The U of O’s seventh annual wellness week concluded on Jan. 22 and featured workshops and activities for students, staff and faculty at the university, as well as several contests.
Mental Health Awareness
“I think always being honest and always being open to whatever people have to tell me and being honest about synthesizing that information and bringing it forward. I don’t have a whip, I don’t have much power, but I do have people listening to me,” says Elizabeth Kristjansson, the University of Ottawa’s new advisor on mental health and wellness
“We want the conversation around mental health to be open, free, and welcoming — there shouldn’t be a stigma attached to discussing mental health, and you aren’t “weak” for opening up about your struggles,” says co-ordinator Terry Wang.
On behalf of the University’s administration, I want to respond to the recent letter to the editor concerning uOttawa’s mental health services.
Mental health affects us all. I personally know many students struggling with this issue every day, and I am terrified of the consequences that will occur because they weren’t able to receive adequate help.
Let’s agree once and for all that movies should lose the “killer mental patient” stereotype, and start listening to the true experiences of those suffering from mental illness.
It’s important to recognize that the current campaign serves to alienate members of the very community it proclaims to help.
What do you do to have a sex life while still living under your parents roof? Is your depression medication affecting your mojo? Dear Di knows.
It’s time for us to re-evaluate our preconceptions of what severe mental illness looks like, and to dismantle the notion that it has a homogenous appearance.
While these spherical lounge chairs might seem like something from the future—or Google—it’s about time post-secondary education woke up to the benefits of helping students nap on campus.
