Volume 49, Issue 6

Mental Health Awareness

Pierce

Manjot Pabla Digital animation still, 2021

Pierce is about darkness—how it creates isolation and how it brings forth emotional thoughts. The darkness represents multiple psychologically im pacting forces: trauma, existential crises, dissociation, or other personal interpretations on part of the viewer. The pitch-black space is a visualised extension of the mind as the body becomes invisible, separating its mental and physical form. This is the place where pain is processed, understood, and accepted. However, the still is part of a looping animation, illustrating the ongoing and repeating struggle of pain and acceptance. Though my ani mation is about exploring the acknowledgement of pain, the title calls to the moment just before it starts: where the pain originates.

Manjot Pabla is a recent graduate from the University of Toronto Mis sissauga and Sheridan College with a specialization in Art & Art History, primarily working in printmaking and design. Currently, she is the Design Editor for The Medium’s 49th volume—her second year fulfilling the role. In her work, she explores themes of pain and suffering, specifically dealing with the philosophical and psychological impact it creates. Most of her work deals with internalized conflicts between the mind and the body.

Students face challenging mental health obstacles post Covid-19

Anxiety, isolation, and helplessness plagued post-secondary students during the pandemic, while lingering fear of the virus and uncertainty about the future takes the spotlight post Covid-19.

Sena Yurt Contributor

Last names have been omitted to protect anonymity.

During the height of the pandemic, Ontario universities implemented remote learning as an emergency response to provincial stay-at-home orders. The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations conducted a survey on Canadian postsecondary students’ mental health in May 2020, discovering that 70 per cent of students reported feelings of anxiety, stress, or isolation during the health crisis.

A nation-wide poll conducted by the Canadian Mental Health Association found that post-secondary students expe rienced “elevated anxiety, stress, sadness, depression, substance use and suicidal thoughts” during the pandemic. Students needed to balance their studies alongside financial setbacks and, sometimes, grief over sick or lost family members.

The Medium spoke with two students at the University of To ronto Mississauga (UTM) about their experiences dealing with mental health.

Jordan, a fifth-year student, stated that her mental health de teriorated during the pandemic: “It was very difficult. I went through so many mental breakdowns trying to focus on my studies while also experiencing anxiety over my family’s health.”

“It was very difficult. I went through so many mental breakdowns trying to focus on my studies while also experiencing anxiety over my family’s health.”

Anjali, a fourth-year student, said that to cope with her mental health issues, she made the difficult decision of taking a break from her studies. “I never felt so much anxiety and de pression. It was pretty tough to stay motivated during a pan demic when there were lots of uncertainties. I had a high GPA before the pandemic, with online learning my grades dropped significantly so I decided to take a break from my studies to heal from my anxiety attacks and depression.”

Although in person learning has returned and most health

restrictions have been lifted, students are still experiencing the lasting impacts of the pandemic on their mental health.

“It was pretty tough to stay motivated during a pandemic when there were lots of uncertainties.”

Denise Alton, the Lead Counsellor at UTM’s Health & Coun selling Centre (HCC), wrote in an email interview with The Me dium that “returning to in person learning has been challenging for most.” Notably, many UTM students feel anxious interacting with peers and professors now that the institution is operating fully in-person.

“In addition to the transition to in-person learning, many are new to being university students and all the challenges that come with newly found independence, new academic expec tations and hopes, and new relationships that are being built,” explains Alton.

Alton reminds students that there are mental health resourc es available at UTM, stating: “[The] HCC provides open access to mental health care needs by offering same day appointments. UTM also offers all students access to MySSP, a free, confiden tial source of professional counselling that is offered 24/7 by text or phone in over 100 languages.”

The Covid-19 pandemic presented many mental health chal lenges to UTM students, some of which linger as we move past the health crisis. Regardless, the HCC offers students with men tal health care and personalized wellness plans consistent with their needs, allowing students to excel at their academics while readjusting to the “new normal.”

“Returning to in person learning has been challenging for most.”

The World Health Organization advocates for a worldwide reform of mental health support

Kirsty MacLellan Contributor

In June 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) re leased its largest mental health review since 2000. The review revealed that an alarming 14 per cent of the world’s adolescents are living with a mental disorder, and due to the Covid-19 pandemic, depression and anxiety rates rose by 25 per cent in 2020, making mental health disorders the leading cause of disability worldwide.

The pandemic’s pronounced effects on mental health have forced the general population to acknowledge depression and anxiety as valid illnesses. The WHO emphasizes this, stating that sufferers are likely to die 10 to 20 years earlier than non-sufferers due to prevent able physical diseases.

