Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
MENTAL ILLNESS
PAGE 2
TAYLOR DRYSDALE
Taylor is a freshman studying psychology and Spanish.
You may contact her at drysdale.t@husky.neu.edu.
Northeastern
?
8
6
15
?
10
Creative Team
From that experience, I learned about the stigma of mental illness. I didnt want my friends to
know. I didnt even tell my family that I was becoming overwhelmed with anxiety and depression.
I didnt want people to look at me differently. I became shockingly good at hiding parts of myself
from others. I missed school the day after having a panic attack at a sports event because I didnt
want anyone to wonder or ask what had happened.
This is why the conversation must begin.
Mental illness is one of the most taboo topics of discussion in the current vernacular. Having
such an illness is considered shameful and people who suffer are often blamed for their condition.
A depressed person is told, just get out of bed and youll be fine. Anxiety attacks are brushed off
as insanity or even worse, an imagined event. However, these diseases are not excuses to be lazy
and they cant just be gotten over. Mental illness is a battle within the mind, against the mind.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 1 in 5 adults will struggle with mental
illness in any given year. One in five. Chances are that you know someone with a mental illness
whether you are aware of it or not. The list of possible disorders includes, but is not limited
to: adjustment disorder, panic disorder, phobias, OCD, PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder,
ADHD, Aspergers, autism, Tourettes, eating disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, dementia,
Alzheimers, personality disorders, schizophrenia, and substance dependence. While this list
might seem extensive it is important to acknowledge the wide reach that mental illness has.
Since having my first panic attack, I have had approximately a dozen more in the past three
years. Comparatively to many others, my experience is rather mild. My panic disorder and
depression are well controlled by taking daily medication, and I live a rather normal life. However,
I am one of the lucky ones. I have found great therapists and my family and friends have been
so supportive of me. Yet, for others, still living in the shadow of their guilt, too afraid to speak up
about what they are dealing with, are not as well off. According to the American Foundation for
Suicide Prevention, 42,773 Americans die by suicide each year. That puts it as the tenth leading
cause of death in our nation which is above death by liver disease and homicide. For youth ages
10-24, it is the second leading cause.
How many more people have to die before mental illness becomes a national conversation? On
January 5, 2016, President Obama spoke out about mass shootings and their relations to mental
illness. He said, We must continue to remove the stigma around mental illness and its treatment
and make sure that these individuals and their families know they are not alone. Hopefully this
will open up conversation about those who are struggling with a disease of their mind and allow
sufferers to come forward and get the help that they deserve.
Imagine being suffocated and still being able to see the world around you. Imagine not being
able to muster up the courage to leave your house every day. Imagine seeing invisible demons
all around you who you think are out to get you. Imagine needing to wash your hands six times
before eating. Imagine shouting uncontrollably when deep down you know that you shouldnt.
Put yourself in those shoes and now imagine someone saying it is all made up. Hearing people
say they are so OCD in a joking manner. Seeing a tweet about how someone wants to kill
themselves because they have too much homework. Mental illness is not a joke. Mental illness
is no laughing matter. It is a serious threat that must be addressed with respect and compassion.
Because until you experience it firsthand, you just have no idea.
SCENE
The mind is a fascinating and amazing thing. It has created great works of art, built grand
architecture, cured sicknesses and invented the technology we love today. We owe our livelihood
to various minds Isnt it time we started caring about them? Raise awareness for mental illness.
Stop the stigma. Raise awareness for mental illness. Stop the stigma. And if you or someone you
know is struggling, dont be afraid to ask for help.
being overly busy and for turning away students who dont
have a serious enough problem. This happens in schools
across the country. College suicide rates are increasing due
to increasing pressures to do well, increased homework load,
and a lack of proper mental health care. At stressful top-tier
institutions like Georgia Tech, mental health of students should
be a top priority.
According to collegedegreesearch.net, six percent of
undergraduate students have seriously considered
attempting suicide, and half of that six percent didnt tell
anyone. When the counseling center wont see you, who
will you tell? College suicide rates are rising, and we need
to do something about it. Imagine your best friend gone
because she couldnt get the help that she needed. Imagine
your own light fading out because you just couldnt handle
it anymore. Think about how many people could have been
saved if they had only had the help that they so desperately
needed.
We need to do something about
the lack of mental health
centers in colleges. We
need to start caring about
the mental health of
students all around the
country who are so close
to ending it all because
they dont feel like they
can do it, or they feel like
they have no other choice.
