Ailey O’Toole Staff Writer I would argue that the hardest part about being mentally ill is the fact that people who are not mentally ill don’t understand the way disorders can affect a person, and thus expect people with mental health problems to operate in the same way they do. One of the biggest struggles people with depression face is exhaustion, causing them to be … Continue reading Depression: reliant on empathy
Ailey O’Toole Staff Writer It is no secret that discrimination against the mentally ill is present in so many parts of our society, both in our cultural beliefs and even in our justice system. Stigmas against people who are mentally ill are so powerful that it has been codified into federal law for over 50 years, and not many people are even aware of … Continue reading Discrimination against mental health: written into our system
Ailey O’Toole Staff Writer Bipolar disorder is a mental illness marked by alternating periods of mania and depression. The disorder causes abnormal shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the inability to function in normal, day-to-day life. There are several types of bipolar disorder, including bipolar I, bipolar II, and cyclothymia. The difference between bipolar I and bipolar II is how a person experiences … Continue reading Mania is not just a rush
Ailey O’Toole Staff Writer It’s a presidential election year, which means Americans across the country are being bombarded with ads, news, telephone calls, debates, the results of the latest polls and passionate opinions from everyone. We’ve all got that one crazy aunt who angrily expresses her opinion on Facebook. So far, the road to the election has been more like a horrifying parade … Continue reading A Vote for Anxiety
Ailey O’Toole Staff Writer Being only 6 years old on September 11, 2001, my memories of what happened that day are foggy. There is one thing that sticks out in my mind, one thing that I will never be able to forget: fear. The emotion ran rampant through everyone around me: my parents, teachers, neighbors and me. Knowing that there were people in the … Continue reading 15 years later, atmosphere of anxiety remains
Ailey O’Toole Staff Writer The term “advocate” can sometimes elicit ideas of protesters and picket lines, phone banks and maybe even knocking on doors to talk to people; a lot of these things having negative connotations. However, advocacy at its most basic level is about giving a voice to something, and that should not be a negative thing. When it comes to mental health … Continue reading Giving a voice to mental illness advocacy
Ailey O’Toole Staff Writer As school is getting back into full swing, it is important to keep an eye on your stress and anxiety levels, especially for those of you who are freshmen and are experiencing so many changes. Some levels of stress are normal for any day-to-day routine, but if that stress starts to manifest itself as anxiety and begins interfering with your … Continue reading The Importance of Understanding Anxiety
Ailey O’Toole Staff Writer Throughout this past year, I have been lucky enough to write articles about mental health in order to provide our campus with more information about different disorders, treatments and also to hopefully begin a revolution of destigmatization about mental illness. This issue is very near and dear to my heart because I have struggled a great deal with mental illness … Continue reading Mental Health: My experience in a psych ward
Ailey O’Toole Staff Writer Antidepressants are the most popular form of treatment for depression and anxiety disorders. While they may not cure depression, the medicines will certainly help to alleviate symptoms. What most people don’t know is that there are many different types of antidepressants that act on different neurotransmitters in the brain. These medicines are prescribed based on what symptoms the patient is … Continue reading Mental Health: Classifying antidepressants
Ailey O’Toole Staff Writer I’m sure almost all of you reading this know someone who struggles with anxiety or depression, maybe even suicidal thoughts or attempts. This is because mental illness is quickly on the rise among college students. In 2013, a survey of college students found that 57 percent of women and 40 percent of men reported experiencing “overwhelming anxiety” in the previous … Continue reading College deals with mental illness poorly
THE CAROLINIAN 