The WHO highlights that 20 countries still criminalize suicide. Adding that stigma causes mental health to be ignored in both low-income and high-income countries. No tably, economically disadvantaged individuals suffer the most.

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandem ic, rates of mental health disorders have risen. The Medium spoke with Dr.

Farah Ahmad, an associate professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, and a professor at York University, to dis cuss why the Covid-19 pandemic has been so hard on mental health, particularly amongst youth.

Dr. Ahmad highlights that the pandemic has left youths feeling a lack of purpose and belonging—noting their reduced opportunities to engage with their communities. Even small social interactions, such as helping a stranger out with their grocery shopping, or saying “thank you” at a store, “helps build [one’s] identity.” Unfortunately, these inter actions were limited during the pandemic. Dr. Ahmad emphasizes the importance of systematically valuing well-being. She high lights the need to support secondary and postsecondary students through support systems and community leaders’ actions. She explains that “waiting until they are diagnosed [is] too late.” Dr. Ahmad instead encourages communities and leaders to actively ask stu dents how they would like to be supported

Regarding what youths can do themselves, Dr. Ahmad urges them to exercise, to invest time into new hobbies, and to take a step back from social

Although the pandemic has been especially tough on developing youths, Dr. Ahmad

sees optimism in the situation. She observes that the last two years has opened a dialogue on mental health care. Sharing her findings from focus groups with undergraduate U of T students, Ahmad states that students naturally “started to do informal check-ins” with themselves and with each other. She highlights that the pandemic has made us “much more aware of our mental health.” Prospectively, she encourages students to continue with casual check-ins as they promote well-being and balance in day-to-day life.

On the grander scheme of mental wellbeing, the WHO urges countries to devote more time, energy, and funding to mental health support: the goal is to eliminate stigma and pro mote mental health resources worldwide.

This call for increased support for mental health is nothing new. The WHO put forth its “Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2030,” which outlines the actions needed for countries to build systems focused on mental wellbeing. Notably, building interconnecting public health networks that equally value mental and physical healthcare will be key in supporting the growing global population.

All 194 WHO member states have signed up to support the action plan. However, the WHO says transformative change is not coming fast enough. Mental health is still overlooked in public health policies, despite holding significant bearings in individual’s wellbeing. The WHO’s review reminds govern ments worldwide to address the ongoing mental health crisis, which may finally lead to people receiving the care they need.

Canada to introduce a suicide crisis line November 2023 to address mental health crisis

Razia Saleh Staff Writer

On August 31, 2022, the Canadian Ra dio-television and Telecommunica tions Commission (CRTC) announced that it will be using 9-8-8 as an emergency con tact line for individuals requiring immedi ate mental health assistance. The line will be available for use across Canada starting on November 30, 2023.

Based on trends and reports released by Statistics Canada, the pandemic had a significant impact on Canadian’s mental health. In 2021, the second year of the Co vid-19 pandemic, 4.2 per cent of Canadian adults reported having suicidal thoughts. This is an increase from 2.7 per cent in 2019, shortly before the pandemic started.

The Canadian Government revealed that suicide is the ninth leading cause of death in Canada. On average, 10 people commit suicide every day for an approximate 4,000 deaths by suicide annually. This problem is particularly apparent among the younger population, with suicide being the second

leading cause of death for Canadians aged 10 to 29.

The chairperson and CEO of CRTC, Ian Scott, stated that the implementation of the 9-8-8 hotline is “a significant step in mak ing mental health and suicide prevention resources more accessible to everyone in Canada.” The hotline can be used by any individual requiring immediate care and

is available free of charge 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Scott emphasizes that mental health is an important issue and should be taken seri ously. “Although much work is left to be done to bring help to people who need it, we have set accelerated timelines to ensure that 9-8-8 is implemented as quickly and as efficiently as possible.”

“Although much work is left to be done to bring help to people who need it, we have set accelerated timelines to ensure that 9-8-8 is implemented as quickly and as efficiently as possible.”

Today, there are numerous suicide pre vention resources available to Canadians.

For example, Talk Suicide Canada is ac cessible toll-free at 1-833-456-4566. Addi tionally, the Hope for Wellness Help Line provides specialized support to Indigenous Peoples across Canada. They can be reached at 1-855-242-3310 or online through the Hope for Wellness chat.

According to the World Health Organi zation, suicides are preventable. Measures taken by communities and individuals can save lives. The introduction of the 9-8-8 ho tline provides another method of preven tion for the Canadian population.

