The Current 2020

September 22, 2020 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 5 Features Suicide Prevention Month September is Suicide Prevention Month, and suicide is a serious matter that individuals should always seek to understand. In addition, Suicide Prevention Month is designated to bring as much awareness to the subject as possible and let those who may be struggling know that there are people who care and can help. Scott Poland, a licensed psychologist and professor is the director of the NSU Suicide and Violence Prevention Office, was directly impacted by suicide when he was 25 years old and lost his father. He became more familiar with the subject when he worked as a psychologist and learned that there are many myths and misperceptions when it comes to suicide and it is not inherited or destiny. At one moment, someone may see their life as a blur of never-ending problems, but then later, they may see hope. Poland said that it is important to understand that, “at the foundation is untreated mental illness” and that’s what we need to bring awareness to. Many may be silently suffering from pain and that affects their ability to find hope. It’s important to be aware of certain behaviors that can potentially be warning signs of suicide. These signs may include statements about death, either verbally or written, giving away prized possessions and hopelessness for the future. “Most [people] don’t know the warning signs and are afraid to bring up the subject,” said By: Bella Ameiorsano Contributing Writer Poland. That’s when it becomes vital to say something directly. When asking someone about suicidal thoughts, there may be a concern that mentioning the subject may put a negative idea in their head. However, Poland says that we need to be able to talk about it more -- it may be frightening to mention the subject to one who is struggling, but it shows that there is a support system out there. NSU works year-round to prevent suicide and can lend a helping hand to those that need it. Starting this year, every freshman in the UNIV 1000 course will complete a suicide prevention training module, and there will be training for instructors as well. When it comes to preventing suicide, people need to stay connected. “Suicide is the second leading cause of death for college students [because] isolation is a significant factor in suicide. It’s not always about treatment, but about information,” said Poland. Suicide is one of the major causes of death, not just among college students, but among people all around the world. NSU is doing everything they can to bring awareness this month. For more information, check out the NSU Student Care Team at nova. edu/studentcare or call (954)-262-7482. Additionally, the NSU Center for Student Counseling and Wellbeing is available at (954)-262-7050. For their 24/7 hotline, call (954)-424-6911. That time I… had a mental breakdown One thing that I’ve learned is that we shouldn’t shy away from talking about mental health. Being open and honest about mental health is especially important right now when so many people are feeling even more isolated and depressed. I’ve always tried to be as open and helpful as possible when people are discussing mental health issues, because I’ve been there. I want to make it clear that I am in no way a mental health professional, and everything I mention throughout this article is my personal experience with mental health issues. In my second year of high school, I had a mental breakdown. When the words “mental breakdown” are uttered, many people think of it like a quick snap. Maybe an hour of screaming and crying, maybe, or throwing things around the room. Many people think of mental breakdowns as a fewmoments in our lifetime of uncontrollable and wild emotions. While mental breakdowns can manifest in that form, mine was a slow, quiet drag over the timespan of weeks. There were a number of things which spurred it and not a single quick fix solution. Believe me, I tried many. The biggest thing about mental health is that it doesn’t look the same for everyone. Mine wasn’t crazy, loud or wild. I wore the same clothes for days on end and hardly brushed my hair. I physically couldn’t eat anything because everything made me feel sick. I was tired and crying all the time. Some days, I just didn’t get out of bed. At some of the lowest points, I really thought I was dying. It wasn’t until those moments that I really thought what I was going through was a mental health crisis. I thought that having a mental breakdown only looked one certain way. There wasn’t one single thing that caused this break, but rather a culmination of all the stressors in my life at that time. I’ve always considered myself an anxious person, but it was the first time I was really coming to terms with all of the things going on around me. It just felt too overwhelming. Just like there wasn’t one single problem, there wasn’t one single solution either. I saw a lot of doctors, started going to therapy and saw my high school guidance counselor on a daily basis. I started taking prescribed medication for anxiety and started trying to focus more on things that made me happy instead of sad or stressed. I took a lot of walks, watched a lot of cartoons and found new music that I enjoyed. Mostly, though, I talked about it. It took a while because while I genuinely wanted to get better -- it’s hard to admit when you’re feeling so messed up and defeated. When I started talking about it, I was surprised. It wasn’t a burden, and even though I was met with some confusion about my problems from some people, others were willing to listen to me and understood what I was going through. The more I talked about how I was feeling, the more I found that there was a whole group of people who cared for and supported me, anxiety and all. There’s a lot going on in the world right now, and sometimes, it feels hard to fight the urge to just stay in bed and ignore it all. There’s still a lot of stigma surrounding mental health, but in these unprecedented times, it’s especially important to emphasize that your mental health is worthy of your time and attention. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, I urge you to reach out to someone, whether that be a friend, family or a mental health professional. By: Sofia Gallus Arts & Entertainment Editor PRINTED WITH PERMISSION BY S. GALLUS The daily regimen. Stop the stigma.

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