Mental Health Club Challenges Stigmas in Psychology
Club leaders meet at Pizza Emporium to organize an upcoming lesson selected by members through a Google form. Photo: Ani Kuke
By ANI KUKE and CHERY ABDELMASSIH
The everyday life of senior Monica Mesiha, co-president of the Mental Health Club, mirrors the daily struggles of other upperclassmen, as she juggles volunteering, internships, the SAT, and personal relationships. With her mental health in mind, she sought an outlet where she “could block out the world and just focus on ‘me’,” she said.
In the second semester of her junior year, Mesiha worked alongside her friend Jenna Bolonik ’21 to create the Mental Health Club. It became an educational safe space where students engage with informative slides and are encouraged to communicate some of their struggles.
At the beginning of every semester, the Mental Health Club encourages members to create short- and long-term goals to keep working toward something. The club begins each meeting by going around and asking students about how they are progressing in achieving their goals.
Some of the club members had deep personal goals, while others had goals as simple as a daily walk. “I like the goals because it helps me relate to others in the group and how they’re struggling,” said a senior in the club. “I know that I am not alone, and it gives me something to work towards during these tough times.”
Along with student-made goals come student-made lessons. At the beginning of the semester, an anonymous Google Form was sent out asking members to describe what affects their mental health and what specific topics they'd like to discuss in the club. Some of the lessons are about common teen issues such as drugs, peer pressure, “cabin fever,” teenage relationships, and ways to improve overall mental health. This offers a space to shed light upon topics that are often avoided elsewhere.
The club prioritizes what the members are currently struggling with. “We try to make the lessons interactive by getting the members involved,” said Bolonik. “Every week when we check up on each other, we ask how everyone’s doing.”
Many Midwood students come from households where the significance of mental health isn’t fully understood, Mesiha said.
“For students who live in a home where mental health isn't acknowledged or taken seriously, a stigma [is formed] around it,” she said. “I just think it’s crazy that people think ‘There's something wrong with me’ and that their parents will say something like, ‘You’re on your phone too much.’”
The Mental Health Club helps to tear down this stigma. By discussing certain topics, members encourage each other to express their feelings, regardless of how misunderstood they may feel elsewhere.
Typically, meetings consist of every member participating in the conversation at least once. Although they are not obligated to, it is encouraged that whenever a member feels comfortable to do so, they share what’s on their mind.
Throughout the club’s Zoom meetings, the leaders kindly urge others to add on to that day’s topic. If there is an awkward silence, the leaders take initiative by mentioning their personal experiences, and soon enough, more members are eager to volunteer.
“I did struggle with anxiety myself,” Mesiha said, “and I realized you have to really get to the bottom of your issue and think, logically, ‘What can I really do to fix this?’ Filtering out what’s true and what isn't [helps] to avoid spiraling.” She explains that we can get to the core of the problem by sifting through the issues on our minds, putting our thoughts into sentences, and expressing them aloud.
Bolonik added that this way “you’re able to recognize what’s real and what’s just in your head.”
As personal goals and experiences were shared in the meeting we attended, they were followed by fellow members’ empowering words, which were enough not only to build confidence but also to leave others feeling wanted. The club also has Ms. Fannie Daniels, a student counselor at Midwood, who offers advice and support when needed.
Bolonik said, “We also advise members to talk to a professional, and we let them know that they are heard and that they aren't alone.”
The club doesn’t simply act as a quick 30 minute “therapy session.” It also extends to a Snapchat group chat where the members can talk at any time of the day. The students laugh with one another as they text jokes back and forth. They also thank each other for an “amazing meet.”
“We try to reach out to people,” said Bolonik. “Some people are hanging on by a thread. Simply asking how they are can make all the difference. A lot of the time just having someone to talk to can solve many issues.”
Discussing things with other members, even if they aren’t incredibly serious, helps relieve a lot of stress. Many students realize that they are, in fact, far from alone in their struggles. “It was very easy to agree that this is what Midwood needs,” said Mesiha. “We would all struggle together, but we’d get through it together.”