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a surge in suicidal ideation among Canadian adults, highlighting the need for more mental health support and resources in the nation.

WHO reports mental disorders are the leading cause of disability and urges countries to accelerate plans to eliminate stigma towards mental illnesses.

Mental illness to become a reason for medically assisted death in Canada

Hema Ramnarine Staff Writer

In March of 2023, Canadian regulations surrounding eu thanasia will allow people who suffer solely from mental illness to apply for medical assistance in death (MAiD). Cur rently, requests for MAiD that only cite mental disorders— which seldom lead to natural deaths on their own—usually fail to meet the “reasonably foreseeable natural death” crite rion denoted by Bill C-14, causing them to be turned down.

In 2015, MAiD was decriminalized following the Supreme Court’s decision in Carter vs. Canada. There has been polar izing discourse about MAiD for mental illness. Even within U of T’s Faculty of Psychiatry, opinions are divided.

In a brief submitted to the Standing Committee on Le gal and Constitutional Affairs, U of T lecturer, Dr. Justine Dembo, expressed support for the upcoming changes to MAiD. She stated that the current exclusion of mental illness is “problematic” and promotes a stigma against people with mental disorders. “This exclusion also attempts to separate ‘mental’ from ‘physical’ illness. Given that the brain is a phys ical organ, […] the exclusion is not only false, but harmful,” wrote Dr. Dembo.

This view, however, is not shared by all members of the community. The Medium spoke to Dr. Sonu Gaind, a profes sor of the Faculty of Psychiatry and the physician chair of

Humber River Hospital’s MAiD team. Dr. Gaind advocates for the distinction of mental and physical illness. “Mental ill nesses are valid illnesses, but that doesn’t mean they’re the same as everything else. […] There is no comparison be tween the degree of predictability of things like cancer or [amyotrophic lateral sclerosis], the things our MAiD laws have actually been formed around, and the unpredictability of mental illness.”

Dr. Gaind explains that the rates of remission for physi cal illnesses, like cancer, cannot be accurately compared to mental illness, stating: “For some forms of cancer, odds of spontaneous remission—recovery without treatment—range

from one in a hundred thousand to one in a million. For de pression, we’ve looked at naturalistic studies [where patients had no treatment] and we found that the majority had remis sion of their depression within a year.”

“We’re taking what amounts to transient suicidality and making it a permanent death,” explains Dr. Gaind, noting that people with mental illnesses may make an irreversible decision during a period of weakness.

While she recognizes the vulnerability of people suffering from mental disorders, Dr. Dembo states that a full exclusion to MAiD will not benefit sufferers who are already vulnera ble: “Given that anyone has the potential to be vulnerable, pa tients deserve a careful assessment, on a case-by-case basis.”

Regardless, Dr. Gaind argues that things may not be as equal as they seem should MAiD access be expanded. The ill nesses that render someone eligible for MAiD may be exacer bated by social factors, and this may lead to a disproportion ate number of vulnerable people seeking and being approved for MAiD. Referencing the case of Sathya Kovac, a 44-yearold woman from Winnipeg who ended her life via MAiD, Dr. Gaind says, “We already have people getting it saying ‘it is my psychosocial suffering that is fueling this request.’”

Mental disorders are, by nature, more volatile and unpre dictable than their physical counterparts. For this reason, the medical community as well as Canadians suffering from se vere illness are faced with a complicated issue as new policies relating to mental illnesses are put forth for MAiD.

“Doomscrolling” is slowly eroding our mental health

Angelina Jaya Siew Contributor

As the Covid-19 pandemic emerged, in dividuals turned to the Internet to find positive news. However, they were exposed to a flood of pessimistic messages, causing stress and anxiety. Researchers dub this phenom enon “doomscrolling.”

“Doomscrolling refers to a unique media habit where social media users persistently attend to negative information in their newsfeeds about crises, disasters and tragedies.”

According to a research article published in January 2022 in the Technology, Mind, and Behavior journal, “Doomscrolling refers to a unique media habit where social media users persistently attend to negative information in their newsfeeds about crises, disasters and tragedies.” A BBC article reveals that most in dividuals spent some portion of 2020 doom

scrolling—so much so that the Oxford Eng lish Dictionary added the term and named it a “Word of the Year” for 2020.

There are various factors that contribute to the phenomenon of doomscrolling. A notable cause is the human tendency to make better sense of uncontrollable situations by filling the information gap caused by unforeseen events. Doomscrolling was most apparent during the Covid-19 pandemic because peo ple were confined to their homes and flooded with news.

