MARYVILLE, Mo. — When Payton Walker was first diagnosed with schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder, she decided she wouldn’t tell any of her friends.
“My mom and I got out of the car and I told her I wanted it to be a secret,” Walker said Tuesday. “I didn’t want them to think I was weird.
“And then it hit me: this disorder was part of me. And if people can love me before my diagnosis, they can love me after – and I shouldn’t be ashamed.
Walker, a high school student from Nodaway-Holt, was one of the guest speakers at “I Will Listen,” an event sponsored by Active Minds, the Behavioral Science Association and Northwest Missouri State University Wellness Services on Tuesday. The event, which included speakers, activities and an art exhibit, was designed around the idea of reducing the stigma of mental illness and promoting discussions about mental health.
“We’re ending stigma through education and empathy,” said Monica Zeigel, coordinator of Hope 4 All, the mental health arm of Northwest Wellness Services. “The more you learn, the harder it is to have negative opinions about people with mental illnesses.”
Zeigel said that of the 1 in 5 people in the United States likely to suffer from a mental health problem in their lifetime, more than half will not seek treatment due to factors such as lack of resources and the stigma associated with mental illness.
“Stigma can make a person feel fearful, ashamed, rejected, hopeless or angry,” she said at Tuesday’s event. “Often, they are most fearful of the reaction of their family and friends. And that’s where we come in. So everyone here is a mental health advocate – because you’re here. You do something. And it’s up to each of us to fight stigma whenever we encounter it.
In a speech at the “I Will Listen” event on Tuesday, Northwest Missouri State University senior Olivia Babinski highlighted the impacts of finding ways to make a difference in someone’s life, including hers, “I define myself by everything I do – my grades, who I am as a person, who I am as a friend and who I am as a professional – what has kept me from seeing the authentic version of me: hardworking, dedicated, passionate, loving, a girl with a weird sense of humor and emotional. Seeing myself as the authentic version of myself allows me to make a difference. It is very difficult to s ‘remembering in the middle of a storm, but the overly emotional, overly thoughtful, worried little me that I am is going to make the difference. head, making me doubt, be afraid and feel worse, I v ais able to have an impact on at least one life. What if this life was just mine? So that’s pretty good.
Once she decided to share her diagnosis with them, it was this reaction from her own family and friends that brought Walker onto the stage Tuesday.
“Seeking help for mental health should be as normal as seeing a doctor for a sprained ankle,” she said. “…Our mental health does not define us, it is simply part of us. People with schizophrenia and many other mental health disorders are normal people who can lead very successful and productive lives.
Olivia Babinski, a senior at Northwest and president of the Behavioral Science Association, also emphasized in her speech the importance of supporting others, from old friends to new acquaintances.
“Be the one who will make the difference”, she launched to the public. “Having a coffee with a friend. Ask them how they are. How are they really doing. … Hold the door open for a stranger. The day you hold the door open for them might be the day they don’t feel strong enough to open a door. But you knew how to tell the difference.
Other event speakers Nicole Harnisch, Certified Mental Performance Consultant; Isaiah McBride, a functional family therapist; and Chris Dawe, assistant vice president for health and wellness at Northwest.
Nicole Harnisch, Certified Mental Performance Consultant, spoke about her own experience as both an athlete and treating athletes. “There is a huge stigma around mental health in general and then an added layer of stigma for athletes. … They live their life trying to be tough, and the number of times an athlete has heard someone tell them to be “mentally tough”, but without showing them how to do it or supporting them in times when he needs support – it’s wild,” she said.
In addition to speakers, the event also hosted an art exhibition featuring drawings, paintings, graphic designs, pottery, sculptures, photographs, multimedia works and poetry submitted by students and scholars. Northwest employees, students from area K-12 schools, and community members.
“Everyone needs to educate themselves about mental health, how to recognize problems, where to get help, and to end the stigma around mental illness so people aren’t afraid to get the help they need. need,” Zeigel said in a press release. “Mental health management is not just for people in difficulty. It is also a proactive measure. Just as we exercise and eat healthy to take care of our bodies, learning how to manage mental health can help us deal with challenges in the future.
