Bipolar Today

---

A bipolar student at the University of Montana has started a group called “Active Minds” to help benefit other students with mental illnesses at the University. Robin Richardson, a sociology and psychology student has had several battles with bipolar disorder since beginning schooling. University age is when many students have their onset of bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses, and they can be especially isolated, as they are away from their families and have yet to found their own. The group provides awareness of mental health issues and provides a place for students with mental illnesses to meet other people suffering from similar conditions, reducing the isolation that many of them feel. You can find more coverage of this story here.

Commentary

Groups like this are excellent for students who suffer from mental illnesses. While it is true that universities have health services, mental illness can be seriously isolating from a social perspective. It is very rare for there to be student groups dedicated to helping other students deal with mental illness, and students have trouble dealing with this problem on their own. I know that I would have been very happy to have had a group like this when I was in university, because I constantly had the sense that I was dealing with everything on my own, and that I couldn’t share my problems with anyone for fear of ostracism. This University of Montana group can serve as a model for other university students trying to create a more welcoming community for those with mental health problems.

Related posts:

1. Maclean’s Magazine Covers Mental Illness on Campus
2. Being Normal: Lessons From My Local Bipolar Support Group
3. Mental Disorders in Family May Shape Academic Interests
4. Group Discusses Relationship of Seasonal Affective Disorder to Other Disorders
5. Ostracism the Norm for Disabled Children: Study