Post-Grad Depression: What Happens After the Caps and Gowns Come Off

The one thing no one tells you about graduating from college is how lost and frustrated you're going to be after all the pomp and circumstance. They don't tell you that you're most likely going to spend the next few weeks or months trying to figure out what to do with your life. After the dust settles from the graduation parties and celebrations, you're stuck alone in a dark room trying to figure out how to turn on the lights.

Post-graduate depression affects a lot of college graduates, especially those who don't have a job lined up. They have spent at least 17 years living with the structure of school, even in college where they were budding adults tasting freedom for the first real time. Now that that structure has been taken out from under their feet, they don't know what to do with their time. It's a scary and confusing feeling.

Unfortunately, there are no studies on post-grad depression, but there are a few articles that attempt to address the issue. They all blame the same few factors: unemployment, loss of security, loss of freedom, and a loss of identity.

The unemployment rate in the U.S. alone, in May 2017, was 8.80%. It was even higher in other countries. Not having a job causes a lot of stress. Students have pressure from themselves, their families, and society to be on a successful career path by the time they graduate. They have student loans to pay, and they have dreams they've been working toward for years. Being unemployed after graduation was not part of the plan. And then, to add to the feelings of failure, there are friends and former classmates already building their careers and getting their lives together.

I've already explained the loss of security and structure, but the loss of freedom is an interesting cause of stress that seems to contradict that. In college, students were able to be themselves and find themselves all by themselves. They had easy access to friends and adventure and whatever they needed. They were learning to be adults. Now their college friends are hours away, they don't have the freedom, money, or time to go to parties or go exploring. Many graduates move back home and now have to regularly report to their parents and live under their watchful eye. This can create tension that leads to arguments and exacerbates stress.

There is also a loss of identity after graduation. Graduates may have to re-evaluate their goals if employment in their chosen fields is unavailable. They may find that they can't enjoy the hobbies that excited them throughout college. They may rapidly grow apart from their friends as they all find their own paths to unique futures. They may feel torn between their own expectations of themselves and their families' expectations of them. All of these things can lead to feeling isolated and lost.

Those experiencing post-grad depression might be suffering from low self-esteem and insecurity, lack of motivation, a loss of interest in things they used to enjoy, stress and anxiety, irritability, and changes in eating and sleeping. If post-grad depression is affecting your life, it's important to seek help from a medical professional.

One thing that helped motivate me a little was an article called "7 STRANGE QUESTIONS THAT HELP YOU FIND YOUR LIFE PURPOSE," written by Mark Manson. While it's not exactly a cure-all, it did help me become more hopeful about my future and more optimistic about my current state. I even talked about it in a YouTube video. Post-grad depression is a serious issue that needs to be looked out for, and any kind of support and encouragement is greatly appreciated.