End the stigma, and stand up
against suicide.
SCENE
To Be Prescribed Adderall
MARISSA MCCORMICK
Marissa is a senior studying
media arts/design/journalism.
You may contact her at
mccor2ma@dukes.jmu.edu.
James Madison
ADD isnt all that its cracked up to be.
As Im writing this, I can feel my concentration slipping. Noises
have become enticing, I feel distanced from my phone, and every
time someone walks by me in the library, I turn around seeing if its
someone I know. My extended release Adderall is starting to wear
off and my brain is starting to relax back to its natural state. My
ADD is climbing out from underneath the blanket of focus I had
for 10 hours today.
ADD is not all that its cracked up to be. Sure we get prescribed
the precious Adderall so many people want, but at what cost? Let
me put this in context for you. You know when youre at the library
and theres a one really, really loud girl talking on the phone? You
know the one. The girl that, for some reason, thinks its OK to have a
LIFESTYLE
The worst thing that you can say to anyone with ADD is, I think
I should start taking Adderall. Having ADD isnt a free pass to
get super-pills, having ADD means you have a disability. I take
Adderall because I have a disability, and it wasnt a choice I had a
say in. I was tested for ADD my freshman year of college. My parents
were skeptical because they didnt know exactly what ADD was. To
them, the kids with ADD were the bad kids in school that caused a
scene and were constantly sent out of class. Not an above average
student in her first year at a university. I went to a counselor after I
was diagnosed with ADD, and they told me with a straight mouth,
Marissa this is something youre going to have to take for the rest
of your life.
When the late night assignments and cramming for the tests are
over, and were all out in the real world, Im still going to be taking
Adderall. When Im raising a family and have to take the right kid to
the right place for soccer practice, Im still going be taking Adderall.
And when Im trying to remember the numbers they just said for
bingo at my nursing home, Im still going to be taking Adderall.
So you tell me youre jealous that I get prescribed Adderall?
Dont be. Im jealous that you can drink a cup a coffee and motivate
yourself once you lose focus. Im jealous that the success of your day
doesnt depend on whether or not you took a pill that morning. The
idea of waking up and performing a full day without my medicine
is foreign to me.
My brain works in two modes, and I dont know which one is the
right one. I dont know which mode is the one the big man upstairs
wants me to operate in. So before you say you want to be prescribed
to Adderall, ask yourself if you need and want to operate in two
different modes. Ask yourself if you want to rely on medicine to
make your entire life work. If I had a choice, I would choose coffee
like the rest of the world.
IDEAS
Love Differently
MACKENZIE MEADOWS
Mackenzie is a sophomore
studying journalism.
You may contact her at
mackenziemeadows23@
gmail.com.
Northern Illinois
You will never regret us.
As a result of constantly feeling like this, girls with anxiety have their
guard up. We handle almost everything with worry, and we are on edge,
wondering what will set off our anxiety next, and just like that, were
back feeling like were in that ocean.
Girls with anxiety love differently. But I promise you, we will love
you like no one else ever will. We will love you like you are our one and
only, youre our safe space, youre the person we know we can trust, and
our love for you and our appreciation for you will never go unnoticed.
We need reassurance.
Please be patient when we ask you for the tenth time if youre leaving.
We are not in control of our anxiety most of time, so we always want
to know what you are thinking, so we are not blindsided because we
want to be in control of something in our life. Even though we make
you repeat yourself, do not ever think we are ever doubting you. The
feeling we get when you know you arent leaving is so calming. We will
love you for it forever.
We need to feel safe.
of anxiety, you are the first person we need. You are the only person
we trust to handle us when were shaking, and when we are gasping
for breath. Because you see us so vulnerable, we form a bond with
you that you wont ever have again, I promise you.
We will love you like no one else.
We tend to be a little much at times, yes. However, we trust you
with our entire lives. Anxiety is real; what we feel is real, and knowing
we have someone there who is attempting to understand and not
leaving no matter how many times we question it. We love you
because you are our protector, our lover and our calmer. You are
so much more to us than a significant other. You are our world, and
we are so incredibly thankful for it, and we will tell you 10 million
times a day.
We will never let you go to sleep without feeling loved. No matter
how many times you ask if we are OK, we always say yes because
your happiness is more important than our own, even though you
always know when something is wrong. We will hold you like
no other woman will, and we will appreciate all the small things
you do.
