From Sept. 9-12 Active Minds and the Counseling Center are hosting Suicide Prevention Week. On Sept. 10 murals and movies will be hosted at Lakeside, and Sept. 11 is the day to phone a friend. On Sept. 12 will be the Colors of Hope walk, which will be at Cassel Theater. Suicide prevention speakers will share at 7 p.m., and the walk starts at 8 p.m.
The goal of Suicide Prevention Week is to create a welcoming environment that can host conversations of mental health without judgment and to encourage students who are struggling to talk to someone.
“Suicide Prevention Week offers a chance for connection and belonging,” Counselor Mindy Parker said. “It’s always okay to ask for help if you feel like you’re struggling. Signs to look out for someone who might be struggling is they’re different or drawn out from friends. Or they’re in too good of a mood.”
Parker gives the advice that it’s all right to ask for help and that it should not be stigmatized. A wide range of help is available to all students, including help from the free on-campus counselors Darcy Dawson, Mindy Parker and Myron Parsley.
Active Minds is an organization at Doane that raises awareness of mental health issues that commonly affect college students such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders and other topics. They foster a supportive environment where students feel relaxed, open and vulnerable, encouraging conversations about mental well-being.
“Students who avoid social activities, isolate themselves, lose interest in hobbies, or have noticeable shifts in sleeping and eating habits … any mention of thoughts of dying or self-harm should be taken very seriously. By staying attentive and offering a caring, non-judgmental space, you can make a big difference in helping a friend,” Abby Ulrich, the president of Active Minds, said.
Ulrich believes that mental health should be taken seriously by all students and that leaning on the community may help students, staff and anyone dealing with depression can help ease the burden of mental health struggles.
“Doane is not the only community impacted by mental health struggles—people in the Crete community and beyond face these challenges every day. The walk represents our ongoing support for suicide prevention and the fight many experience with their mental health. No one should ever feel like that’s their only option,” Ulrich said.
This week will be one of many talks about mental health, but it’s important that students share their feelings continuously and shine a light in their community to make Doane and Crete a safer place.