People flocked to social media to find posi tive information about the health crisis and alleviate their fears and stressors. Instead, they found pessimistic news which “further [exacerbated] feelings of anxiety, apprehen sion, uncertainty, and panic,” stated a study published in April 2021 in Perspectives in Psy chiatric Care by researchers from the National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences in Bengaluru Karnataka, India.

The study also explains that journalism takes advantage of this human tendency, as news outlets use provocative headlines to capture a readers’ attention with fear. Social media users will often reinforce their con cerns by continuously exposing themselves to pessimistic information, which can ultimately foster feelings of hopelessness.

somnia, poor appetite, and decreased motiva tion to perform daily activities.

Regardless, the adverse psychological ef fects of doomscrolling can be reduced over time. According to an article published by the

Psychiatry faculty at U of T divided on Supreme Court’s new decision to revise MAiD regulations.

“Journalism takes advantage of this human tendency, as news outlets use

The phenomenon of doomscrolling reinforces pessimism and increases levels of stress.

Virtual healing: How VR is being used to treat mental illness

Hema Ramnarine Staff Writer

In a study released in April of 2022 by the International Jour nal of Environmental Research and Public Health, research ers explored the efficacy of using virtual reality (VR) to treat mental illnesses. They found that using VR to simulate different environments causes emotions that reduce psychological stress. They presented VR as an option for people with mobility issues to experience beneficial environments such as geographically distant tourist destinations.

“They found that using VR to simulate different environments causes emotions that reduce psychological stress.”

Likewise, another study published in February of 2021 in the journal of Health and Technology in video games during the pandemic was highly effective for improving both mental and physical health. VR use increased dramatically during the Covid-19 lockdowns, with video games being the most common use, but many users reported using their VR headsets for physical fitness as well.

The use of VR for meditation was also examined. Using a “didactic, trauma-informed care approach to [instruct] mind fulness meditation,” researchers compared VR-led meditation to 2D meditation (watching a pre-recorded video on a screen) and real-life meditation. When compared to 2D meditation, VR meditation was found to be more relaxing and less tiring.

In some cases VR mediation was even preferred over faceto-face instruction, which was most apparent during Covid-19 when social distancing was required.

The Medium spoke to U of T Professor Carmen Logie, an assistant professor at the Faculty of Social Work, through email about her work on using VR to treat mental health disorders.

“There was review of the effects of VR on mental well

promise for improvements in mental wellness, including im proved mood and reduced stress,” states Professor Logie, de noting the rationale behind using VR to raise mental health awareness and improve self-compassion. She explains that VR offers a plenitude of opportunities, allowing users to see, hear, and approach things from a different perspective.

Despite its positives, there are real-life issues that cannot be solved in VR’s fabricated world. “It doesn’t necessarily get to the root cause of your challenges if they lie in the structural and social world, for example someone who’s depressed because they’re in an abusive relationship,” states Professor Logie. There are also physical limitations to VR, as some patients may expe rience nausea when using headsets and other gear.

Prospectively, Professor Logie believes that traditional ther apy remains a valuable tool to reduce depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders. VR therapy will expand the toolbox, serving as a complement rather than a replacement. She puts forth that “preparing people with a lot of options is the way

PROVOST/THE MEDIUM

As we gradually enter the post-pandemic world, vir tual alternatives to mental and physical health services are more important than ever. The growing use of VR for therapy could be revolutionary, potentially improving the mental wellbeing of the populace.

A single faced coin—the mutual relationship of chronic illness and depression

Sukaina Rizvi Contributor

A 2019 study released in the the American Medical Association vealed that patients afflicted by chronic physical and mental illnesses faced higher rates of hospitalization and visited emer gency departments more frequently than those with only a chronic physical condi tion. This is problematic, as on average, patients with a chronic illness have a 25 to 33 per cent chance of becoming depressed. The risks are higher if the patient has dealt with depression in the past.

its one’s mobility and worrying about treat ment can create a sense of hopelessness in patients, leading to decreased motivation to engage in activities. This is where the link between chronic illness and depression

Depression can also cause chronic con ditions to worsen. Studies have found that depression can cause a low ered glucose tolerance in diabetic patients, decreased amounts of physical activity, and an increased use of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs. Additionally, physicians may over look depression and only treat the

Naturally, both chronic and mental illnesses must be addressed during treat ment. Failing to recognize the connection between these two types of illnesses can cause sluggish or halted recovery.

