Bipolar Disorder: No Longer Silently Among Us

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Demi Lovato have recently put a face to a disorder that is commonly referred to but widely misunderstood: bipolar disorder. While there is so much research and information on bipolar disorder, many refuse to see it as anything other than moodiness.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness) is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.

It is estimated that 1% of the American population is afflicted with bipolar disorder, with some psychologists believing that almost 5% of the population has the disorder. With current enrollment at Ole Miss being 14,159, there could be as many as 700 students with bipolar disorder on campus.

“Denial, especially in college students, is common because this makes people different and no one wants to be different, especially on a college campus,” Morgan Bryant, Licensed Professional Counselor at Ole Miss University Counseling Center, said. “People may notice that they are feeling different, but many times family members have to address concerns to an individual before they attempt to seek help.”

Bipolar disorder can be a product of genetics, environment, or a combination of the two. Anyone can be affected by this disorder at any time, but according to NIMH, bipolar disorder often develops in a person’s late teens or early adult years, with half of all cases starting before the age of 25.

Realizing and accepting that you have bipolar disorder is a major step in the process of treating the disorder. Through medication, therapy, and the support of relatives, friends, and others experiencing bipolar disorder, symptoms decrease and patients create a more stable environment for themselves.

“So many people say ‘This is normal for me, therefore I don’t have a problem.’ That’s just not true,” Bryant said. “Just because we are used to acting a certain way does not mean that those actions are healthy for us.”

Any last helpful hints from the Ole Miss counselor?

“Be informed. Talk to someone. There are so many resources on the Ole Miss campus and beyond that there is no reason not to get help!”

Bipolar Disorder: No Longer Silently Among Us

Bipolar Disorder: No Longer Silently Among Us

Sun Poisoning (w/o Voiceover)

Ole Miss Office of Health Promotions to Discuss Healthy Living

The Ole Miss Office of Health Promotions will have a meeting discussing how to eat healthy both on campus and around Oxford on Thursday night at 5:30pm. The meeting, which will take place in the Campus Walk game room, will give students information on how to eat healthily and maintain a balanced lifestyle.

According to many different studies, between 35 to 47% of college students are obese or overweight. Due to the lack of healthy options as well as limited time to exercise, college students are at high risk to gain weight and have weight related illnesses.

“The Union certainly encourages a bad diet,” Alyssa Willis, an Exercise Science junior, said. “They try to be healthy with some choices, but overall, everything has unhealthy options with empty calories, which will definitely add the pounds!”

Many students at Ole Miss give into the pitfalls of unhealthy food at the Union, whether it is due to having a meal plan, the convenience of the food, or the lack of care about what they are putting into their body.

“It’s my last year here and all I care about is graduating and getting a job,” Pat Mark, a Business Management senior, said. “My girlfriend tries to get me to eat healthy but it’s just so much easier and quicker to stop by the Union and pick up Chick-fil-a or pizza.”

A change needs to be made in food services at Ole Miss. Healthy living needs to be encouraged and students must stay informed about their choices and the impact that their choices make.

“I would like to see less processed foods,” Willis said. “I would like to see nutrition facts at the places to eat on campus. I would like to see more variety on campus. They make it easy to eat, but they don’t make it healthy to eat here. I don’t know how many calories I’m ingesting at any given meal in the Union.”

Others don’t care about the calories as long as there is food to meet their hunger.

“I think that people need to make their own choices,” Mark said. “If they don’t want to eat something here because it’s unhealthy, then they should prepare food for themselves before they come on campus. Personally, I go for convenience over nutrition and cost.”

The healthy living meeting will be at 5:30pm on Thursday, March 3^rd in the Campus Walk game room. Free Subway and Chick-Fil-A coupons will be available for those who attend.

Response to "Reporting to Conclusions"

When watching a show like Anderson Cooper 360 or The O'Reilly Factor, viewers must remember that they are bound to get a little more than the news--most likely they'll be getting some opinion as well. The language used in reports won't be as objective as you would find in the CBS Evening News or NBC's Nightly News. I believe it is important for journalists to share their opinion in news telling as long as it is clearly stated that they will be doing so. Once again, there are instances where the viewer subjects themselves into getting opinion. It may not be as blatant as Anderson Cooper's use of the word "lies," but watching Fox News, MSNBC, or any other network that has strong partisan ties will clearly give a spin to their stories, show more of a story, or completely ignore a story depending on how it fits into their agenda. This is not saying that those opinions are bad. They are anything but. We as consumers of news must remember the source of our news, which is key to understanding any subtle or obvious undertones in a story. In the end, it is the consumer's job to pick and choose where they get their news from and to decipher fact from opinion. Whether it be a newspaper or a television report, the consumer has the right to turn the page or change the channel if they don't like what they are being told.