Bemidji State University is breaking the stigma on mental health with their second Mental Health Advisory Board panel.

The panel was comprised of students, staff and faculty of BSU who have all experienced different forms of mental health issues including depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The panel took turns sharing personal stories. There was also an activity in the beginning of the event that showed how common mental health issues are.

Shawn Campbell, a panelist from the board, says, “I’ve done a lot of research on mental health and just some of the issues around it, and one thing I found out is that men are more likely to die by suicide because they don’t talk about it, because we’re told that you have to toughen up and man up and so it’s a dangerous culture, and my goal is to kind of shine a light on it and just be like, ‘hey, you know, we suffer too and it’s okay to suffer and it’s okay to seek help.’”

The BSU Mental Health Advisory Board will be at the “Art of the Earth’ festival later this month on campus. They’re also looking into hosting more panels.

By — Shirelle Moore