Activity: Checking-In
Remember Ali and Sarah? Help Sarah use Golden Rule #1 Say What You See to check in with Ali.
Hey, sorry I missed your call. So much homework 😫
What’s with you lately? Are you avoiding me?
This might make Ali defensive.
You stuck to the facts and opened up the conversation.
Story: Maryam and Aswani
Check out this video from Aswani and her friend, Maryam, who helped her find mental health resources on campus that worked for her.
Maryam: My name is Maryam and I met Aswani at our university’s orientation, and ever since then we’ve been best friends.
Aswani: When I started university, I was at a point that I couldn’t function anymore. I couldn’t sit through lectures, I was really jittery, and my heart was always racing. She started opening up about how she felt very similar and we just started talking from there and we trusted each other more and more.
Maryam: Yeah, like having trouble sleeping was a big thing I found with you, and missing class when normally you don’t. Or at the last minute you’d tell me, “Oh, I slept in. I’m sorry”. I was just like, there’s probably some stuff going on.
Aswani: Growing up in a culture where talking about your mental health is not appropriate, I didn’t know where to seek help and Maryam was really there for me. We had a lot of resources at school that I could use but I wasn’t familiar with and Maryam mentioned some different programs and I found one that fit for me.
Maryam: I knew of a few resources from my experience, so I suggested all those to Aswani. There’s no way I’m going to tell you what to do, I’ll just support whatever option you choose. No one deserves to feel grey all the time or sad all the time.
Aswani: The first time I went, it wasn’t planned. It was because I was having such an off day I knew I needed something right then. I went to the counselor, we talked for a little bit, did an intake and recommended I go see a doctor. Even when I started taking medication, I had close family members saying, “What do you have to be depressed for?” So it was really hard to come out and say, “Yeah, I have depression and I need help.” That was the biggest barrier to get over.
Maryam: I knew she was struggling with the side effects of it, and was having those down days. I tried to remind her that recovery isn’t linear. I just wanted to be there to remind her of how well she was doing.
Aswani: She wasn’t pushing her experiences on me, she was sharing it and listening. Maryam really helped me stick to my plan to get better, and when I felt discouraged, she helped me continue. It felt really good to have someone who’s been through that and is in a good place now to see and know that I can also be in a better place. And that was Maryam for me.
According to Be There, how should you create a safe environment for someone struggling with their mental health?
A classmate is feeling so anxious about an upcoming exam that they’re nauseous and have barely eaten all week. This change is…
Ali joined the science club
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