Anxiety controls your body. Anxiety controls your heart. The
simple we need to talk throws our body in flight-or-fight mode, and
we lose feeling. The simple I dont know anymore turns our hearts
inside out. Breakups are hard, but girls with anxiety will struggle to
find themselves again because they put so much faith into you. They
love you more than you can ever comprehend, and once you love like
that, its almost impossible to ever love like that again.
So if you are dating a girl with anxiety, she is not a mess; she is not
a prisoner; she is not a burden like she always thinks she is. She is a
gift that should be treasured. We tend to need a little more TLC, but
we will cherish you for it. Girls with anxiety love differently. But I
promise you, we will love you like no one else ever will.
After this people are still skeptical? They are staying away
from processed foods, wouldnt that be good?
RACHEL ZSARNAY
Rachel is a sophomore studying
Spanish. You may contact her
at rzsarnay@emich.edu.
Toledo
Is obsessing over clean foods really unhealthy?
We live in a a culture where thinness is not only in, but
its praised. All around us we see evidence of this on social
media, in magazines and on television. Thigh gaps and hip
bones are becoming what a young girl considers a goal, and
the F word (popularly known as fat) is now something to be
feared. The terms clean eating and diet have become a
religion to some.
Many young women see the plethora of ads, thin
models, skinny celebrities and think Thats what is
considered beautiful, I need to look like that. These
girls believe the best way to do this is to slash their daily
calorie needs in half, and exercise for hours on end, seven
days a week. Foods they once enjoyed are now labeled as
good or bad, and if the bad foods are consumed,
their chance at that dream body is ruined.
In response to this, a lot of people might say, Hey,
theyre getting healthy and in shape, right? Whats so
wrong with that? In reality, this could be an eating
disorder gone unnoticed.
LIFESTYLE
I have obsessive-compulsive
disorder and no, I wont clean
your room. Thats not my type
of OCD.
I am mentally ill.
JAY LOSCAR
Jay is a junior studying
creative writing and childhood
education. You may contact
her at heidiloscar@gmail.com.
Hunter College
IDEAS
JAMIE DOUBLET
Jamie is a senior studying
theatre . You may contact her at
jamiedoublet@gmail.com.
Piedmont College
Life is always going to get in the way. Your health should
never suffer because of it.
Life can so often get in the way of what is really important.
Responsibilities, papers, meetings the figurative laundry list
can be endless. The longer the list, the more frequent the neglect
of the subtle necessities. One of the most commonly discarded
concerns can be health.
The concept of health seems to carry the connotation of doctors
office visits and prescription medication. Health is contemplated
on a daily basis in a number of ways some may experience
headaches and take pain-relieving medication to stop the aching;
others may browse a pharmacy in search of the most effective acne
medication. Regardless of the nature of the relationship one has
with health, the conceptualization of daily maintenance and care is
relevant to every single human being, and the end goal is usually
IDEAS
crux of the true basis of health that all other categories should
branch off of striving for mental health and hygiene is just as
important as working for physical health and hygiene.
VICTORIA KABERNAGEL
Victoria is a sophomore studying
IDEAS
NICOLE LARUSSO
10
LIFESTYLE
picking, just like how when an addict isnt using, they are more
than likely thinking about using. At the same time, while Im
picking at my hands, it becomes nearly impossible to
make myself stop. Unless someone pulls my hands
or really yells at me, I wont have enough selfcontrol or willpower to stop picking. This is
also similar to the habits of an addict, for
they have a hard time making themselves
stop using in a particular moment unless
someone forces them to do so.
What Dyslexia
Means To Me
RACHEL WYLIE
IDEAS
11
SAVANNA COBB
Savanna is a junior studying
human services and criminal
justice. You may contact her at
scobb9077@ucumberlands.edu.
Cumberlands
But one day, they dont text you back for a while. For a normal person, this wouldnt be a big
deal. One might think, Hmm. Theyre probably busy. Theyll text me back when they want
to. Seems like a rational thought, right?
Thats not how someone with anxiety thinks. They think that theyve done something wrong.
They go back through messages to make sure that they didnt say something to make the other
person mad. Or maybe theyre with someone else? That has to be why theyre not texting back.
Should I double text? No, then Ill look needy. I cant run him off.
And then they text back. They were doing homework and didnt hear their phone. You dont
let them know that you were panicking. You play it off cool and breathe a sigh of relief that
theyre not mad at you.
