I attended this Monday’s Table Talk about the stigma surrounding mental illness and how we can shift our perspectives and contribute to a more positive discourse. I had expected this talk to be more subdued than others I had been to in the past because of the sensitive subject matter, but I was wrong; on the contrary, this was one of the most active discussions I had participated in at such an event, and I left feeling satisfied and even optimistic. We discussed the use of art in destigmatizing mental illness, an idea which I found intriguing. Often, one hears about artists who have some mental illness and create beautiful art, such as Vincent Van Gogh. What surprised me about the art of Jennifer Ivanovic, the artist we discussed, was how she used art to show the internal state of someone with a mental illness.

While the discussion never turned too dark or personal, it was clear that everyone who attended had some prior experiences with the tolls mental illness can take, often through a friend or family member. Inevitably, the discussion also turned towards the mental health culture at Cornell. I found it interesting to hear other perspectives on the subject, since this is not often a discussion I have with people I know. I found that there was an interesting dichotomy between two ways Cornell students tend to express themselves under stress. Many people tend to assume a false persona that disguises whatever anxiety they may be feeling with a superficial happiness and sociability; the “everything is fine” response. On the flip side, something that I have noticed is that some people tend towards the other extreme and express sentiments that are more often associated with mental illness. While these statements are often conveyed in dramatic or humorous contexts, I often hear friends expressing morbid thoughts with a casual air that causes me to wonder whether I should be more concerned. While mental illness still faces unfortunate stigmatization, there is also a culture at Cornell that encourages students to overwhelm themselves and normalize extreme stress and anxiety which can hopefully be addressed as well through a more positive and open discourse.