More TWLOHA-WU

One final post about Washburn's TWLOHA u-chapter. I just wanted to share about our final event of the year - the Love Moves 5k. This was the third year TWLOHA-WU has hosted this event and all money, aside from raffle tickets, was donated to the national organization.

We had about 25 people participate and raised over $550 for To Write Love On Her Arms to use to continue to help those struggling.

Below are some photos from the event

 Photo Credit: Hayley Harris

 Photo Credit: Paul Kirkwood

 Photo Credit: Rachel Proffitt

 Photo Credit: Murray Heikes

  Photo Credit: Murray Heikes

 Photo Credit: Murray Heikes

The Genetics Debate

There is a lot of back and forth about whether or not mental health issues can be considered hereditary. My own opinion on the matter is yes, some mental health issues have a genetic cause. But that shouldn't be considered the ONLY cause. Many other factors are at play. Usually if an issue runs in your family, it can mean that you have a greater predisposition to it, but you may not see any symptoms until something triggering happens in your life.

When I was growing up my mom never mentioned her battles with depression or her father's battle. When she finally did tell me about it she said, "I didn't want you guys to inherit my bad genes." That was hard to hear because she shouldn't have had to feel that way. I think she knows now that it's okay to talk about her struggles. But her fear of talking to my sister and I is what started to raise my awareness of the stigma around the topic.

If you are a parent, I want you to know that it is okay to talk to your kids about mental health and you shouldn't feel like you have let them down by passing on your genes. Everyone's chemical makeup is different and they are going to have their own experiences with it and the more you talk about it the less taboo it becomes for them and the younger generation as a whole.

Outreach On Campus

Finals are approaching rapidly and that can mean that increased stress levels are starting to make an appearance throughout college campuses. TWLOHA at Washburn wants to make sure everyone is still practicing self care. We were thinking of ways that we could spread that message on campus and came up with the idea to make little baggies to hand out with a variety of stress relievers in them. Things like stress balls, chocolate, positive quotes, bubbles, etc. 

We are going to be tabling in the union during success week from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. If you are a Washburn student and are in need of some self care help, please stop by! 

Here's some photos from other tabling events we have done in the past:

 Photo Credit: Rachel Proffitt

 Photo Credit: Rachel Proffitt

 Photo Credit: Monica McDougal

 Photo Credit: Rachel Proffitt

Photo Credit: Monica McDougal

Language: What To Say

I've written one blog post already about how to be a friend and one that briefly touched on being aware of what language you use, but I came across this article that kind of sums the two up very nicely. It provides some good examples of responses that would be more harmful than good and also gives some good pointers on how to better respond when someone opens up to you.

Click here to give it a read.

Positive Affirmations

I saw this video about a year ago and it's adorable, but also comes with a good message. Some days are going to be harder than others and that's okay, but if you can get yourself up and say a list of 10 positive things about your life, it's going to make those rough days a little bit easier and those good days even better. Enjoy!

An Interesting Read On Stigma

I was reading up on some mental health blogs and came across this post that discusses the stigma associated with mental health on the professional level. She talks about how even doctors can suffer from "mental health stigma" and her experiences dealing with that along her journey.

I can relate with her a bit. When I first went to talk to a doctor, it did not go well and he made me feel ashamed and even like I was lying. It turned me away from seeking any other kind of professional help for at least a year.

I think this is a good example of how much more work we can do to try and decrease that stigma.

Check out the blog post here

It's The Little Things

I was walking on campus the other day and someone gave me a compliment on my hair. I had no clue who the person was, but it still put a smile on my face and drastically improved my mood. Even though I change my hair up quite a bit, I still get anxious about what other people will think of it so when I get compliments like that, it makes me a bit more confident as well.

At a TWLOHA meeting recently, we challenged the group to give a compliment to someone on campus throughout the week. The message in this is that you never know what another person is going through and giving out that compliment could make their day.

We also tried to make a point that it doesn't have to be about physical appearance. Maybe you had a class with them and you really agreed with something they said or maybe you notice that they have a band logo on their laptop and you want to tell them they have great taste in music. Even just pointing out how nice the weather is one day can cause them to notice the sunshine more so than usual.

So I challenge you to be more aware of people you walk by on campus or at work and hand out some compliments!

A classmate of mine is making a Random Act Of Kindness Week and I think it's a great idea. If you're interested in checking that out click here!

First Podcast

As an assignment for one of my classes, we were instructed to make a podcast with one other classmate. I had never done one before, but I really enjoyed making it! We each covered our top five tips for mental, physical, and emotional well being. A lot of the things talked about in the podcast I have made blog posts about but if you're someone who prefers listening to reading, I urge you to check it out!

Listen Here

Self Care

Last week at our TWLOHA meeting, we discussed self care. This is a reoccurring theme with the topic of mental health, but for good reason! Taking care of yourself should be number one on your priority list!

Mental well being is what I focus on on this blog, but it's important to make sure you are physically well too. If you want to get read more about taking care of yourself physically I encourage you to check out Lauren's blog (link on the side of the page) or click here.

