Whenever I hear the term “mental health support,” I inwardly groan. Faced with the sheer onslaught of news reports proclaiming Gen Z’s mental health crisis, Pomona College is attempting to pay lip service to the issue, but is only offering a Band-Aid solution to declare the matter settled.
In the middle of winter break, I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The diagnosis changed my life in a number of ways, namely through stimulants I was prescribed that allowed me to experience life without executive dysfunction.
As I rejoiced at my newfound diagnosis, I kept thinking about how much easier my life would have been had I been diagnosed just a few weeks earlier — when I had initially reached out for support during the middle of finals week. At the very least, I would have felt much better had I had someone to regularly consult with.
I had reason to suspect that I might have ADHD. My sibling had recently been diagnosed with it, my mother has it and I consistently showed symptoms of it throughout my childhood and adolescence. During finals week, these symptoms — namely inattentiveness and time-blindness — were exacerbated to an overwhelming extent.
So, I reached out for support from Pomona — and was disappointed at the resources they provided for students like me.
Having untreated ADHD during finals week went a little like this: I would wake up, open my planner and make a to-do list of every paper and exam I had. Then, I would promptly scroll on my phone for three hours with the intention of starting my work whenever I entered my “work mindset.” After some time, I would get so bored of scrolling that I would have no other choice but to start studying. And when I finally did, I distracted myself by opening over 50 tabs of tangents inspired by the research I was supposed to be doing. You get the idea.
As my deadlines neared, I was hit with the hard realization that I wouldn’t be able to adequately complete my schoolwork if I continued like this; at the same time, “this” was all I knew.
Frantic, I reached out to Monsour Counseling and Psychological Services — the mental health service provided for students by the 5Cs — to make an appointment. I spent valuable time filling out preliminary screening forms and finding time during the blur of finals week to sit down for a virtual appointment.
I was told during the appointment that because we were nearing the end of the semester, I would have to wait until the next semester to get more counseling appointments. I was given the alternative of getting connected to off-campus therapy — an option I dreaded because of the number of hoops I’d have to jump through by checking prices and trying to figure out if they would take my health insurance.
The other option was to use TimelyMD, an online counseling platform that I hoped would give me an easy and quick way to get consistent advice on how to manage ADHD during finals week. Not only were appointments few and far between, but the professionals available on TimelyMD specialized mainly in anxiety, depression and grief and family counseling. Not ADHD.
Eventually, I gave up, believing that the time I would spend futilely searching for a counselor would take away the precious time I had left during finals season.
Reflecting on my experience since my diagnosis over the holidays has made it abundantly clear: Pomona needs to provide better resources for students.
By hiring a greater number of mental health professionals who are well-equipped to handle a variety of conditions, students struggling during finals week can get the support they need. Don’t get me wrong — “Dogs on the Quad” is adorable, but finals week is arguably the most stressful period of the semester (on top of the inherent, everyday stressors of college life) and students require more comprehensive professional care.
Professionals should be able to provide unique support for neurodevelopmental disorders or other learning conditions, beyond anxiety disorders and depression.
Considering that so many students at the 5Cs are neurodivergent and the fact that Pomona prides itself on the diversity of its student body, having such resources available is an obligation that the school must fulfill. Beyond a simple TimelyMD Band-Aid.
Anjali Suva PO ’27 is from Orange County, California. She loves watching horror films, reading fantasy books and just about anything that allows her to avoid touching grass.
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