Wil Hershner: Facing the stigma of mental help

Walking down 36th Street, one can see various locales of Penn's campus: the Bookstore, Cosi, the Institute of Contemporary Art. Yet one location on campus that is oft-overlooked is on the second floor of 133 S. 36th Street.

You might have no idea what building I am referring to, but you've probably all seen it. It's got the Ann Taylor store on the first floor. But if you look a little farther north, you'll see a small little door that leads to a tiny lobby -- nothing more than a small desk with a security guard who asks to see your PennCard.

Past the guard, you take the elevator up to the second floor of the building, and when you get out you'll find yourself outside your destination: Counseling and Psychological Services.

There's no secret that mental health is an important aspect of being a college student: We're all bombarded everyday with exams, projects, friends, stress, family, money, rent, stress, expenses and lack of sleep. Did I mention stress? All these factors can be impediments in getting through the day.

And yet only 10 percent of Penn students make use of CAPS. Does this mean only 10 percent of students need help in life? Doubtful.

Some people have the laudable ability to shrug off the travails of each day, always keeping a smile on their faces. To some, the trials of the day are not worth getting all worked up about. But for many, these problems are not so easily cast aside. I see so many students every day sweating and worrying about their lives -- myself included. And it can be difficult to cope.

But if that's the case, doesn't it seem logical to get help for what ails you? After all, CAPS provides services free of charge to Penn students, so why not make use of it?

Unfortunately, I find one answer to that question disheartening. Even today, where so many facets of society are generally accepted, we still -- perhaps involuntarily -- encourage a belief that seeing a counselor or psychologist is, well, crazy.

After all of the years of progress in both mental and physical medicine, seeing a counselor still bears a stigma, a fear of what the notion of seeing someone for mental help will mean to others. "They'll think I'm crazy" is, I find, a general response. No one enjoys drawing attention to something that can be considered an imperfection. And it doesn't help that the door to CAPS exits right in front of Cosi, with all the watching eyes of 36th Street.

And yet this attitude can be dangerous. You can't ignore the deadly facts of college existence: Every year, 1,000 college students commit suicide, which is the second leading cause of death among college students.

Our mental health during our college years will have a profound effect on the rest of our lives -- now is the time where long-lasting mental conditions often come to the forefront. Bipolar disorder, for example, develops most often in the late teens and early twenties -- smack dab in the middle of college life.

We all like to talk ourselves out of needing help. We all like to believe that we can cope on our own without the aid of others. We like to see ourselves as bright, imaginative young adults able to handle whatever life throws our way. We like to pretend we're invulnerable. But the truth of the matter is we all can't. As hard as it may be to accept, you can't always do it on your own

Almost a year ago, a Penn student in the midst of depression took his own life. While a truly saddening experience, it must also serve as an eye-opener. Mental health is not something to take lightly, and there is no shame in asking someone to help.

Mental health is not something that should be ignored. Keeping your brain healthy is as important as taking care of your body. And the first step in taking care of yourself is first to learn more about mental health. Being informed not only could help you out, but in the event a friend comes to you trying to cope with life, you can reach out your hand with much more support behind it.

But why should you listen to me? Because I've been to CAPS. It took a lot of prodding and pleading from friends and family. I also felt that seeing a counselor was akin to an admission of defeat. But now, I go into that second floor lobby, take the questionnaire they give you before each appointment that asks how you are feeling and wait for my appointment. And if I can do it, you can, too.

Guest columnist Wil Hershner is a College junior from Ocean City, N.J., and is editorial page editor of The Summer Pennsylvanian. His e-mail address is wws@seas.upenn.edu.

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