12
LIFESTYLE
My aunt just recently passed away. She had cancer for many years, going in and out of
remission multiple times. She gave me a wig of hers when I was sick and always told me I was
her hero. In reality, she was my hero. With how much she had gone through, she was one of
the strongest women I have ever met. I find myself asking why this strong, gracious woman
had to be taken from her grandkids before they can even fathom the idea of death when I have
no aspirations at all.
Why was I stuck with a cancer that had an 85 percent survival rate, while so many others
are given a death sentence before they can even attempt chemo? I cant really say why, not
even my doctor could. I did extensive research when I was sick and there were absolutely no
answers at all as to why these things happen. Lifes funny like that; it takes the good people
away and leaves the bad ones here to suffer.
I suffer from generalized anxiety disorder and due to cancer, it has worsened. It is very
common for survivors to experience this kind of feeling as they live in fear of relapse, and other
long-term complications due to cancer treatment. Personally, I live in fear of heart disease as
a side effect of the chemotherapy I received in the fall of 2012.
Unless you have lived with this, you wouldnt fully understand. It is a hard concept to grasp;
it is essentially the same feeling as being guilty for eating a donut when you are on a diet, but
much, much worse.
I Was Admitted To
A Mental Institution,
AMA GORA
LIFESTYLE
13
Loving Yourself
Isnt As Easy
As It Sounds
ELIZABETH MILLER
Elizabeth is a jsophomore
studying communication. You
may contact her at millerea18@
mounties.mansfield.edu.
Mansfield
But its worth a shot.
Dear You,
Yes, you. I know youre having a bad day or a bad week
or a bad year, but dont worry, its OK. I know youre feeling
selfish right now for thinking about yourself. I know its
hard to balance your job and your life and your family and
still feel good about yourself, but thats OK and youre not
alone. Its difficult to learn how to love yourself, but here
are some things to remember.
14
LIFESTYLE
You are so strong. You got out of bed today, and that takes
guts. You told yourself to get up and face the world and
all its challenges. You could have chosen to shield yourself
in the comfort of your own self-doubt, but you didnt. Go
you! Its a powerful thing to be mentally strong, and it takes
much more training than being physically strong. Half of the
time you dont even know that you are training yourself to
be mentally strong, but it just sort of happens. You stood up
to your boss today, thats mental strength training. You told
yourself no to buying just one more pair of shoes, thats
mental strength training. You told yourself that you feel
awesome today and thats more mental strength training.
If you become mentally strong, that confidence can wear
off onto those around you.
You are not who you used to be. High school might have
been rough, but graduation gave you a clean slate. You are
no longer a loser or a nobody. Now is your chance to
become somebody. Now is your chance to create the new
you that can tell everyone at the class reunion everything
Sincerely,
One recovering heart to another.
However, of these 43+ million people only 41 percent of them had the
courage to receive medical attention for their mental health issues.
Cancer is nationally publicized. We have walk-a-thons, sell pink ribbons,
and raise awareness of prostate cancer. Heck, I even have a sticker on my car
that says, Feel your boobies! in support of breast cancer awareness. While
I will support this and dont believe cancer should receive any less support, I
do believe that mental illnesses deserve just as much. People suffering from a
mental illness should be able to feel just as comfortable with seeking treatment
as someone with any other illness.
There are tons of people who cant leave their house without touching
their doorknob exactly 17 times. These are our friends, our siblings, our coworkers, our family. And that number doesnt include 14-year-old me, who
couldnt go to school because of her illness, or the countless other teens feeling
the same way.
There are others that feel the same way you do. You do not have to fight this
battle alone. If you have a sickness, you arent expected to suffer from it and
hope it goes away on its own. Likewise, you are not expected to suffer from
your mental illness on your own. There are people who have spent many years
in school and training simply to help you. Dont let the fear of what people
may think of you keep you from being happy and more comfortable. This
is your life, not theirs, and the help that you can receive can change your life.
I am not ashamed that I had to receive help. I knew that I simply could not
keep living the way I was, nor should I have to. I knew that I could not help
myself. I knew that, despite the stigma and judgment I might receive, it was
necessary. So, please, do not ever feel like you cannot ask for help. Do not ever
feel like you cannot receive the medication or counseling you need because
you will be judged. Do not feel like you are weak. You are so strong for the
fight you have put up, and you are even stronger to have the courage to help
yourself. And please, do not ever, ever, ever feel like you are alone. Because I,
as well as the 43 plus million other people in the world that suffer the same
way you do, am there for you. You are not alone, nor will you ever be. Get the
help you need. Dont be ashamed.
LIFESTYLE
15