Seeking to create a safe space for students to discuss mental health, Breaking the Stigma meets every other Thursday in teacher Brian Hendricks’ room.
Senior Peyton Templar started talking to Hendricks about founding a club to educate people about mental illness last January. But, the club didn’t begin to meet until November.
Due to 2019’s infamous “polar vortex” there wasn’t enough time to start anything. But with the new school year, Templar has renewed her efforts to create the club.
Breaking the Stigma’s vision is to teach people about mental illness and spread positive mental health through their Instagram and events.
“Our main goal is to educate and make people aware that people struggle with mental illness all the time,” Hendricks said.
Breaking the Stigma has a confidentiality agreement that requires all members to respect each other and not discuss what they share outside of the club.
“It is a space where [students] can learn about mental health issues, struggles that people go through,” mental health professional and co-founder Leo Preston said.
The group strives to educate students and, true to their name, help get rid of the stigma surrounding mental illness and treatment.
“[When] you’re sick, you go to the doctor. That’s very normal in our culture, but to go see a mental health professional has a stigma,” counselor and co-founder Kasey Hagler said. “We need to treat our mind just like we would treat our body. We go to get a checkup for our body, but it’s somehow frowned upon to go and get a checkup for our mind.”
Being a new group, Breaking the Stigma struggles with the turnout at their meetings. Templar remains patient, knowing the group needs time to pick up and encourages all to come.
“Everyone’s welcome, and we don’t judge people. We want everyone to feel like they have a safe space to go and talk,” Templar said.
