On Monday I went to the Table Talk about “The Stigma about Mental Illness”. Going into the event, we had been required to read about an artist, who was part of the movement to break the stigma surrounding it, by depicting different mental health disorders with bright colors and overlapping positive and negative imagery. I was surprised by how much these images spoke to me. Even without a defined illness, you can still have moments where you portray yourself differently from how you feel. This was depicted for example in the painting pieces of a woman, dressed in pearls and baking, combined with pieces of geometric designs, contrasting against the put-togetherness of the woman.

As we continued the discussion, an emphasis was put on the ways to combat or help with these mental situations. It shocked me to hear from the others that at Cornell starting counseling takes almost 3 weeks, while in the meantime Cornell Health is willing to prescribe medications ahead of the initial appointment with a counselor. The benefits of Vitamin D were also discussed in helping with seasonal depression disorders.

This talk helped shed a light on how everyone is maybe dealing with their own stuff and so while you may not realize it you are hardly ever alone in how you feel. Now it is just a matter of realizing that receiving care can be just as important as for when you break a bone and without the stigma.