Over 80 per cent of depression cases can be treated using medicine, psychotherapy, or both. Medication used to treat depres

sion include antidepressants, which can im prove a patient’s mood by changing the way their brain uses chemicals. Antidepressants take effect after four to eight weeks and must be taken according to a physician’s instructions.

The second treatment used for depres sion is psychotherapy, which involves coun selling an individual to help make behav ioural changes. This can be accomplished through cognitive-behavioural therapy or interpersonal therapy.

Alongside the treatments, individuals must maintain a healthy lifestyle by incor porating a balanced diet and plenty of exer cise in daily life.

Everyone is different and will respond to depression and chronic illnesses differently. There is no “one size fits all.” However, by recognizing the link between chronic and mental illnesses, doctors may find new per spectives in the treatment of such health conditions, leading to the improved overall well-being of patients.

“While a healthy lifestyle, a good diet, and medication, can improve the condition, it cannot be cured.”

Poor mobility, grim outlooks, and anxiety over treatments serve to introduce and reinforce depressive disorders in patients with chronic illness.

“Traditional therapy remains a valuable tool to reduce depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders. VR therapy will expand the toolbox.”

The Covid-19 pandemic and social distancing spurred researchers to investigate VR’s efficacy in treating mental illnesses and maintaining mental wellbeing.

Conflict in Iran intensifies as police forces crackdown on protests

flow of information and news.

Larry Lau News Editor

On September 16, 2022, Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, a 22-yearold Kurdish woman, died in police custody in the Ira nian capital of Tehran. A United Nations (UN) press release reveals that Amini was arrested on September 13 for “what was perceived to be ‘improper’ hijab,” which are the heads carves worn by many Muslim women for religious reasons.

“Reports state that Amini was physically abused by the police, suggesting the bruises and injuries sustained during her arrest and custody led to her death.”

Reports state that Amini was physically abused by the police, suggesting the bruises and injuries sustained during her arrest and custody led to her death. She collapsed at a detention centre shortly after being apprehended and died three days later in a hospital in Tehran. The Iranian government dis putes these claims.

Amnesty International, a non-gov ernmental organization advocating for human rights, revealed that the cause of Amini’s death was investigated by the Min istry of Interior of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who is affiliated with the government. The coroner stated that Amini died from pre-existing medical conditions related to a brain tumour that was removed when she was 8-years-old.

“The unit actively patrolled the streets of Iranian cities for women who wear “loose hijabs.”

Amini was arrested by Iran’s “morality police.” As report ed by Acting United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif, in the past few months, the unit ac tively patrolled the streets of Iranian cities for women who wear “loose hijabs.” Such women were subjected to harass ment, violence, and arrest by the police.

As of October 12, the Iran Human Rights non-profit or ganization has determined the death toll to be at least 201 people, a number that is increasing daily.

Amnesty International reported that upwards of 82 peo ple were killed by Iranian security forces in the provinces of Zahedan, Sistan, and Baluchistan on September 30. Named “Bloody Friday,” the deaths took place during protests calling for action against a police commander who reportedly raped a 15-year-old girl. To disperse the protests, security forces fired live ammunition and tear gas into the crowds.

“Violent conflict broke out in Iran’s Kurdish regions due to Amini’s Kurdish background and the continuous oppression Kurds have faced historically.”

Violent conflict broke out in Iran’s Kurdish regions due to Amini’s Kurdish background and the continuous oppression Kurds have faced historically. Reports state that the

Iranian government has mobilized tanks in the region.

Notably, the city of Sanandaj, the capital of the province of Kurdistan, saw violent clashes on October 8 and 9. Security forces opened fire on protestors, residents, and homes, killing four protestors and injuring hundreds of civilians.

International communities have condemned the Iranian government for using lethal weapons and suppressing free dom of speech.

U of T principal Meric Gertler issued a statement on Octo ber 5, 2022 expressing, “On behalf of the U of T community, I condemn the systemic violations of the rights of women that led to Mahsa Amini’s death.”

Gertler states that the university will support Iranian stu dents seeking refuge from the ongoing crisis who are intend ing to study at U of T. Bursaries will be available to applicable students.

UTM principal Alexandra Gillespie echoed Gertler’s state ment on October 6, 2022, in her message to the UTM com munity, also condemning the Iranian government for viola tions of women’s and protestor’s rights.

