I try to avoid the news, and this is why. It pisses me off. Students suffering anxiety issues have been stigmatized by the NYTimes’ blog “Well” for putting a strain on college mental health treatment centers. Putting a strain? These young adults are already stressed enough, and now, this Hoffman blogger is saying students suffering anxiety issues are a BURDEN?
Todd Essig, in his article on Forbes, rightly calls out the NYTimes for improperly categorizing and misrepresenting students seeking treatment for mental health issues. As Essig points out, nowhere in the article does it mention effective treatments that work to help students. Instead, the NYTimes talks about these ridiculous “stress kits” the University of Central Florida is handing out which include EFFING CRAYONS, like these were kindergarteners who have a boo-boo, and they’re packaged like it’s a McDonald’s happy meal.
The NYTimes blog post really got my blood boiling when they quoted a Dr. Jones as saying, “A lot are coming to school who don’t have the resilience of previous generations.” Excuse me? Are you seriously telling me that, somehow, previous generations didn’t get as stressed out as mental health sufferers today? Let me give you a reality check, Dr. Jones.
Students (or anyone) suffering anxiety or other mental health issues are no different from previous generations. The circumstances are different, there are different factors in today’s world, but people are NO DIFFERENT. You think those during WWII or the civil rights movement didn’t suffer from incredible amounts of stress? You know why you haven’t heard much about anxiety disorders or mental health issues from those times? IT’S BECAUSE PEOPLE DIDN’T TALK ABOUT IT. Most people growing up, like my dad, were told to “suck it up” and put on a brave face. You were considered weak for having psychological issues. So they didn’t talk about it.
The dialogue surrounding mental health has become much more open in the past decade, though there is still a stigma around disorders and mental illness. But we’ve come a long way. It’s not a bad thing that more people are seeking treatment. I think the world would be a much better place if more people focused on their mental and physical health and got treatment when they needed it, or even got precautionary treatment and educated themselves about mental illness. There would be a lot more understanding, and quite frankly, the world would be a better place.
In case you missed it earlier in this blog post, here’s the link to Essig’s article “Anxious College Students Unfairly Stigmatized By Inaccurate NY Times Article.” Please read both articles thoroughly. Don’t take my word for it. I’m not an expert in journalism or psychology, but I’m working towards becoming a knowledgeable source for mental health issues. I hope you find both articles as interesting as I did.
What did you think of this article? Have you ever sought help from a student mental health center, or do you know someone who has? How was their experience? How available were the services? Leave a comment in the section below. Comments are always appreciated!