Newsletters for Mental Health
Amber Gravitter, Intern Counselor, MSOE Counseling Services
November 2010
In light of the recent suicides caused by extreme bullying and harassment of individuals either openly gay orperceived to be so, noted writer and media journalist, Dan Savage has started the
It Gets Better Project. It Gets Better is an online site where individuals can post their own experiences and struggles to let LGBT youth out there know that there is hope and that life does get better. In addition, many prominent members of society are stepping up and posting video clips lending their voice and words of encouragement to the LGBT community. Among these individuals are President Barack Obama, Katy Perry, Ellen DeGeneres, and Glee’s Chris Golfer, to name a few. Another national organization dedicated to preventing crisis and suicide among LGBT youth is:
The Trevor Project.
The teen years are difficult ones for all youth. Adolescents begin to push limits and boundaries experimenting on their own with the idea of freedom and what it means to be an adult. Teens struggle to become independent from their parents, family, and friends. This is all part of their journey towards self-discovery and knowledge. This journey involves expressing themselves through the way they dress, the clubs and activities they participate in, the type of music they like, and who they choose to be friends with. Everyone has the right to self-expression in this country, but
not everyone can safely do so. The whole point of the
It Gets Better Project is to let individuals who are facing harassment know that there are others who have been there and lived through it. This campaign also sends a message to bullies that we will not tolerate your blatant disrespect and harassment of others who are different from you. One of the biggest challenges faced by LGBT youth is that sometimes their home environment may not be a safe place for them to be themselves. They are afraid of what their parents may think or maybe their family members are not accepting of them. Where can they turn if they have no place to stay. In the Milwaukee area there are a number of resources. Primary among them is the
LGBT Community Center. The community center is a place where LGBT individuals or straight allies, can go to become connected with resources and people who accept them for who they are.
Additional Resources:
http://www.hrc.org/issues/coming_out.asp
http://www.glnh.org/
MSOE Counseling Services creates monthly newsletters on mental healthconcerns and psychological issues. You can view the complete list of
downloadable Counseling Services Newsletters.
MSOE Counseling Services is located on the second floor of the
Kern Center (K-230). To schedule an appointment with a counselor, call (414) 277-7590 or visit the
Counseling Services homepage.