With increasing scale and frequency of protests, the situa

Amini’s death sparked a wave of protests and demonstra tions in many Iranian cities. Protestors are calling for the Ira nian leadership to respect women’s rights, for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to be overthrown, and for the abolish ment of theocracy—a country led by clerical leaders and gov erned by religious law—in the Middle Eastern nation.

In response, the Iranian government has suppressed pro tests using lethal force. The government has also imposed restrictions on resident’s access to the Internet, limiting the

“Protestors are calling for the Iranian leadership to respect women’s rights, for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to be overthrown, and for the abolishment of theocracy.”

The death of Mahsa Amini sparked protests across Iran, exposing lack of respect for women’s rights while questioning the efficacy of theocracy in the nation.

07 OPINION

EDITORIAL BOARD

Editor-in-Chief

Elizabeth Provost editor@themedium.ca

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Aia Jaber managing@themedium.ca

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Kareena Kailass opinion@themedium.ca

Features

Prisha (Maneka) Nuckchady features@themedium.ca

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Julia Skoczypiec arts@themedium.ca

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Alisa Samuel sports@themedium.ca

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Samira Karimova photos@themedium.ca

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Manjot Pabla design@themedium.ca

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Aidan Thompson aidan@themedium.ca

Juliana Stacey juliana@themedium.ca

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Belicia Chevolleau social@themedium.ca

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WRITE FOR US

The dark side of being an international student

Being an international student brings a lot more than just new faces, places, and opportunities.

Nessma Korideck Contributor

Leaving home and moving to university is highly anticipated.

We think about this moment for months, years even‚ and imagine what it will be like. We pack our best outfits and shop for room décor, convincing ourselves that this is just another part of our journey. Although this is true, no amount of self-motivation can really prepare you for leaving home and living abroad. But once life in your new home begins to flow, you find yourself engulfed in this new world you’ve built your self. I think in terms of mental health, the hardest part is not at the beginning of this new change, but rather near the middle, if not the end of the semester. Once the schoolwork starts to really pile, the homesickness starts to kick in, and you seriously start to ask yourself if you’re in the right place.

is staying focused on your own academic goals while also main taining a healthy balance, which is why it’s important to surround yourself with people that will not only support you, but also push you to achieve your highest level of success.

Finally—and I think a lot of international students can relate to me saying this—the most straining aspect of university on our mental health is the pressure to succeed. By this, I mean the finan cial pressure that is directly connected to our studies. I know this might seem like news to some, but internation al students pay almost 20 thousand more dollars than domestic students in Canada.

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The thing about being an international student is that we don’t have the comfort of having a place we call “home” to return to every night. While trying to find the best in our living situations, it is not the same as having a comforting, accustomed home. And so, we must find comfort in other places, most of the time with the people we choose to befriend. Which is why it is essential—for an interna tional student at least—to find a safe and trustworthy group of friends. Without that support system, life can feel very lonely very quickly.

“We must find comfort in other places, most of the time with the people we choose to befriend.”

Alongside this, who we choose to surround ourselves with is just as important. Everyone has differ ent programs and different in terests, and with that come dif ferent workloads and different

Many are lucky enough to get scholar ships, but others are not. And the weight that bears on our mental health is quite catastrophic. This is when the pressure to do well often creeps in. When exams are just around the corner, the expecta tions we put on ourselves push us to a dark place, leading us to believe that if we fail, we’re letting down our families, who are al ready sacrificing so much to send us here. For many of us, retaking a course is simply not an option, and we only get one shot of doing well. That pressure alone weighs us down.

If there is anything that I’ve learned from my experience, it is to surround yourself with good people. We all have our own bag gage, and we’re all struggling in some form or another. Having people that you can lean on and simply relate to takes a major weight off our shoulders. And most importantly, at the end of the day, the priority is you. If you need to, take a break for yourself so that you can focus on your own goals, your own joys, and your own peace of mind. And if you need support doing so, there is no shame in asking for help.

Editor | Kareena Kailass

“The hardest part is not at the beginning of this new change, but rather near the middle.”

“For many of us, retaking a course is simply not an option, and we only get one shot of doing well.”

Editorial

Mental health support is a form of health care

There should never be wait times associated with accessing proper mental health resources.

Medium

Reaching out for mental health resources can be an in timidating experience, and that’s perfectly normal—ev eryone moves at their own pace, and what’s important is that you feel supported and safe as you navigate through your own thoughts and feelings. What’s never okay, however, is not having access to the care you deserve. As our society continues to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, alarm ing structural deficiencies within our healthcare system, es pecially when it comes to mental health, are being exposed.

