“The stresses of college are difficult to cope with even when one is of sound mind and health. Add the stress of dealing with a severe mental illness and they can be downright unbearable. Research has shown that there is a rise in severe mental illness on campuses, said Shannon Schmidt, a doctoral candidate in the collaborative program for psychology study, as well as a counselor in training.”
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The stresses of college are difficult to cope with even when one is of sound mind and health. Add the stress of dealing with a severe mental illness and they can be downright unbearable.

Research has shown that there is a rise in severe mental illness on campuses, said Shannon Schmidt, a doctoral candidate in the collaborative program for psychology study, as well as a counselor in training. Over the past three years there has been an increase in people presenting with suicidal tendencies, major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder.

With the increase in mental deterioration, it is necessary to bring awareness to this issue and show that mental illness is not something that should be feared, but rather something people should recognize and understand.

Although the mentally ill are no longer thrown away in some rural looney bin, society is far from accepting instability as a disorder, rather than a character flaw.

I know sometimes people are concerned with a stigma; having a diagnosis associated with having a mental illness, said Juanita Martin, director at UA’s Center for Counseling, Testing and Career Planning. The first thing I’d want a person to do is to not get caught up in assuming there’s a stigma in terms of having a diagnosis. It’s better to know that you have this illness, to acknowledge it and to not feel badly about it but to go ahead and utilize the support system and follow through on the treatments that are needed to help you work with that disease.

Martin encourages students to utilize the free treatment provided by the Center for Counseling, Testing and Career Planning which is located in Simmons Hall. It is the primary facility in providing psychological care for University of Akron students.

Certainly, the center for Counseling, Testing and Career Planning is here to provide a support system for these students, Dr. Martin said. That’s our job. That is why we’re here. The ultimate goal is to help you get through school and succeed in a holistic manner.

The center for Counseling Testing and Career Planning offers psychological treatment and, if necessary, refers patients to an outside psychiatrist for further care.

The first appointment is called intake, and they speak with someone who will either counsel them or refer them elsewhere.

Another service available to students is the Clinic for Individual and Family Counseling, located in Carroll Hall. This clinic is provided for university students, their families and the surrounding community members.

Those struggling, or those who are close to someone struggling with mental illness, understand how difficult life can become when under the fist of disease. Schmidt highly recommends preventative help as a coping method.

Know yourself. If you feel yourself spiraling into a bad place, whatever that means for you, get that help, take that time, or do whatever you need to do in order to reduce that stress, Schmidt said. Get yourself to the point where you can do something before you fail.

Schmidt recommends five things for students who are under stress from school and have mental health issues: Eat right, maintain a regular sleep schedule, exercise, have a support system and develop an enjoyable hobby. She believes support from outside sources, however, is the most important of the five.

When you’re going through something, regardless of what it is, you need someone you can talk to and someone you can relate to, she said. I think that is one of the most important things of living in general.

Being the friend or family member of someone struggling with mental illness can be tiring and stressful. Those helping their loved ones may find themselves overcome, Schmidt said.

Trying to take on that person’s problems and trying to think you can fix that person’s problem is unhealthy for both people, Schmidt said. You maybe have to set some boundaries with friends. When it starts impacting your own personal life all the time; that is a problem. That is when you draw the line.

It is important that people recognize and identify severe mental illness as a disease, just like diabetes or cancer. Those struggling with disease should not hide their illness, but should address it and move on.

People really need to know that they aren’t alone but I think that, often times, they don’t want to tell anybody that they have an illness, Martin said. They shouldn’t be ashamed, but unfortunately society hasn’t come that far yet. That is why we’re here; to help you move forward.

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