1 in 4. That’s how many people are affected my mental health. According to the World Health Organization, 1 in every 4 adults will be affected by a mental illness at some point in their lives. If mental health is so common, why isn’t it more openly discussed? Something I’ve seen and experienced is people degrading the seriousness of mental health. You wouldn’t tell someone with a broken ankle they need to “change their point of view” or “remember that some people have it worse.”
So why would you tell this to someone with depression, or any other mental problem?
The divide and reaction between mental health and physical health is evident-and ridiculous. Everyone has their own internal battles. If a friend opens up to you and tells you what’s going on, don’t dismiss or minimize their issue, recognize the trust they instilled in you and try helping them get through it or find different ways (actual ways not just telling them to change their point of view) to help them manage their inner conflicts. Recognizing your limits is important too, if the severity of your friend’s (or your) internal battle continues to grow it’s important to seek professional help. While your friend might have the best intentions, they (and you) can only do so much. Utilize the free resources the campus has to offer. Even if you don’t have any mental conflicts sometimes it’s nice to just talk to someone other than your friends and family. These aren’t just rando’s off the street either, they’re trained professionals who want to help and they’re free. You have nothing to lose.
Here’s how you can sign-up for a session: You’ll first need to be seen for a brief consultation during their walk-in hours which are:
Monday: 10:00 am -1:30 pm
Tuesday: 10:00 am -1:30 pm
Wednesday: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Thursday: 10:00 am – 1:30 pm
Friday: 10:00 am -1:30 pm
Saturday: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm (during fall and spring semesters only)
And if talking to professionals isn’t your thing, here are some apps and exercises (not actual gym exercises) that can help.
Breathing Exercise: As this diagram expands, it helps you control your breathing and lower your heart rate if you’re feeling stressed or anxious in any way.
Smiling Mind (App): This is a meditation app that helps has different programs catered to age and how you’re feeling, you can also monitor your progress when you log how you’re feeling.
Journaling: Something that always help me is writing down how I feel (it sounds corny, I know, but trust me on this one). Studies have shown that writing down and documenting how you feel helps reduce stress and solve problems. Here’s the article (and proof).
Free Online Screening: And if you’re unsure if you might have a mental health problem here’s a link to a free online screening Temple offers.
These are just a few methods to help with mental health, and I sincerely hope they work for you. The important or main message to take from this is to recognize (if you didn’t before) that mental health is just as serious as physical health, you should accept when you’ve reached your limit- and seek outside help if you reach this point- and to find different ways and methods that help you. Recognize your progress and take note of the things that work. Life is a series of trial and error: if one thing doesn’t work, move on to the next one. You can and will beat this.