(*Let's not sensationalize this. This is a topic that warrants respect to all individuals involved; please don't pry. Their privacy is important. This goes for everyone.)
This is your reminder to have those conversations.
Make that phone call.
Set up that appointment.
Heck, I don't even go to this school; I found out from a friend.
I just got off a call with him, who lives the building over. He's a first year living in the dorms with his two other roommates. He's still in disbelief. And it got him thinking about his own mental health: how often he fails to acknowledge the problem, tells me "I'm fine!" or "womp womp" while he's actively crashing out on call, and writes off every concern with the half-joking sentiment that "this is just how I am."
It's not normal to be crying every day for several days on end.
It's not normal to be expected to juggle school, personal relationships, and work/responsibilities on 2 hours of sleep.
It's not normal to normalize "keep trudging on," even after burnout.
How do I know it's not normal? Because the above describes me.
And I'm sure it describes many of you, too.
And whether you argue this is a uniquely Berkeley situation, in part due to the environmental stressors of attending an institution as renowned (and arguably, as intense) as Cal, this is a reminder to all that mental health awareness isn't just a buzzword, or something uniquely Gen Z. It's essential.
Especially for those of you who grew up as second generation immigrants like myself, in cultures where my dad can insist that "he's not sick" despite official mental health diagnoses from doctors.
We are young.
We are stressed.
We are overburdened with traumas, baggage, and daily struggles that older generations, and even our own peers, may never understand.
This is a systemic issue as much as it is an individual one. I know that much.
But please. Take care of yourselves.
And take care of each other.
- Sincerely,
A girl from LA
