Handle With Care

for change, calls into question our willingness
to take legitimate action.
Statesman urges students to exercise
restraint when using mental health nomenclature
in everyday speech; there
are far better alternatives to joking
about mental illness as a means to cope.
Professional attention is necessary in
order to properly address mental health
challenges. A clinical diagnosis, prescription
medications, therapy and other
methods of professional treatment
mental disorders.
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health services to all Stevenson students,
the administration’s message can
get lost in translation. Often, there exists
the misconception among students
that mental health resources should
only be accessed under the most severe
circumstances—when you risk being
harmed, harming yourself or harming
others. Other times, the perception that
mental healthcare will compromise
one’s academic or social life deters students
from seeking treatment.
We have made progress in normalizing
the reality of mental illness, but we
have yet to normalize open discussion
about mental health in a serious light.
Statesman calls on students to take responsibility
for their own mental health
and access the resources made available
to them. Ultimately, we understand
ourselves best; rather than resorting to
self-diagnosis and averting treatment,
we must learn to acknowledge when
we need external assistance. In an institution
as privileged as Stevenson, students
have countless avenues to wellness,
including peer tutors, freshman
mentors and Student Support Teams.
Counselors, social workers and psychologists
shouldn’t exist as a last resort.
It is important to let others know that
seeking help is not a sign of weakness.
Statesman encourages students to stay
connected with their friends and loved
ones so that students may confront
mental health challenges together rather
than trivialize or internalize their
struggles. Even as social expectations
discourage students from communicating
their problems, encouragement
from peers can help hold students accountable
for their own mental health.
Addressing the devaluation of mental
illness while simultaneously allowing
for the serious discussion of mental
health isn’t an easy task. How can we
normalize mental illness without romanticizing
it? Only through authentic
representation and open discourse can
we develop a more holistic understanding
of mental health, and only through
personal accountability and mutual
support can we develop lasting solutions.
Although we’ve come a long way,
we still have a long way to go.
CARTOON BY FIONA JIN
www.statesmanshs.org •
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