Last week I attended the Movies for Mental Health event here (online) at USG! This event was put together by the help of many student organizations at USG such as Social Work Student Association, Psychology Student Association, Latinx Student Association, and more! We also had several amazing outside resources join us such as people from the Montgomery County Crisis Center, Positive Strides, Serene Therapy Center, Plans for Healing, and more. 

The event began with open discussions about mental health. The discussions ranged from what mental health means, what self-care looks like, and what keeps people from opening up to people in their lives about their mental health. These open discussions were very honest and empathetic. We then moved onto the movies. The movies were all extremely unique and creative. We viewed a total of three movies. The movies featured different mental illnesses such as Depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Anxiety. Each of these films highlighted the difficulties many people face when experiencing these disorders such as lack of family support and society’s negative views towards mental illness. One common theme in all three films was how the main characters felt as if the people they loved did not understand what they were going through. All of the films were beautifully produced and were truly powerful.

After the films, we discussed how we all felt after the films. We discussed where we felt our feelings, why we felt those feelings, and our favorite parts of the films. The event ended with two USG students sharing their mental health stories. These two students were so brave and compelling. The event was an amazing therapeutic experience and I am so grateful I decided to attend!

If you are struggling with your mental health, you are not alone. Your feelings are valid and there is help available. Here are a couple of resources if you need to talk to someone:

Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)