As college students, we experience many things all at the same time. Balancing school work with clubs, organizations, THON committees, sports, friends, a social life, eating, working out, taking care of our room, showering, etc. However, one thing seems to always fall behind; our mental health. As students and teenagers in general, the stress of balancing all of these things can take a toll. There is pressure to do well from everyone, from family, friends, your teachers, counselors, and wanting to be as successful as the students around you. This kind of stress and pressure leads to anxiety commonly and sometimes depression as well.
Mental health has touched everyone's life at some point, whether personal or someone you know.
It is a topic that has come a long way in our society, especially for millennials. One of the major issues that continues to be prevalent is stigma. For many people, if they cannot see the issue, then it is difficult for them to grasp. Being educated is one of the most important things we can do as a society to help stop the stigma and spread awareness for help. And while this topic may seem redundant because it has come up more recently than in the past, it is still important to emphasize.
Being a criminology major, issues like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have always interested me; how they happen, how it affects a person, what can be done to treat it, etc. But even the mental issues that some people tend to overlook because of the stigma like depression and anxiety also grabbed my attention. Why does this happen? Why does a mental health issue suddenly make people want to run the other way? While many celebrities that have mental health disorders, like Demi Lovato, have come forward to let fans and other people know that they are not alone, this still does not seem to be enough. People will still look at others with these illnesses as "crazy" or "weird", which can make the individual themselves feel embarrassed or ashamed, therefore making improvement difficult. So, as mental health illnesses go, there is a lot to talk about, but the basis of stigma is an important place to begin.
