest hospital emergency room rather than requesting an online counseling session.
Community Mental Health Resources Available in Our Area
- North Texas Behavioral Health Authority can help pay for community psychiatric, mental health and substance abuse services — please call 214-366-9407.
- Suicide and Crisis Center of North Texas — please call 214-828-1000.
- National Veterans Crisis Line — please call 800-273-8255 and press 1.
- National Domestic Violence Hotline —please call 800-799-7233.
- National Sexual Assault Hotline — please call 800-656-4673.
- Message 741741 from anywhere in the United States to text with a trained crisis counselor. Heads up —standard messaging rates may apply.
It’s OK to say. If you see something that could be helpful to someone else – spread the word and share this information. Even if you’re not dealing with a specific mental health issue, chances are someone you know is.