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Thursday, March 28, 2024
<p>Graffiti art touching on the topic of mental health adorns the walls of Norman Tunnel in November 2017.</p>

Graffiti art touching on the topic of mental health adorns the walls of Norman Tunnel in November 2017.

Sofia Padron pinned a green ribbon to a cork board on Turlington Plaza Monday. She was thinking of her close friends who have struggled with mental illness.

“A lot of people think you can just get over it,” the 19-year-old UF English freshman said. “Mental illness needs a healing process just like a physical injury does.”

Students hung ribbons and learned about mental health resources during “Gators Chomp the Stigma,” the opening event the third-annual Mental Health Awareness Week, which began Monday and will continue through Friday, said Phat Huynh, the 20-year-old cabinet director. The Health Affairs Cabinet, a division of UF Student Government’s executive branch, is hosting the week’s five events. The awareness week has a total budget of up to $2,000, which is funded through SG.

“A lot of students are worried to talk about those issues because they may not be familiar with them,” the UF applied physiology and kinesiology junior said.

Lynh Nguyen, an assistant director in the cabinet, said the week focuses on five different mental illnesses: depression, anxiety and panic disorder, substance abuse and addictive disorder, eating disorders and bipolar disorder.

“It’s definitely a hush-hush topic,” the 21-year-old UF health sciences senior said. “People are afraid to speak about it. For those who are too shy to come to our events, I would hope to give a flyer to a friend who can maybe help them open up.”

At Tuesday’s event “Taking the First Step,” organizations related to mental health, like the Counseling and Wellness Center, will show students some resources available to them, Huynh said.

On Wednesday, a panel ­– “Totally Cool or Taboo?” – will discuss a multicultural take on mental health. Organizations such as Hispanic Student Association and Asian American Student Union will be present, Huynh said. On Thursday, SG will hand out free refreshments and have a yoga instructor leading exercise on Plaza of the Americas.

The weeklong campaign will finish Friday, with the Health Affairs Cabinet passing out stress kits, Huynh said. The kits will include stress balls, candy and encouraging notes written by other students.

Upcoming Events

  • Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Reitz Union North Lawn - “Taking the First Step” where organizations related to mental health will talk about the resources they provide
  • Wednesday, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Reitz Union Auditorium - “Totally Cool or Taboo?” is a mental health panel with a multicultural perspective.
  • Thursday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Plaza of the Americas - “Stress Free with SG” will have free refreshments and a yoga instructor.
  • Friday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Turlington plaza - “Continuing the Fight” where stress kits will be handed out to students

Graffiti art touching on the topic of mental health adorns the walls of Norman Tunnel in November 2017.

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