Mental Illness Isn't An Island: College Students Share Their Stories And Struggles
Mental illnesses, like depression and anxiety, are very common in the United States and internationally, but they come with an overwhelming stigma. In fact, a stigma so large that in a 2009 study surveying 2,000 people across Britain, the results showed people are more reluctant to reveal they have a mental illness than to come out as gay.
Despite mental illness being a social taboo, these nine students at the University of Leeds in the UK spoke about their journeys of dealing with illnesses like depression, OCD, anorexia, anxiety, and PTSD. In the video, the students discuss their symptoms, recovery, positives from the experience, and offer advice to anyone struggling with a mental illness.
“If you can find people that you can just talk to, it makes it easier. And you are definitely not alone. I know that sounds really cliché, but you’re not,” a student said.
“It’s very helpful to find whatever outlet you might have for expressing yourself and exploring that,” another student, said.
The video was created by Leeds University Union in the UK by members of its peer support student group, Mind Matters.
To further address the stigma, it should be noted that suffering from a mental illness is OK and you’re not alone. An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 19 and older suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. For more information about mental health diagnosis, symptoms, alternative therapy, and specific conditions, visit this site.
Watch the students share their stories: