As students flooded into the auditorium on the Wilf Campus on April 16th, there were papers placed upon every fourth seat, the number four printed upon each paper. The mysterious numbers gained no meaning until the conclusion of the event when the audience was informed that one in four people suffers from mental illness. Publicizing this piece of information is a key component of the Stomp Out the Stigma event, which aims to destigmatize mental illness on the YU campuses.
Stomp Out the Stigma is organized by the YU chapter of Active Minds, run by Sarah Robinson and Yosef Schick, both graduating seniors. Active Minds is a national nonprofit organization that “empowers students to change the perception about mental illness on college campuses.” At YU’s annual event, four students (both from Stern College and Yeshiva College) share their personal experiences with mental illness, and do so in the hope of educating their peers and normalizing mental illness.
The first speaker (for the sake of anonymity will be referred to as A) approached the podium and told the audience his story of depression; that he viewed seeking assistance as weakness, that he had even considered suicide. A also expressed that religion and his experience in a yeshiva in Israel had alleviated some of his depression, but never completely diminished it. Comparing himself to friends’ personal successes, A struggled to not blame himself and be overly critical regarding his perceived shortcomings. He told the audience about the ways in which his friends invalidated his situation, sometimes even saying, “someone else has it worse.” A encouraged the audience to listen and be attentive to their peers’ unique needs, rather than comparing their own needs to those of others. Stressing the need for improvement, A concluded by saying, “If I can change at least one person’s mind here tonight, it’s enough.”
The next student who spoke, a junior at Stern, began by listing the many ways to describe her mental illness: insomnia, compulsory disorder, etc. She spoke of the tower of people who create her support system and the worry she has every time a person lets the tower crumble. The student (called here, student B) spoke about the triggers in her life at home, the daily emails to her therapist, and the loneliness she felt. “The problem was real,” she said. However, she noted, her tower is constantly strengthened by the support she gets from her peers at YU. In the hope of normalizing things perceived as unusual or problematic, B left the audience with a statement that Active Minds could very well use as their motto, “The concept of normal doesn’t actually exist.”
The third student (referred to here as C), also from Stern, spoke about her experience realizing that she suffers from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). She spoke about her parents’ divorce and the ways in which that led to her struggles. During her presentation, C told the audience that contrary to the common belief that only war veterans can experience PTSD, 8% of the population suffers from it. C said she confronted her PTSD and learned to respect, rather than deny, her emotions.
The fourth and final person to speak (person D) described his anxiety and the different forms it can take—from social/general anxiety to other levels of anxiety that he calls “worst-case-scenario-itis.” D spoke of the painful words some peers have said to him in response to his anxious comments, including, “you just sounded like a complete idiot.” He also recounted the different medications and forms of therapy he has sought, some more helpful than others. As D concluded his speech, he left the audience with a striking statistic: 18% of all people have anxiety; 40,000,000 Americans have anxiety; we all know someone with anxiety. In stressing the idea that mental illness is prevalent and present in our daily lives, D emphasized the need for vocal support from one’s peers. D finished off by stating that, “for mental illness, there is no silence.”
Stomp Out the Stigma is the most well-attended student-organized event at Yeshiva University. This speaks volumes about the potential support students could seek and find at YC and Stern College. As Sarah Robinson gave her closing remarks, she asked each person with a paper which read the number four on her/his chair to please stand up. Sarah explained that this fourth of the room that now stood represented the 25% of college students who suffer from mental illness. Still standing, Sarah asked any student who knows or supports a friend with mental illness, or is a person with mental illness, to please stand up. In this moment of visible communal support, Sarah stated, “no one needs to suffer alone.”