Feeling great physically can do wonders for yourself mentally, even if it's just making sure you get enough sleep each day. As a college student, that is a constant struggle for me but trying to work on little things like that helps with my stress levels and puts me in a better mood. Kassidy's blog does a great job of incorporating both physical and mental well being and I suggest giving it a read! The link is also on the side of the page or you can click here.

Some ways to actively practice self-care:

Photo Credit: Google images

In The News Again

This article is an interesting read. It covers the topic of mental health services on college campuses. More colleges and universities are recognizing the need for these services but taking action is costing the students more money. Overall though, it's great that institutions are seeing this need and realizing the positive outcomes that can come from providing adequate services. I think it does a good job of raising awareness and also touches on the stigma associated with mental health over the years and how it affects students' use of these services.

Here's a quick figure from the article in case you don't have time to read the whole thing. 

Photo Credit: The Wall Street Journal

How To Be A Friend

Having a friend come to you and share that they aren't doing well can bring on many emotions. You care about this person and you don't want to see them struggle. You want to be able to help out but how?

Take the time to listen. It's a simple answer, but it's effective. Chances are, you aren't a trained psychologist or counselor. You may not know how to fix what's wrong, but you can listen. They've come to you because they trust you and value your friendship. Be present in that conversation with them. Offer to help them in the ways you are able. A lot of the time, that can be something as simple as helping them look some options for help or even walking with them to an appointment. Most importantly, let them know that what they are feeling is valid and that they are not alone.

What if you suspect something is wrong, but they haven't reached out to you?

This is a tricky one. I don't feel like there is one right answer to this because each of your friendships are unique and what may help with one person may not for another. If you notice that a friend might be struggling with something, make an effort to start that conversation. Even just asking how their day/week/month is going can help them see that someone is genuinely interested in how they are feeling. 

As always though, keep your own mental health in mind. Sometimes friends can share a lot with you and it can get pretty heavy. It's okay to say that maybe you aren't in a position, or maybe not even in a mental state yourself, to be able to help them but there are so many resources you can direct them to. Find out what counseling services are in your area. If you're on a college campus, there is most likely free services to student that they are already paying for in their tuition. 

For those in the Topeka area and/or attending Washburn University, this is the counseling staff on campus and they are more than willing to help! They are located in Henderson 111.

Photo Credit: Washburn University

Ways To Help: The Trevor Project

There are many organizations that exist solely to raise awareness and help those struggling with their mental health. To Write Love On Her Arms is one of course. If I were to make a list of every single one, it would take quite some time, but I did want to point out one that I became familiar with over the last year.

The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24. One thing I really like about this organization is that they have a 24/7 hotline. So literally whenever someone may need help, counselors are there.

All photos belong to The Trevor Project's official Facebook page 

I was introduce to The Trevor Project through YouTuber, Tyler Oakley. For the past few years for his birthday, he has asked his subscribers to donate to the foundation instead of sending him fan mail and/or gifts. This year he was able to raise over $500,000. There's something really great about seeing someone who knows they have the ability to reach a lot of people and is able to take advantage of that in a positive way.

I encourage you to check our their website HERE to read some more about them and what they do. If you can't donate but still want to help, SHARE! Post about it, talk about it with your friends and family, etc. Just starting that conversation can reach so many people!

Community

People need other people.

I mentioned that saying in an earlier blog post. It's one of the most important concepts to grasp in my opinion. It's very important that you have other people in your life that you cant turn to when something happens. Whether that something is good or bad, being able to talk about it with another person or group of people helps you process it. They are your community.

Not all communities are good though. The difference between a good a bad community can be explained by answering one question: Why are these people in my life?

You want to keep a community that pushes you in a positive way, that wants to see you be the best version of yourself, and that makes you feel better after being around them. Think of the reasons you hang out with these people. What commonalities are shared across the group? Are your shared interests things that are healthy or unhealthy for you?

Spotting a bad community can be difficult, especially if it's some of the people you are closest to. To give an example, I've had friends in the past that, even though we got along great, the habits that were being formed and encouraged weren't the best. It's hard to remove yourself from a group you've become so close with but ALWAYS be keeping in mind your well being. If you are going to be in a better place mentally without those people, it is completely okay to let yourself move on.

It's also not good to solely invest yourself in just one community. Not everyone is going to get along 100% of the time so if things start getting tense in one group, you might need other people to turn to. Same goes for sharing your entire self and story with just one person. That's not healthy for either party. It's great to talk about your story and it deserves to be heard, but think of WHO deserves to hear it.

Again, people need other people. Make sure you have some good communities in your life and don't feel guilty removing the negative. 

Counseling Services In Topeka

Being Vulnerable

A while back, I got really into TED talks and stumbled across this one by Brene Brown. Her talk deals with vulnerability and I think what makes her message really stick with you is that she is in fact being vulnerable herself throughout the talk. She opens up about her struggles with coming to some of these conclusions. It's a lengthy video but worth every second.

Obviously the video focuses mostly on embracing vulnerability and that it's okay to not be okay. But she also strongly pushes the idea of embracing happiness and truly believing that you deserve the good times. Good or bad, embracing those feelings is healthy. 

