You might have noticed that we here at Active Minds’ national office haven’t commented much on the political climate here in the United States over the last few weeks and months. There’s one particularly compelling reason for this. As a 501(c)3 tax-exempt nonprofit organization, we generally have to stay out of politics. For example, we…
About a month ago, I would have had my collegiate senior game. A day that I had been both dreading and anticipating ever since I started playing my sport. It is a day to honor student-athletes that will be playing their last collegiate match, but it is far more than just celebrating their last game….
Watch this short video clip to hear from two hugely committed #StigmaFighters! Dani Lukens, an Active Minds outreach specialist, spoke with Wentworth Miller, the popular actor and Active Minds’ Ambassador for Mental Health, about how talking about someone’s mental health is not an easy conversation to have, and yet how important it is to try. Wentworth Miller also…
This post speaks candidly about the portrayal of mental illness in popular media and includes stigmatizing language and descriptions to help inform readers about the topic. In recent years discussion about mental health and awareness about mental illness has been on the rise. The conversation has even found its way into pop culture with musical artists like Sia. However, mental…
This morning, as I sat down at my brand new cubicle here at the Active Minds National Headquarters, I realized that I forgot my mug in the lobby of my apartment building. I quickly texted my mom to see if she could grab it for me. She replied that she could, and I started to go…
Our office manager brought the staff meeting to a complete stop when he looked at his laptop and said, “We just got an email from Wentworth Miller.” Stunned silence. Is it spam? No, it looks legit. And that’s when the energy in the room went sky high! For several months, many of us had been following Wentworth from afar….
It sounds counterintuitive, but on March 28, 2012, the hot and rigid properties of asphalt made up the most forgiving surface of my life. I had attempted suicide, but I had survived and was posed with the toughest question of my life: now what? I suppose I should back up. I had been depressed for…
Content Warning: This piece contains mentions of suicide. Written by Remi Larson, Active Minds Student Advisory Committee and Active Minds at UCLA member. I’m here. I’m breathing. I’m alive. This surprises me sometimes. Then I remember how lucky I am for this second chance. When I attempted suicide I felt there was no hope left….
Content Warning: This piece contains mentions of suicidal ideation. This post was written by Dr. Colleen Coffey, a member of the Active Minds Speakers Bureau. I think that mental health issues exist on a spectrum. I mean this, of course, in the context of the range of issues we all face and the spectrum of…
Content Warning: This piece contains mentions of suicide. In November 2013, I knew little about mental health aside from the fact that my dad was battling depression. I avoided the topic of suicide on that autumn night when my dad mentioned it because I did not know how to respond. Sensing that it made me…
Active Minds is the largest nonprofit in the United States mobilizing youth and young adults to transform mental health norms across society.