I really want one of those dainty sideways crosses for Valentine’s Day. You know the ones that are super popular and so so pretty? They symbolize something really important to me. I also expect to be able to take a nap and be swooned a little bit. It’s a luxury and a privilege to banter…
This is part 2 of a two-part series on eating disorders. It can often be confusing to know the difference between disordered eating and eating disorders. Though the two sound very similar, they have very different meanings and effects on those that exhibit the signs of each. Disordered eating is not a diagnosable mental illness,…
This is part 1 of a two-part series on eating disorders. It can certainly be difficult when a loved one is struggling with an eating disorder. We often find ourselves not knowing what to say or do. All we want to do is help, but we can become so afraid of saying or doing the…
Raise your hand if you’re a mental health advocate who struggles to prioritize your own mental health. If you don’t relate to the above statement, I am honestly so incredibly happy for you. But if you can relate, I want you to know that you aren’t alone. Being a mental health advocate is really hard…
For many, the holidays season is the best, most joyous time of the year. For others, it’s the opposite. Living with a mental illness is tough. And it’s even harder when you’re expected to be all happy and jolly, loving life with your friends and family. It’s hard to explain how an atmosphere of happiness…
I’m a fairly stubborn person. I always have been. I literally taught myself how to tie my shoelaces when I was little because I wouldn’t let anyone else help me. I mean, I was that hard-headed… Recently, I withdrew from my capstone class (you know, that one specific class I need to graduate) a day…
Recommendations from the healthiest campuses in the country. Over the past three years, Active Minds students around the country have successfully advocated for mental health to be given equal priority as physical health by impacting leave of absence policies and insurance plans, adding mental health services to course syllabi and other initiatives. Additionally, through the…
It’s that point in the semester again. The pages of your agenda are filled with due dates of midterms, papers, and group projects. The amount of hours you sleep dwindles and the cups of coffee you consume skyrocket. You manage to go to your 9 am lecture while running on four hours of sleep and…
Changing the conversation about mental health is hard! Your plans to hold a suicide prevention or mental health event on campus or at a workplace, for example, may be disturbing to some people or make them uncomfortable. No doubt about it, talking about mental illness and suicide can be difficult, but it’s also necessary to…
Everyone has advice for you when you first go to college: Avoid taking 8 am classes. Go to every class. Learn how to resolve conflicts with roommates. Don’t schedule more than an hour between classes. etc. etc. Freshman year was hard for me. I had moved out of state, was going to a school where…
Active Minds is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization promoting mental health awareness and education for young adults.