In the News

I was looking for some news stories pertaining to mental health, specifically here in Kansas, and came across this one about needing more funding for help and resources in schools. Personally I think the earlier we can educate and provide resources for someone, the better. Especially when kids get to the middle school/high school age, it can help them better understand what they might be going through.

***Trigger warning for this news article though. It does briefly talk about a young girl's battle with her own mental health. I always want to stress that the most important thing is to take care of yourself. So if that isn't something that you think you could handle reading, please don't.***

To Write Love On Her Arms

Since I may reference TWLOHA in the future, I wanted to provide a little more information about it. Especially the UChapters program and Washburn University's involvement.

Twloha's founder, Jamie Tworkowski, put this whole thing in motion with a single story posted on myspace (originally). You can now find it here on twloha's website. After he posted that story about his friend Renee, he received many responses of people in similar situations or people who knew someone that needed help. And after a while, twloha became a non-profit organization. This started in 2006 and this provides an excellent look at just how much they have accomplished since then. One major acheivement was in 2011 when they were awarded $1 million from Chase at the American Giving Awards. 

Twloha's mission statement:

To Write Love On Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. Twloha exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.

Twloha Links:

Official Website (my description here is very brief and summarized so I suggest going here to get a more in depth look at what the organization is about)

Facebook

Twitter

Tumblr

UChapters:

The UChapters program is a network of student organizations on college and university campuses that exists to embody the mission and vision of To Write Love on Her Arms. Through organized meetings and events, each chapter serves as a voice of inspiration and support for students and their surrounding communities.

Twloha-Wu is in it's fourth year as a student organization and we are continuously working on reaching out to as many people as possible. We cover a different mental health topic each month. Meetings vary from discussion based to speakers to community building activities to occasional potlucks. If you are interested, we meet Thursdays at 5 p.m. in the LLC Blair Room.

This is a photo of some members of twloha-wu with founder, Jamie Tworkowski this past summer at the UChapters conference. (Photo by: Molly Walter)

Twloha-Wu links

Facebook

Twitter

Tumblr

Stigmas and Stereotypes

Firstly, I want to point out that the words stigma and stereotype don't exactly have the same definition. A stereotype is a simplified, overgeneralized opinion formed about a person, group of people, or idea. It can be positive or negative and is generally widely accepted by society. A stigma is when someone views a person or idea in a negative way because of a certain characteristic(s). Essentially, it is a negative stereotype.

Mental illnesses have become such a taboo topic in today's society because of the stigmas associated with them. And it is often one of the biggest reasons people don't seek the help they need. Recipients of a mental illness diagnosis can often be called crazy, lose friends (or family), be seen as unstable, etc. and dealing with that can be almost as hard as the mental health issue itself. It can influence the way the person sees themselves. They start to feel that they are the illness rather than a person. It can dehumanize them.

So what do you do if you're being stigmatized by the people around you?

1. The number one thing is to still get the treatment you need. This is incredibly important. Treatment can help you handle the stresses. It can show you that someone cares and you aren't alone. 
2. Which brings me to the point of having a support group or community. Whether that's your friends or family, or others going through the same thing. It's important not to isolate yourself and to know that you're not alone.
3. Don't let your mental health or the stigmas associated with it define who you are. You are so many other things than just depression or just anxiety or just ADHD or just addiction. The list can go on and on.

Now, how do we begin to decrease the stigma?

1. Most importantly, become educated. The more you know, the easier it is to talk about.
2. Don't be afraid to start a conversation. The more mental health is talked about, the less taboo and stigmatized it becomes. And people begin to feel more okay about openly discussing it.
3. Language. Start reflecting on some of the language you use. For example, if someone is sad, don't immediately call them depressed. Or if someone is having mood swings, don't use the terms bipolar or crazy. This can tie into number one as well.

The DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) for mental disorders is constantly being updated but is typically only used by licensed psychologists or researchers. A link to a more publicly available list is below:

http://psychcentral.com/disorders/

This provides some information about various mental health disorders in order to become better educated.

Although this focuses on the stigmas around mental health, there are many other issues that can be applied. LGBTQIA individuals, the genders in general, social class, ethnicity, etc. I think it's important to recognize the stigmas and reflect on how we can begin to decrease them.

First Things First

Hi there! Rachel here and welcome to my blog! I'm a senior at Washburn University and just decided to change my major from forensic chemistry to mass media. It's quite the 180 but I'm much happier with the new choice and look forward to diving right in. I've lived in Topeka since I've been in college but I grew up a few hours south of here in Wichita. Now, more importantly, what will this blog be about?

I will be focusing on mental health awareness. Everything from decreasing the stigma to how to be a friend/loved one of someone who struggles to helpful resources. I am involved with the UChapters program of To Write Love On Her Arms here at Washburn and will probably be referencing them a lot throughout this blogging experience. This is something I have always been very passionate about and hits home on many levels. Mostly, I wanted to make this blog to continue to make mental health something that's less taboo in our society and let people know that it's completely okay to talk about. I think the more people know the less scared they feel to start the conversation.

To end this little introduction, I want to leave you with a saying that TWLOHA uses quite frequently:

"People need other people"