FIRST PERSON
Living with severe OCD and bipolar I, my support system is crucial
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'For me, OCD is a daily and constant torturous disease.'
HEALTH
First Person: The mental health model of ‘forced treatment’ doesn’t work
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As someone who lives with depression and anxiety, I wonder: Could we be having a different conversation about mental health?
HEALTH
Mother of Columbine shooter talks about guilt and suicide prevention
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Her son was one of the two gunmen responsible for the Columbine High School massacre. Twenty years later, Sue Klebold still carries the guilt with her every day.
FIRST PERSON
Sun still shines on your heavy head
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"My first mental health crisis almost took my life. Recovery gave me an opportunity to build my life worth living," writes singer-songwriter Jamie Kunning.
HEALTH
Mental illness was a label assigned to me until I took ownership of my identity.
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Mental illness was a label I always knew, but one that I never thought described me. The label was given to me in my early childhood and, from then on, I tried to make peace with the fact that I was “ill.” I twisted and turned the label in my head, trying to figure out what it meant for me and how it fit into my life.
FIRST PERSON
Living anxiously in Pittsburgh has taught me that mental health should be treated just as seriously as physical health
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To put in perspective how widespread mental health conditions are, consider this: About one in eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer during her lifetime. Mental illness will affect one in five Americans at some point during their lifetime.
FIRST PERSON
Mental illness and teens: It’s hard to tell who is joking and who is crying for help. What’s my responsibility?
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Compelling personal stories
told by the people living them. Editor’s note: At PublicSource, we believe in giving a platform to voices not often heard or consulted. That's why we asked teenagers in the Pittsburgh region to tell us what matters to them and write about it. We will feature their stories as an occasional series. The nation’s conversation about mental illness and school shootings has changed the way I listen to my classmates.
EDUCATION
Point Park’s counseling director is resigning over conflict with university on staffing shortage
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Point Park University's director of counseling services has opened up about her resignation to PublicSource, saying that she felt ethically uncomfortable working for an institution that was not directing what she described as necessary resources to a department that can make a life-or-death difference for students.
EDUCATION
How CCAC addresses mental health needs of its students
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Following PublicSource’s reporting about the high demand for mental health counseling on Pittsburgh’s college campuses, some readers have asked how the Community College of Allegheny County [CCAC] handles on-campus mental health counseling.
EDUCATION
How Pittsburgh-area colleges work to meet students’ mental health needs. We surveyed eight schools about the challenges.
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On the campuses of eight Pittsburgh-area colleges and universities, it’s not unusual for students to wait this long, or even longer, for therapy — though some schools did report quicker scheduling. Policies regarding access and use of campus mental health services vary among the schools, affecting how students fare and if they ever use the services at all.
