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Wellness Wednesday- Mental Illness and Recovery

Natalie Altenburg Links

Last week, we talked about mental health and why it is important.  This week we are expanding more on mental health by talking about the prevalence of mental health disorders, the stigma that surrounds these disorders, and what we can all do to support the mental health needs of ourselves and others! 

Let’s begin by looking at a few numbers.  The National Institute of Mental Health has found that nearly 1 in 5 American adults live with a mental illness.  However, 7.7 billion adults have both mental health disorders and substance use disorders, which is known as Co-Occurring Disorders (National Institute on Drug Abuse).  Shockingly enough, the National Institute on Drug Abuse found that only 9.1% of those with co-occurring disorders have received treatment for both disorders and 52.5% have not received any treatment at all.                                                                                                                

        

 

While mental illness is not uncommon, there is still stigma surrounding these disorders.  There are many factors that contribute to mental health stigma.  Let’s examine a few: 

Language: Simply put, the language we use has an impact.  The words we say and the way we use these words reflect our ideals and beliefs.  Therefore, if we use stigmatizing language (such as the words “crazy” or “psycho”) as insults, it generally implies that those that struggle with mental health are not good people, when that is clearly not the case.   

Lack of awareness and education: Not only does lack of education make it hard to recognize when one might need help, but it also helps contribute to the misconceptions that surround those with mental illness and substance use disorders. 

The idea of “normal”: With the lack of accurate representation of mental health and substance use disorders in the media, it can create the illusion that it is not normal to struggle with mental health.  However, the statistics that have been presented previously in this post show that struggling with mental health is not uncommon.   

With all these factors that keep the stigma going, there is one thing we can all do to help erase this stigma- be active bystanders.  Being an active bystander can look like many different things.  It could look like politely correcting a friend after they used stigmatizing language.  Or it could look like educating yourself by listening to what those that have mental health struggles have to say and believe it.  Or it could simply be not judging someone who you suspect is struggling with substance use.  Different people have different levels of comfortability and different ways of interacting with others, so it is okay to do whatever it is you need to do to be an active bystander.  The best thing you can do is something.  

Before we provide you with some resources, let’s take a moment to see what DePaul community members in recovery have to say about mental health, substance use, and recovery: 

 

As you can see, recovery and mental health take a bit of effort, but this effort is worth it.  It can be especially helpful to know that you are not alone in dealing with mental health struggles.  If you are looking for more support, here are some great places to get you started: 

DePaul Resources: 

  • Office of Health Promotion and Wellness 

https://offices.depaul.edu/student-affairs/about/departments/Pages/hpw.aspx 

  • Collegiate Recovery Community 

https://offices.depaul.edu/student-affairs/support-services/health-wellness/Pages/substance-abuse-recovery.aspx 

  • University Counseling Services 

https://offices.depaul.edu/student-affairs/about/departments/Pages/ucs.aspx 

  • Center for Students with Disabilities 

https://offices.depaul.edu/student-affairs/about/departments/Pages/csd.aspx 

  • Dean of Students 

https://offices.depaul.edu/student-affairs/about/departments/Pages/dos.aspx 

  • Office of Multicultural Student Success 

https://offices.depaul.edu/student-affairs/about/departments/Pages/omss.aspx 

  • Adult, Veteran, and Commuter Student Affairs 

https://offices.depaul.edu/student-affairs/about/departments/Pages/adult-veteran-commuter-student-services.aspx  

Other Resources: 

  • Hope For The Day  

https://www.hftd.org/ 

  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration  

https://www.samhsa.gov/  

  • National Alliance on Mental Illness 

https://www.nami.org/Home  

  • National Institute of Mental Health 

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml 

  • National Institute on Drug Abuse 

https://www.drugabuse.gov/  

In case you missed it, here is the link to our Wellness Wednesday discussion: https://depaul.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=a46778f5-9335-4c32-a6e9-abc3010ea3a9

Take care!

Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) Round Table

lwalinsk Links , , ,

To honor Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) in April, HPW had a live roundtable around supporting survivors of abusive relationships, whether it’s sexual abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, or financial abuse. This blog covers all of the important details of that conversation. Sadly, a lot of survivors right now may not be able to escape their abusive situations. Many people currently can’t leave their houses or go to a friend’s place to escape due to the current pandemic we are living through. Financial situations are also exacerbated right now and may make it even tougher for some to leave an abusive relationship. In our roundtable the other week, we talked about how to be an ally to those in this tricky situation. Watch here, or read on!

What exactly does abuse look like?

