For my first official post, I’d like to highlight, heap praise upon, and encourage every graduate student who might be reading this to visit the Academic Mental Health Collective.
I learned about this fantastic site a couple of weeks ago, at a workshop which one of the AMHC’s core staff members and writers also attended. I think I read most of the Collective’s posts in one night, so eager was I to hear from other graduate students, anonymous or not, who had shared any piece of my experience.
The Collective can tell you much more than I ever could about the statistical likelihood that graduate students will suffer from some form of mental health deterioration; anecdotally, I can say that awareness of the problem and openness among students around talking about their struggles are on the rise in my institution, but knowing that this crisis exists doesn’t necessarily help ameliorate it. (Therapy does. Therapy is awesome. Everyone everywhere should get themselves some therapy.)
The AMHC collates links, resources, and, perhaps most helpfully of all, testimonials and narratives written by graduate students and post-docs about their experiences with mental health during the course of their studies. This digital hub is exactly the sort of place which reassures us that we are not alone – a critical realization that breaks down the isolation and socio-cultural demands of our ivory towers. And they take contributions!
CAZ MARRIS 