As Saint Mary’s students, we are so lucky to be surrounded by such a loving community. There are so many clubs and people looking out for the well being of each and every student, and Support a Belle, Love a Belle is no exception. This week is Saint Mary’s Mental Illness Awareness week, a week to show students suffering with mental illness that they are not alone. Mental illness awareness is not only important during Support a Belle, Love a Belle (SABLAB), but every day of every year. College students, especially women, are under so much pressure to begin with (worrying about impossible beauty standards, getting perfect grades, etc.) and adding a mental illness onto these stressors makes life even harder, and for some girls, seem impossible. Support a Belle, Love a Belle aims to make mental health a bigger and more talked about issue here at Saint Mary’s.
Many times our society places social stigmas and negative connotations on mental health and those who suffer from it. Awareness about the issue can educate the public and break these barriers so more people that are affected by it are encouraged to come forward and admit they have a problem in order to get the help they need. There are many different types of mental illness, and SABLAB acknowledges this with having each day be dedicated to an illness. The week raises awareness about depression, anxiety, ADD/ADHD, addiction and eating disorders. Because these issues are mental and often times don’t show external signs, they can be easy to hide, another reason it is so important for the public be aware of such illnesses. Your best friend or fellow classmate could be suffering, and without the knowledge of mental illnesses, there’s no way to reach out and help those in need. These issues are affecting students on college campuses across the country, and SABLAB’s goal is to address them on our own campus and give hope to those suffering.
I encourage you to get out there and partake in one or all of SABLAB’s awesome events happening this week! It’s an amazing feeling knowing we live in this great community with such a strong support system. There’s nothing like being a Belle, and SABLAB incorporates this spirit of sisterhood into mental health awareness so that as Saint Mary’s students, we know we have a support team behind us as we take on the struggle with mental health. So if you’re feeling down, think you may be suffering from a mental illness, or just want to support a great cause, visit SABLAB’s Facebook page and show your fellow Belles that you are there for them. Together we can work to stop stigmas surrounding mental illness and show those suffering that they are not alone, but rather have a huge support system ready to help them.