Stereotypically, when we think of an abusive relationship, we think of physical abuse. But abuse can be of a physical nature, and emotional one, a sexual one, or a financial one. Abuse does not need to be put into a box, and it’s important to keep this in mind when supporting survivors. Really, at the end of the day, abuse occurs when the power and control in a relationship is shifted to be completely one sided.

 

So, in what ways might we go about supporting someone who is experiencing abuse?

Remaining available to someone in an abusive relationship is one of the most helpful things you can do. There are three great ways to do this: 1) Ask a question, 2) Listen up, and 3) Stay connected. Let’s look at each of these closer.

Ask a question: Asking a question as simple as “Hey, how is it going?” and then really listening to what the person has to say can make worlds of a difference.

Listen up: When you listen, you must listen without having your own agenda. You are listening to hear what this person’s perspective on their situation is. Active listening techniques can be used here to support your loved one. Examples of some things you may say after listening are:

  • “I don’t even know what to say right now, but I’m so glad you told me.”
  • “I’m so sorry that this is happening to you, and I am here to support you.”
  • “I believe you” – saying this and truly meaning it is crucial in supporting a survivor – it is not our place to play detective in these situations; most survivors tell the truth about their abuse, and it can be quite harmful to not believe somebody who has put their trust in you in this situation.

Stay connected: Staying connected can be crucial in supporting a survivor because when a survivor is isolated from outside support, the abuser tends to have more power over them. Your loved one may not be reaching out simply because they can’t, not because they don’t want or need support. Every once in a while, try being the first one to reach out – this can act as a lifeline to your loved one. Avoid ultimatums; although it might be easy to say something along the lines of, “If you don’t leave this person by [said time] I cannot continue to be friends with you,” this is simply not what your loved one needs to hear right now. Abuse does not follow any specific timeline, and there are many reasons why someone may not be able to leave an abusive relationship right away, not to mention it could be quite dangerous to leave an abusive relationship at certain times (more on this below). Tough love is not what people need in these circumstances.

Supporting a Survivor Dos and Don’ts

Don’t: Tell someone to leave – the leaving part of an abusive relationship is the most dangerous phase of the relationship: the point when someone leaves and six weeks after this is the time that this person is most likely to be killed.

Do: Work with your loved one to create a safety plan with tangible steps for this person to use when the time comes that they are able to leave.

Don’t: When it comes to sexual abuse, do not ask your loved one victim-blaming questions. Your initial response in certain cases might be to ask questions such as, “How did this happen – didn’t you cover your drink? What were you wearing when this happened?” But these questions simply contribute to a culture of victim blaming that takes the blame off of the perpetrator and puts it onto the survivor instead.

Do: Reinforce that you believe and support your loved one.

Don’t: Make it about you and your own personal desires as they relate to the situation. Supporting someone who is experiencing abuse consists of allowing the survivor to still have their autonomy. They are otherwise already losing autonomy in their relationship, so when we come in and tell them what to do – i.e. “You should file a police report” – it takes the autonomy away from the survivor. Let them make these decisions on their own time, and support them while they move through it.

Do: Seek help for yourself if you need it personally, but leave your opinions out of your loved one’s decisions.

 

What should you do if you think that your loved one is in a situation that could potentially be very dangerous?

If you hear that something that makes you concerned your loved one is in immediate danger (they are isolated, being monitored or stalked, or the person has a weapon), you – or both of you together – can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline to come up with a plan to stay as safe as possible.

Note: It is very important to understand that some societal structures and resources may be safe for certain populations to use, but not for others. (i.e., a person of color may not be comfortable making a call to the police as police are notorious for not supporting the black community equally in comparison to their white counterparts). Don’t assume that calling the police is a given in these situations – it is best to understand the ways in which your loved one might be affected by these societal structures first, and then make a sound decision on next steps.

 

How to Talk to Someone Who is Causing Harm

Abuse, coercion, and control are incredibly common… people that cause harm might be the same people we love and care about. If we are going to address the harm that is being caused, we must learn how to talk to those causing the harm as well. When talking to someone who is causing harm in a relationship, you can use the same tactics as you might when talking to a survivor – 1) Ask a question, 2) Listen up, and 3) Stay connected. Think about how you would like to be treated if you were causing harm, and approach this person the same way. ‘Call the person in’ versus ‘calling them out.’ People don’t listen when they are called out – by inviting the person causing harm to have an open and constructive conversation about their behavior, you might have a better chance of getting through to them. It is important to recognize that change will only be made if both sides are engaged in the conversation. Currently, our justice system focuses more on punishing than restorative justice, but restorative justice can prove to be largely important in enacting change rather than simply perpetuating the norm.

How can I take care of myself when supporting a survivor?

