Changing the conversation about mental health
We see it every day in the headlines: “The Hidden Mental Health Crisis in America’s Schools.” “Everyone One Must Confront Our Mental Health Crisis.” “Are We Facing a Campus Mental Health Epidemic?” Many of these publications are referring to a challenge many U.S. colleges and universities are facing today due to a mix of factors.…
For many, the holidays season is the best, most joyous time of the year. For others, it’s the opposite. Living with a mental illness is tough. And it’s even harder when you’re expected to be all happy and jolly, loving life with your friends and family. It’s hard to explain how an atmosphere of happiness…
“Woah. This is fire weather.” My partner says from our Santa Rosa, California stoop on October 8th, that fateful and tragic 75-degree Sunday night. The wind was ripping through the streets at 60 miles per hour. The enormous redwood trees around us were flailing wildly, as though they were made of rubber. We were kept…
Becky Fein is a member of the Active Minds Speakers Bureau. Bring her to your campus or organization to share her story. I was shocked at how long it took me to type the words “me too” into a status update on Facebook. For nearly a week I watched my social media feeds fill up…
It’s that point in the semester again. The pages of your agenda are filled with due dates of midterms, papers, and group projects. The amount of hours you sleep dwindles and the cups of coffee you consume skyrocket. You manage to go to your 9 am lecture while running on four hours of sleep…
One gesture and my day was ruined. One phrase and I would shut down. Images would flash to the forefront of my mind. I would stop talking. I would stay silent. In middle school, life is hardly bearable, but even then, I had a secret that made it worse. My brother died by suicide. This…
Check out our new checklist, created especially for parents of high school seniors and those with students already in college. The dream? That every parent gets a copy of Your Student at College: A Mental Health Checklist and takes the tips to heart! Share the checklist with all the parents you know. Each of the seven…
Nestled deep in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, the day is winding down, I am dozing and drifting surrounded by the sounds of the forest appreciating the moments of relaxation and reflection as I lay comfortably in my hammock on this late summer afternoon. It is mostly quiet here in the midst of the…