My answer, based on experience, is a RESOUNDING yes!  (But please read the entire article before assuming I'm stating that mental health disorders do not exist, because I'm not actually making that claim.  Also see relevant disclaimer a the end of the article.) 

Disclaimers aside-- I strongly suspect that anxiety and depression is largely and even primarily situational for MOST people (though certainly not everyone) based on observation.

While this proposal could ruffle some feathers; despite having gone through many periods of varying levels of what can be called anxiety and depression throughout university; I've basically noticed I'm happy when my needs are met-- and exceptionally happy when my highest needs are met and I am living my purpose from a place of power.  

It is incredibly fulfilling to merely be on the journey to one's ideal destination yet so many of us are not doing that, or we can feel overwhelmed by mistakes or obstacles along the way.

I noticed when I was experiencing a state of depression or anxiety, one or more of the following issues had been present:



1.  I was perceiving it to be likely that I could suffer significant consequences caused by procrastination or not doing my best.

2.  I wasn't aligned with a path of things I loved -  i.e. not aligned with my purpose.

3.  There was some other issue affecting personal security or the loss of something very precious to me (e.g. loss of a relationship or loved one, loss of security, health crisis, etc.).  Things happen.

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So why then, are these always handled in the perspective of limiting ourselves by the identity of diagnoses?

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Here are some examples I can think of where a person's SITUATION could make a very healthy person anxious or depressed


•   If a "normal" and otherwise healthy person just lost a loved one or had a serious breakup, it makes sense to feel sad.

•    If a "normal" and otherwise healthy person were in a situation where there was a risk they could lose something important (such as fail an important class or out of an academic program), it would make sense for them to feel anxious.

•    If you are going through life with an outlook and a plan that is completely antithetical to your values, maybe it's healthy to not feel so right in that situation.  Maybe that's a healthy  to make a change in how you approach what you do, or what you are doing!

In our first semester of university, I was introduced to a prominent concept in psychology known as, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, proposed by American psychologist, Abraham Maslow in a paper he authored called "A Theory of Human Motivation."  The topic is often illustrated in pyramid-shaped diagrams as in the graphic below.  While there is criticism of many aspects of the model, it is enough to simply recognize that we humans have needs, some of which are more basic like those at the bottom of the pyramid (physiological needs related to survival) which are considered crucial.  Having needs met further up on the pyramid can allegedly offer higher levels of happiness.

If you're reading this, chances are your physiological needs are secure as well as your safety and security needs.  While self-actualization seems difficult for most people to achieve, how about any of the love and belonging needs?  Or the self-esteem needs?

If you are a student reading this blog to see if these services may be a good fit for you... chances are you are having issues with things in the "self-esteem" needs category.  This is not to say it has to do with whether you like yourself, but that you perceive the issues you may be having in school or are affecting your future prospects... that how you are now could be affecting your ability to get the life you want.  i.e. Your situation is one where you are experiencing a threat to achievement, status, prestige, and/or independence on some level - which can also bleed over into love and belonging, safety and security, and your physiological needs in the short and/or long run.  In other words, expectations of poor academic performance can mean you often rightly perceive worse prospects for your life situation.

That was certainly the case for me.

And here is an important side note:  For me in university , a big reason for MY OWN procrastination was missing out on aspects of (romantic) intimacy, affection, and love at times (as well as sex, which is considered a physiological need in Maslow's model, although its proper placement in this model is debated).

With regard to the topics of meeting the needs of intimacy / sex / romance in university, I can definitely offer advice that would help men or women in those areas now and meeting those needs, if lacking, can definitely improve performance.  However, there are a number of reasons to not make that a primary focus in life and I also teach how to have serious inner peace, contentment, and true radiant joy while completely abstinent and single.  It is very important to be able to be happy while single... but great to know you don't have to be completely "single" at all times either.

At the end of the day, a serious question worth asking is---

If the obstacles to meeting YOUR most painful needs were solved... how much better would YOU feel?

That's probably a great question to ask to determine how you can get past the anxiety and depression that is affecting your work.

Usually if I ask myself that question when I'm feeling down, I either get down to solving the problems if I can change them or use techniques passed down to me on how to accept things as they are (and yes, all of us have capacity to learn deep inner peace, even through very severe situations, which is a very deep and separate topic all on its own).

With the right system and tools...

it is possible for you to improve your performance or else become more aligned with what it is you truly love, and thereby be happier, which is why I do what I do.

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My own family and others repeatedly professed that psychiatry was the only answer to achieving the results they wanted from me.  Universities too have all sorts of academic advisors and resources who help students deal with internal issues as well.

But at the end of the day, as another student pointed out to me-- are the people in these positions getting paid for their results... or to follow a bureaucratic set of principles?

In my experience, ordinary solutions deliver ORDINARY results, which is to say for these issues (according to many students), far from perfect.

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I do what I do because I've found so much incredible potential for us to shift our emotional states AND results in life by:

•    Aligning yourself with a plan and vision for the future that is more true to how you've aligned yourself already

•    Learning and applying philosophical or mindset principles, strategies, and tactics to improve your situations (whether that's in school work, social life, routine, organization, dating, etc.)

•    Improving diet, exercise.

•    Increasing awareness and mindfulness

•    Cutting toxic habits (e.g. addictions), people, situations

•    Shifting the self-concept (subconscious self-image) which subconsciously dictates SO MUCH of the actions, behavior, and results in our life

... and I help make these differences in the lives of clients to end self-sabotage and obstacles by going through every single possible element we can gain control over to transform clients into high-functioning, well-oiled machines of success.  Yes, following processes like those I refer to above with the proper frameworks CAN be sufficient to help you get out of your own way COMPLETLY and help you achieve the kind of success you want. 

There are many elements to consider of course, but when they are all adjusted such that every element of your life situation is operating in perfect harmony, the difference is night and day.