Mental Wellness Highlights
Student Edition
March 2024
Core Essential Values: Peace
peace /pēs/ noun
freedom from disturbance, tranquility.
"you can while away an hour or two in peace and seclusion."
Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding." "Peace is not the absence of conflict; it is the ability to handle conflict peacefully." "To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart."
Bipolar Disorder
Individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder experience extreme shifts in mood that include periods of depression and mania. The severity of symptoms depend on the bipolar disorder type.
- Bipolar I: Individuals experience at least one manic episode in their lives. A majority of individuals diagnosed with Bipolar I will also experience major depressive episodes .
- Bipolar II: Individuals with bipolar II have a minimum of one hypomanic episode (a less serious form of mania) and at least one major depressive episode.
Happiness
Happiness is an emotional state expressed by feelings of contentment, joy, fulfillment, and satisfaction. Happiness routinely involves positive emotions and life satisfaction.
Self-harm is also called self-injury. Self-harm refers to the act of hurting your own body on purpose to handle very difficult emotions, feelings, memories, and situations.
Self-harm is also described as:
- expressing something that's hard to put into words
- turning invisible thoughts or feelings into something visible
- changing emotional pain into physical pain
- reducing overwhelming emotional feelings or thoughts
- having a sense of being in control
- escaping traumatic memories
- having something in life that can be relied on
- punishing self to feel
- stop feeling numb, disconnected or dissociated
- creating a reason to physically care for self
- expressing suicidal feelings and thoughts without acting.
Get Help
If someone you know is self-harming, it is important not to be judgmental. Let that person know that you want to help. Mental health counseling may help by teaching:
- Problem-solving skills
- New ways to cope with strong emotions
- Better relationship skills
- Ways to strengthen self-esteem
It is possible to overcome the urge to hurt yourself. There are other ways to find relief and cope with your emotions. Self-harm treatment options can include outpatient therapy, partial-inpatient or and inpatient hospitalization. When behaviors are life-threatening or interfere with daily life, specialized self-harm programs are recommended.