According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, “Half of Canadians wait up to a month for ongoing coun selling services in the community.” Children and youth in Ontario are facing wait times of up to a year for counselling and therapy. This must change.

“Half of Canadians wait up to a month for ongoing counselling services in the community.”

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has found that “while mental illness accounts for about 10 per cent of the burden of disease in Ontario, it receives just [seven] per cent of health care dollars,” leaving our mental health care system at a deficit of around 1.5 billion dollars. Access to mental health care in our province will never improve if we do not advocate for more funding and sup port. Governments need to recognize that, as CAMH states, “mental health is health,” and treatment for such conditions should be given the same importance as physical illnesses.

By: Reid Fournier

Our team at The Medium with their mental health to reach out, even if that means putting your name at the end of a long waitlist, because eventually, your name will be at the top. We also would like to remind you of the resources offered by the University of Toronto Mississauga, such as the Health and Counselling Centre, and by

Social media burnout is more common than you think

What it is, how to spot it, and ways to prevent it.

Hannah Grace Wang Contributor

Working with social media is often seen as glamourous, easy, and nothing more than just making fun TikTok videos or posting on Instagram. But this is not the truth. The re ality of blending your personal and work life on social media is that you are more susceptible to social media burnout. It can be frustrating when people oversimplify the role and tasks of social media management. The term “burnout” can be used loosely, but because of its broad definition, many people apply the word to themselves—not just social media managers.

managers face daily. With so many different platforms, main taining an active online presence is challenging for social media teams, and especially draining for just one person.

Despite these challenges, social media itself isn’t the big bad enemy we seem to think it is. Social media allows us to con nect with family, friends, customers, and like-minded individu als from the comfort of our phones and tablets. The number of small business start-ups that have gone viral and turned into blooming companies with the help of TikTok and Instagram Reels showcase the good that social media can do. Social media is not inherently harmful, but using it too much can have nega tive consequences.

Dr. Michaela Dunbar, Clinical Psycholo gist and founder of @myeasytherapy Instagram, defines social media burnout as a “form of online fatigue that can happen when you spend too much time on social networks.” According to Dr. Dun bar, feeling like you’re easily irri tated, issues with motivation, being physically drained, having difficulty concentrat ing, and/or neglecting your own needs are signs of burn out to be on the lookout for.

When we are online so of ten, creating content and en gaging with others (and the endless scrolling) seems almost natural. After all, it is a part of the reality that social media

That’s not to say social media is all good either. Like any tool, social media can be used with bad in tentions. To be frank, too much of anything is bad, and yes, the same applies to social media. When you start to feel overwhelmed by having to maintain a social media presence, it’s probably a good idea to step back and re-evaluate how you spend your time online.

If you’re experiencing social media burnout, you’re not alone. It is not too late to start implementing steps to help avoid social media fatigue. To combat these challenges, try taking breaks from your screen, setting healthy boundaries for yourself, and moulding your social media presence to fit your schedule, rather than moulding your schedule to fit social media.

“You are never alone, and there will always be someone willing to help.”

“The reality of blending your personal and work life on social media is that you are more susceptible to social media burnout.”

"When you start to feel overwhelmed by having to maintain a social media presence, it’s probably a good idea to step back and re-evaluate how you spend your time online."

Lonely in a crowded room

A room full of people, and I’m trapped in the middle.

Aia Jaber Managing Editor

Loneliness is often viewed as this state of being physically alone. For me, loneliness is being surrounded by people that you love, and that love you, and yet you feel alone. I’ve felt alone a lot. Sometimes I’m sitting with my friends, laughing at a joke when all of a sudden, my heart sinks, my social battery dies, and I realize that I’d like to be anywhere but there. And in those mo ments, I think, “I do not feel comfortable enough to share how I feel with anyone around me.” So, I get up, say goodbye to every one, and watch their mouths tug at frowns as I leave.

I have a handful of the most wonderful people in my life. In dividuals who tell me they love me, and who gasp in excitement the second they see me in the halls. They are people who tell me they’re desperate to hear about my highs and lows, and who offer their message box to rant. But, I’m simply unable to open my mouth. It’s as if there’s a zipper with a lock on my mouth, and I can’t find the words or tone to express my feelings without also com pletely minimiz ing my struggles.

“It’s as if there’s a zipper with a lock on my mouth, and I can’t find the words or tone to express my feelings without also completely minimizing my struggles.”

Occasionally, I do talk about some of the sadder things in life, and for the past couple months, I’ve been opening up. But the loneliness is growing again, and I understand that the sadness will come in waves, just as happiness does.

