Mental health should not be ignored
This is an open letter to the student body of ASU. I’m a master’s student in Marriage and Family Therapy, and my classmates and I are here preparing for our careers, ones that will be dedicated to helping others fulfill their lives by developing healthy relationships.
Monday, a graduate student committed suicide on campus. This was a person who was probably very much like me — working hard here at ASU to make a good life for himself and his family after graduation — and yet, something went very wrong. He felt that things got so bad that there was no escape other than suicide.
Maybe he didn’t know what resources were available to him. Maybe his family, friends and professors couldn’t see it coming. And you know what? That’s totally upsetting.
We have so many resources available to us when we’re in crisis. Take EMPACT, the local crisis hotline. You can call EMPACT 24/7 at 480-784-1500 if you or someone you know is feeling suicidal. You can visit Counseling and Consultation at http://students.asu.edu/counselingcrisis to get information on crisis situations or make a counseling appointment by calling 480-965-6146. Put these numbers in your phone! Know them and have them handy!
It is your responsibility as a student, friend and loved one to be aware of all mental health resources available to you. We need to be as conscious of our mental health as we are of our physical health, and we need to take responsibility for it. There are no excuses.
Kara Gasperone
Graduate student