You are actually considered a ‘secondary survivor’ when you are supporting a survivor as this process can be quite emotionally taxing for you as well. So, make sure to take care of yourself through it all, and try to recognize your limits:

  • Practice grounding techniques – breathing exercises can serve as a great way to ground yourself. Box breathing is one good technique to try – there are many others as well.
  • Don’t get so completely invested that you forget about other pieces of your own life/your health, recovery, and healing. You have a responsibility to yourself as first and foremost – we can’t help others if we aren’t doing well ourselves.
  • Keeping healthy boundaries in all relationships is crucial, especially when it comes to supporting a survivor. What are your boundaries and what can you give? What is your personal threshold? Keep these questions in mind as you are helping your loved one, and never feel guilty for taking a step back to preserve your own mental health.

 

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for sticking with us! We hope that you learned something new and are feeling more prepared to help. Remember, take care of yourself, take care of each other, take care DePaul! <3

xoxo,

HPW

Wellness Wednesday – Sexual Assault Awareness Month

cnewby Links

Hello everyone, and welcome back to another edition of Wellness Wednesday with the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness! Today’s theme was centered around SAAM, otherwise known as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. As you may have heard, April is the month to raise awareness of issues surrounding sexual violence, support survivors, and speak out about the issue of sexual violence and its impact in all of our communities. The recorded Wellness Wednesday Zoom session can be found and watched at this link:

In today’s Wellness Wednesday session, our guest of honor was the esteemed Hannah Retzkin, a case manager in the Title IX office here at DePaul University. Hannah provided an introduction into the world of supporting survivors and everything that the reporting process entails. There are an extensive amount of options for a survivor to pursue at the University should they choose to disclose their experience. In the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness, professional staff members are Survivor Support Advocates. This signifies a safe space for students to express as little or as much information as they choose, without the expectation that they must file a report against the perpetrator. This is an amazing resource for students to learn about their options and turn to someone for support without having to follow through with the University or legal process if they do not wish to do so. Survivor Support Advocates differ from other professional staff members or faculty at the University, as these professions are classified as mandated reporters. If a student discloses an experience related to sexual violence to a mandated reporter, the employee will be required to inform the Title IX office of the student’s experience.

For students who do wish to file a report documenting their experiences, there are several paths one could choose. A student could disclose to a mandated reporter, as they will be directed to the Title IX office. A student could also go directly to Title IX and begin the University process. Generally, a student will be given a set of options as to how they wish to proceed. Students will be placed in contact with the Sexual Assault Prevention Specialist in the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness. As previously mentioned, this staff member is a confidential resource and provides a space for students to talk through and thoroughly understand their options.

The Title IX office, located within the Dean of Students Office, is tasked with protecting against discrimination on the basis of sex including sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, sexual violence, domestic violence, and stalking. These protections stem from DePaul University’s commitment to valuing the dignity of all people, and seeks to implement best practices related to education, prevention, and holistic support of survivors. Through Title IX, DePaul will not tolerate sexual and relationship violence on any level and will work to address incidents and reports swiftly and equitably, according to DePaul’s Sexual and Relationship Violence Prevention and Response Policy, which can be found in University Policies and Procedures.

 

There are three main processes available to survivors who wish to report. The processes include the University process, the criminal process, or a civil lawsuit. The criminal process involves reporting to the police and proceeding with a criminal complaint. With this option, a survivor may also choose to obtain a protective or restraining order from the court. A civil lawsuit, which does not require criminal charges to be filed, may be used as an opportunity to recover damages, such as compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain, suffering, and emotional distress. If choosing to follow the University process, Title IX will start an investigation into the incident in order to determine if University policy against sexual violence was violated. If so, disciplinary sanctions may include probation, suspension, or dismissal from the University. Disciplinary procedures through the University seek to always provide prompt, fair, and impartial processes and be conducted by officials who receive training on sexual and relationship violence from a trauma-informed perspective. Additionally, the Title IX coordinator will seeks to remain mindful of the survivor’s wellbeing and take ongoing steps to help create a safety plan and protect the student from further harm. Protective measures will be available to the student regardless of whether or not they seek help from the police, and other resources will be provided such as advocacy, mental health services, and legal assistance.

 

For students who seek resources from HPW, it is our goal to provide care from a trauma-informed approach. When supporting survivors, it is important to listen non-judgmentally, provide affirmations, and respect the choices of survivors while also empowering others with information, resources, and choices.

It is our hope that this week’s Wellness Wednesday provided helpful information related to sexual violence response plans on campus in the context of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Any remaining questions can be directed to the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness where we will be more than happy to answer questions related to sexual violence on campus, advocacy, survivor support services, and more.