Mental Illness Awareness Week

This week – October 2 through October 8, 2022 – is Mental Illness Awareness Week. This week was established in the United States in 1990 to recognize efforts by the National Alliance on Mental Illness to educate and increase awareness about mental illness. 

Bluefield University’s Counseling and Wellness Services director Emily Cook and her interns, Hannah Ingo and Katelyn Goins, have a few things planned for this week. 

Monday, October 3, they will collaborate with Dr. Rob Merritt, professor of English, and Invitation to Inquiry to present a movie called “The Green Book” at the Granada Theater. It is a great way to relax, be with friends, and watch a movie. 

Tuesday, October 4, will be the National Day of Prayer for Mental Illness Recovery and Understanding. There will be a time for everyone on campus to come together and pray for those who have had a mental illness or are currently battling mental illness. 

Wednesday, October 5, is Employee Wellness Day, and organizers are collaborating with Jordan Dillon, who oversees the BU Employee Wellness Program. This program will focus on the power of play because play can help relieve stress, refresh your mind and body, increase energy, decrease burnout, and increase creativity.  

Participants will have opportunities for play, including bubbles, Play Doh, sidewalk chalk, Rubik’s cubes, fidget toys, and more. There will also be yoga and a hike on the campus trail led by Hannah Thacker. They will also have different wellness giveaways, including stickers, journals, stress balls, and more. Ingo and Goins will also make some reels to post on @bu_bewell to help educate and decrease the stigma of mental illness.

For more information or to follow the events happening during Mental Illness Awareness Week, follow @bu_bewell on Instagram.

According to Psychiatry.org, mental illnesses are health conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking, or behavior (or a combination of these). Mental illnesses are associated with distress and/or problems functioning in social, work, or family activities. 

Unfortunately, there is a universal stigma around mental illness, and it often comes from a lack of understanding or fear. Cook was asked how we can reduce the stigma around mental illness, and she had this to say.

“I have seen a massive difference in the way this generation talks about mental illness versus my generation or my parents’ generation,” Cook said. “The biggest difference I see is how openly people talk about mental illness. Everyone has mental health, and everyone must be taking steps to prioritize their mental health in the same way they would take care of their physical health. If we can continue to talk openly and honestly about mental health bravely, it will help other people realize they are not alone. It is a sign of strength to reach out for help and support.”

Cook added that education is another massive piece of reducing the stigma; numbers and statistics show that mental illness is present not just on our campus, but in our community, which can sometimes help us not feel so alone. 

“Let’s normalize mental health conditions in the same we would normalize physical health conditions,” Cook said. “If someone is physically sick, we would want them to do whatever it takes to get them better – let’s do the same for mental health.” 

Ingo, BU’s counseling intern, shared her opinion on how to cope with different mental illnesses.

“Honestly, I feel it depends on the person,” Ingo said. “My go-to answer is always self-care, which can look different for everyone. A professor of mine, Brandy Smith, changed my viewpoint on self-care by explaining that the goal of it is to create a life we do not want to escape from. For some, that may look like taking a walk outside daily to clear their minds, taking a shower at the end of the day, reading a book, etc. With this said, I find giving yourself grace and loving yourself are the best coping skills.”

Ingo also shared her own personal struggle with mental illness.

“I am clinically diagnosed with depression and PTSD,” she said. “In all honesty, I considered dropping out of grad school during my first semester because I was seeking counseling for myself. I thought, ‘How can I become a counselor if I have my own baggage to deal with?’. During our first weekend of in-person classes, our professors told us that as future counselors, it is essential that we seek counseling for ourselves before taking on this level of work. I wish I could accurately describe the relief I felt upon hearing this. Since then, continuing in the counseling program has been a life-changing experience for my mental health journey. I have learned to set boundaries without apologizing, listen to my mind and body when I need a break, and develop a continuous self-care journey. I can confidently say this has profoundly affected my healing and allows me to work with clients in an ethical, safe, and healthy mindset.”

Another intern for BU’s Counseling Services, Goins, shared how she has witnessed mental illnesses impact the people around her.

“Mental illness doesn’t only impact the person diagnosed with it, but it can also have a strong emotional effect on those closest to them,” Goins said. “My grandmother struggled with depression, and when I was younger I witnessed how her mood and thoughts often impacted my grandfather. When she experienced a depressive episode, you could usually tell in her spirit how she lost interest in activities and through the words she spoke. I witnessed my grandfather feeling hopeless and deeply saddened by how he wanted to help my grandmother.” 

As a counseling intern, Goins also shared what she would tell a student on campus with mental illness who thinks the illness makes them less than others.

“I would tell them that mental illness doesn’t define who they are as a person,” Goins said. “They have so many great qualities that make them unique. Their mental illness doesn’t determine who they are as a whole. I would tell them that they are still students, someone’s son or daughter, someone’s friend and that they matter. I would say to them that they are still them and that it doesn’t change who they are deep down. I would tell them that asking for help and confiding in someone when they have these thoughts is also essential.” 

If you are struggling with mental illness, reach out to Cook, the director of Counseling and Wellness Services, at ecook@bluefield.edu to schedule a session. If you need to talk to someone immediately, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. For emergencies, call 911.