Thursday is Mental Health Awareness Day. St. Thomas University will be celebrating it with popcorn, a five-cent psychiatrist booth, a fortuneteller and sharing stories of mental illness.
Positive Mental Health Champion Lindsay Gallagher said both JDH and GMH will be filled with information on different mental illnesses, positive mental health and resources.
“Students should get involved because mental health is something that affects everyone. Knowing where to go for someone to talk to or getting tips for how to stay healthy are important,” said Gallagher.
After the activities throughout the day, in Kinsella auditorium at 7 p.m. there will be a panel featuring students, staff and faculty sharing their stories of living with mental illnesses. A professional will also be there to talk about treatments and resources.
Gallagher said people are willing to tell their stories.
“Some students approached me to ask if they could be on the panel. Everyone involved is really open about their mental illness and want to talk about it to show other students that they are not alone and that they can have a positive life while dealing with a mental illness.”
Gallagher said she hopes students and staff participate in the events.
“My ultimate goal for the day is for students to realize that they are not alone in their fears, feelings and anxieties and that there is nothing wrong with them,” she said. “They are not broken and they have nothing to be ashamed of. There are people who understand what they are going through and want to help them. It’s okay to talk about it, in fact, talking about it helps.”
