Advocacy & Awareness
You Will
If thoughts come with wings and enter our minds from outside ourselves, conceived and born in a great nameless abyss that holds everything possible, good and bad, within it, that is how and from where my first thought of suicide, at age thirteen, came to me. It wasn’t the result of an equation I’d set…
What to Look For in a Mental Health Professional
A long struggle with an eating disorder and psychosis has given me a lot of experience with different kinds of mental health professionals. It took me 15 years to find a therapist that worked for me; it’s important to never give up trying to find the right one. Based on my experience, health care professionals…
Sexual Assault Awareness Month: How to Be There
According to RAINN, an American experiences sexual assault every 92 seconds. One of six women and 1 in 33 males have been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in their life. More specifically, younger people are at higher risk of sexual violence. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and nationwide, colleges are educating…
Survivors and the Long Road to Recovery
The recent losses of Parkland and Sandy Hook massacre survivors remind us that the long road to recovery requires a strong support system and community connectedness in order to survive the mental injuries of tragedy and loss. Our hearts and prayers are with these victims and their families today and always, but, that’s not enough….
#NEDAwareness Week: Lessons from Recovery
I stare at the walls of my room, covered in pictures yet somehow appearing blanker than ever before. Nights have always been comforting, a time where I am guaranteed to be alone and can linger aimlessly into nothingness. I am numb. The sound of my stomach growling is a lullaby to my ears, only to…
The First Anniversary of the Parkland Shooting: Recovery Is A Process
February 14, 2019 is the one-year anniversary of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida. It marks one year since 14 innocent students and 3 innocent teachers lost their lives to gun violence. It marks one year of nightmares and flashbacks for the surviving students, teachers, the MSD families, and the larger…
SMU Active Minds: Faces of Mental Health
Summer Moss, who brought an Active Minds chapter to her campus at Samuel Merritt University, shares insight on the ‘Faces of Mental Health’ video series produced at SMU this year. What inspired you all to produce this video series? In January we had a workshop around Self Care for the Healthcare Professional featuring the…
My Panic Attack Playlist
When my heart begins to race and my thoughts run cloudy with irrational and targeted thoughts, I often find myself reaching for my phone, for my music, for the songs I grouped into a category boldly labeled panic attack playlist. There are endless songs that can help one get through a panic attack, but when…
#NeedYouHere
This Valentine’s Day, let someone know you care. Buy a box of bracelets and share this beautiful message of hope with friends and family. Buy a box for your chapter, book club, teammates, coworkers, cousins, you name it! Buy a box of bracelets Post a photo of your bracelet and use the hashtag #NeedYouHere. Check…
Meet Sprinkles: Jenny’s Emotional Support Animal
The idea of having an animal living with you at school excites many students, because who wouldn’t want to have a pet at college? But my rabbit is not just my pet at school. He is my emotional support animal. Some may say that I’m just bringing my pet to school but I disagree. I…
Active Minds is the nation's premier nonprofit organization supporting mental health awareness and education for students.