Dedicated students, distinguished colleagues and dear friends,

Happy Friday!

Regardless of my age and station in life, I have no recollection of a time when I did not feel vulnerable to emotional ups and downs. The truth is, from time to time, no one is immune from the emotional roller coasters of life. It is also true that, regardless of how we may feel at any given time, our feelings are transient, never final, and we will feel entirely different, if we give ourselves time to recover.

I remember periods in my early college years when I could not see the light at the end of the tunnel of anxiety or episodes of depression. Then, magically, there would be light! After the cloud was lifted, I would ask myself, “What was I so worried about?” After a couple of cycles of darkness and light, I remember noticing that my thoughts were never final, and that I shouldn’t always believe everything that I think or how I emotionally feel! Then I gained the courage to seek help when I sensed the onset of potentially crippling thoughts. I learned then, even decades ago as a student, that my alma mater LSU had tools to help me identify when worrying was about to turn into a debilitating disorder. I realized that the mental health counselors were there for me and did not judge me. I became comfortable to seek help.

Today, on this World Mental Health Day, here at S&T, we are preparing for our annual Mental Well-Being Awareness Week next week with events and participation opportunities for all of us. I encourage our students, faculty and staff to check out Building HOPE Through Action, We Care About You a Latte, Mental Health Screening, Graduate Student Family Night, Green Zone Trainingand much more. The new S&T Health and Well-Being Collective is an initiative that brings together students, faculty, staff and administrators to align strategies, strengthen partnerships and embed well-being into campus culture in support of every community member’s success.

I particularly encourage our students to make appointments for individual and group counseling through Student Well-Being at no additional cost. For those of us who may be hesitant to seek traditional mental health support, TalkCampus offers anonymous, 24/7 peer-to-peer mental health support in 26 languages. If you or a friend you know might need help in a moment of despair, seek help from our Ask. Listen. Refer program and learn how to identify, recognize and get help for people at risk.

For our faculty and staff, our Optum Live and Work Well employee assistance program provides 24/7 access to clinical staff for consultation and referral. Our Mental Health Crisis Response Guide is designed to help you identify concerns, recognize signs of distress and respond appropriately and without delay.

To all, I say, if you are concerned about a friend or a student, refer them to UCARE where timely help is provided to ensure support whether they are struggling personally, academically, financially or otherwise.

Needless to say, in times of distress we need to move from withdrawal and isolation to share our emotions and establish our connections. We must move from isolation to inclusion, we must open up with candor, share our feelings, trust the support professionals and seek help. I also ask for all of us to be aware and ready to help a friend who might not feel comfortable seeking help or might need a nudge to reach out for assistance. After all, in helping others, we help ourselves.

It is important to realize, of course, that most of us are not professionals and cannot provide mental health advice, so we must leave the treatment to professionals. But being aware of and alert to others and their state of mind by sensing, listening and learning can help someone seek help they might not know they need. 

In the end, I know this: no matter how deep and under we feel today, our thoughts will be different tomorrow, the next day or the next week. We will do ourselves a great service to realize that our feelings are transient and never final. In times of need, we must harvest our connections, share our emotions and muster the courage to seek help if we are to triumph over our moments of despair.

Warmly,

-Mo.
 
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• Professor receives American Ceramic Society’s young professional award

Mohammad Dehghani, PhD
Chancellor
mo@mst.edu | 573-341-4116

206 Parker Hall, 300 West 13th Street, Rolla, MO 65409-0910
chancellor.mst.edu