The Mask Whisperer

Part II In Part I of this series, I talked about a training I participated in at work called the Student Support Network. I discussed how many young adults are suffering from mental illness but now I want to talk about the WHY. Why are young adults struggling so badly these days? Is life really that different than when we were young? The answer to that is YES. In my training, I learned that there isn’t one reason that mental illness in young adults is on the rise. One theory as to why it feels so prevalent is due to the lack of stigma about mental health today in our culture. The shame of being depressed, having anxiety, or a learning disability is gone. Which is great! It means we’ve evolved. We've also gotten better at diagnosing and getting people the treatment they need. Which also begs the question, are more people having mental illness, or are we just better at diagnosing, perhaps even over diagnosing? We may never know. While de-stigmatization and absence ...

(Disclaimer: I am not a mental health professional. I'm sure professionals in this arena would have a lot to add but this blog is commentary based on a training I took part in at work. I don't claim to have all the answers or knowledge, it's just commentary and opinion. This is a two part blog because I had so much to say about this topic that I broke it into two parts. Part II will dive into the "why" kids are struggling with mental illness.) Part 1:  I recently had a great opportunity at work to participate in a training called the Student Support Network. The training was developed at WPI and is used by many colleges across the nation. It was initially created for students, including resident hall assistants, to teach them how to be an effective support system for their fellow students. To learn warning signs of mental illness/suicide, and how to connect friends to support resources like the counseling center if necessary. It was developed in response ...