What do you think of when you hear the words ‘mental illness’?

Quite possibly, the first word that came to your mind is ‘crazy.’ Labels like ‘crazy’ come from the negative stigmas associated with mental illness. Mental illness comes in many forms, and many people with mental illness function well.

Some examples of mental illness among college students are bipolar disorder, depression, eating disorders and schizophrenia. Students with mental illness may need extra support to be successful in school, but they are just as capable as their peers. It is very difficult to deal with mental illness, whether you are the person who has the mental illness or you know someone who struggles with mental illness.

At Syracuse University, there are many supports available to students with mental illness. First, there is the Counseling Center that provides counseling to all SU students. The Counseling Center can be reached at 315-443-4715, or for information, go to counselingcenter.syr.edu.

There also is another counseling service available through Psychological Services through the SU psychology department. For information, call 315-443-3595.

Lastly, there is a student-run group on campus called NAMI SU, of which I am vice president. NAMI stands for National Alliance on Mental Illness. Its main objectives are to spread awareness about issues related to mental illness and to provide support for people who struggle with mental illness.

On the SU campus, NAMI SU holds support groups for students with mental illness every other Thursday night. We are holding a special Open House event on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 6:30 p.m. in 530 Huntington Hall for anyone who is interested. If anyone is interested, please contact Jillian Rogers at jnrogers@syr.edu or me at ckowal@syr.edu.

Chelsea Kowal

Vice president of NAMI SU

Syracuse University, Class of 2012 

Published on February 1, 2012 at 12:00 pm