College is hard. It’s stressful. Unfortunately, this stress and pressure to do well in college leads to many different mental health problems. According to a recent survey from the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors, mental health is a growing problem in college. 41.6% of students suffer from anxiety disorders, and 36.4% suffer from depression. And these only include the students that have gone to get help or have diagnosable mental disorders.
Despite all of this, there is good news.
You are not alone.
You are loved.
There is hope.
And this is exactly what our organization, To Write Love On Her Arms, or TWLOHA, is all about.
TWLOHA is a national organization dedicated to spreading hope to people struggling with mental illness, including depression, suicidal thoughts/ideation, self-injury, and addiction. The organization all started back in 2006 with a story written by Jamie Tworkowski, titled “To Write Love On Her Arms.” Jamie shared his story about his friend who struggled with addiction, depression, self-injury, and suicidal thoughts. Jamie raised money to help pay for his friend’s treatment costs. From his story, hundreds of people reached out to Jamie, wondering how they could get help. Thus, TWLOHA was born.
Since then, the organization has grown tremendously and is present at campuses across the country, including here at CMU. Just like the national organization, our CMU chapter works to spread the message of hope throughout campus and to the greater Mount Pleasant community. We host events, tabling sessions, and fundraisers in order to increase awareness and open up conversation about mental health topics.
Most importantly, TWLOHA at CMU stands for you. We are here to create a safe space for students to come and talk openly and honestly about their struggles so that we can help each other. We are here to give you hope and show you love.
As part of our chapter, we have amazing Executive Board members to lead us on our mission:
Raven Tipton, President
Allison Rolewicz, Vice President
Katie Weber, Secretary
Abby Shepard, Treasurer
McKenna Murphy, Social Media Manager
Ella Spratt-Szarzynski, Student Government Association Representative
If you are interested in being a part of our mission to spread hope, come to Anspach 156 on Thursday, October 10th, at 6:30pm. We meet every other Thursday at the same place and same time.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more updates as well.
In the meantime, if you need help, feel free to reach out to us through email (twlohacmich@gmail.com) or the CMU Counseling Center by phone (989-774-3381), email (counsel@cmich.edu), or in person (Foust Hall 102).
With hope,
TWLOHA CMU