Mental Health Issues' Needless Stigma

I am more willing to discuss my physical therapy experiences than talk about visiting my therapist.

I take comfort in seeing patients around me with similar concerns as I sit in the physical therapy exercise room, moving my hand through a sequence of prescribed motions in a basin of warm water. When I leave the Oakland office, sling holding my wrist against my chest, I feel a sense of solidarity when I pass someone with a cast enveloping his arm. Everyone can see my injury, and I feel comfortable, not embarrassed, explaining how my physical predicament came about.

But if you ask me how I felt when I first walked into that pastel-toned counseling office and deduced that the box of tissues next to the couch were for my expected tears- forget about it. Neither you nor my health insurance company will ever know.

So why is being asked how my wrist feels far less invasive than being asked how I feel?

During Mental Health Awareness Week last October, of the Berkeley students tested, 48 percent were found to have signs of depression. This number is further substantiated by MTV's "Half of Us" campaign, which asserts that nearly half of all college students were affected by depression last year. According to the national organization Active Minds, one out of every 12 college students has made a suicide plan, and at least 17 percent of college students have practiced some form of self-injurious behavior.

You might be thinking, "Come on, Sara, I hated Stat 2. What do these numbers mean?"

It means that we really aren't alone.

And I know you're out there, because it took me three weeks to get an appointment with a counselor through University Health Services.

But let's face it: The only place the Tang Center has a strong presence is at the Tang Center. I rarely see ads about Tang Center services on campus. I didn't know they had counseling until I needed it. Many students don't even know where the Tang Center is.

Despite Mental Health Awareness Week, Berkeley continues to lack an open and supportive environment for discussing mental health issues. Despite having students table for Student-to-Student Peer Counseling, the surrounding space remains empty, eyed by passing students who wish they could approach the table but worry about being associated with a mental health concern.

I am dissatisfied with the status of mental health services on this campus, as are the other members of Active Minds at Berkeley. We are tired of the stigmatization of mental illness that only serves to make treating psychological problems more difficult. And it's only though awareness of this stigma that perceptions and judgments surrounding mental illness can change.

Even though Active Minds is a fairly new organization on campus, we are adamant that these issues come to the forefront of college health debates. With education can come prevention, or at the very least, empowerment for those who need support. We hope to make other students aware of mental health concerns and to provide the resources they need to effectively seek help. Our plan is to provide these services through our Web site, as well as though an arts and entertainment event later this semester with the theme "States of Mind."

The problem is that many people are afraid to talk about these issues, let alone talk about having them personally.

It took weeks for me to finally make the phone call to book an appointment. It wasn't easy. Why? Because I am a Berkeley student.

Berkeley students come to this university aware of the rumors. Berkeley is competitive, unsympathetic, and for many students, it's far away from home. To be stressed at Berkeley is normal, as though there is no alternative in order to be a successful student. If you're not stressed, you're not working hard enough. If you are stressed, you just have to suck it up.

But this shouldn't be normal and it certainly isn't healthy.

No one is immune to mental health issues, and most often such problems are due to factors beyond our control: Chemical imbalances, environment, misfortune. Depression is not a sign of weakness, nor should it be ignored. For there to be such a prevalence of mental illness on college campuses attests to the need for a change in the systems in place.

Active Minds wants such an improvement for Berkeley. With your help this campus might become a more empowering environment for us all.

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