“I’d lie to my family and say I was going to sleep when in reality, I would go to my room, turn on the fan so no one could hear me, and simply sob until I couldn’t anymore.”

couldn’t anymore. My anxiety ran rampant, my self-loathing ex treme, and my insecurities raged. I turned to counselling offered by the university and quickly gathered how little expertise these professionals actually had.

In truth, I liked my counsellor, and it was because she just listened to me—not because of her “methods.” I didn’t feel bad venting about everything upsetting me because I knew she was getting paid to listen to me—it was her job. She told me, after a few sessions, that I didn’t need counselling. She told me I was “an intuitive and intelligent girl” who figured her own problems out. I beamed at her compliments but am now hesitant to seek coun selling again because she’s right. I don’t need it. But I do want it. I liked how she had to listen to me. I liked that it was her job to

Changing Leaves:

Fake it ‘till you make it

Aia Jaber Managing Editor

I’m easy to please, except when it comes to my personal life.

Sick of hearing “you’ll be fine” and “don’t worry, you got this,” I eventu ally stopped confiding in people. I needed to avoid the “just move on” and “why don’t you journal?” because it felt like people didn’t care enough to truly think about empathy. Meanwhile, I sat there and put their worries before mine, just to make sure

So, I’m not lonely in the physical sense—not in the slightest. But I do feel lonely every once in a while, as I try to sacrifice for others while caring for myself. I’ve gotten better at this. I had fun in my second semester of third year and cared so little of what everyone thought of me. But I know that I am someone who needs and wants above average empathy, and I understand that not everyone has this—which is why I want people to know

“I’ve realized that I’ve felt the loneliest when I needed someone to care in the way I know best.”

I don’t always feel lonely. But I’ve realized that I’ve felt the loneliest when I needed someone to care in the way I know best. I haven’t needed that for a long time, but now I do. Still, I’ve

Over the last two years, I’ve been told that I “seem really put together,” and the truth is, I’m not. I have moments where I fall apart and episodes where I close my door at night and sob. I have impulses to de lete my existence on social media and move to a coun try where no one knows me. Sometimes, I want to stop time or fast-forward. And sometimes, I don’t care for my present or my future.

My mental health fluctuates, like it does for many other people. I try really hard to avoid showing that I’m not doing well—at times hating myself for not keeping my largest smile. It gets so bad that I start being upset with myself for responding with “I’m okay,” instead of “I’m doing great,” when someone asks me how I am. My social media presence is filled with friends and hap piness, but my private stories occasionally catch a tear streaming down my flushed face. I feel like a nuisance— an annoying loose thread that you can’t seem to tug off your shirt.

I like to remind myself that happy moments are guar anteed, and that those smiles and laughs you have every once in a while are sufficient to get you to the next glee ful instance where you find yourself grinning like an id iot and twirling like you are the most graceful ballerina. But sometimes, they’re not. And you might spend every day or every night wishing for better, crying for perma nent change, and hoping someone will hear your pleas and provide you with the love and support you need.

Last winter wasn’t so great for me, and I feel myself falling back into that hole. But I knew that good times were coming, and they arrived and filled me with grati tude and happiness. I still have hope for happier times. The bad, the good, the heartbreak, the love, the adven ture, the failure—they’re all guaranteed in life.

How

broke up with Jack Daniels

Aidan Thompson Copy Editor

In 2021, alcohol killed more people in the United States than drugs did at the peak of the opioid epidemic. In a single year, alcohol caused more deaths in the United States than guns and car crashes combined—a country that can’t go two minutes without someone calling for gun control. And yet, it’s not only legal to blackout and wake up covered in Cheetos watching reruns of Full House, but it actually makes for a pretty hilarious story. But as soon as OxyCon tin, Xanax, or methamphetamines get involved, suddenly you’re no longer welcome at the family reunion.

In my life, alcohol worked on a cycle. I would go out, chase each drink with a poor decision, and then wake up at 8 a.m. too anxious to fall back asleep. My tongue would feel like sandpaper, my head like a bucket of nails, and I’d spend the entire day staring at the Netflix home page, unfit to make even the smallest of decisions. I’d profess that this would be “the last time” and that “I never want to get drunk again.” And then the weekend would pass, and come again, and I would make the same mistakes.

“My tongue would feel like sandpaper, my head like a bucket of nails, and I’d spend the entire day staring at the Netflix home page, unfit to make even the smallest of decisions.”

I wasn’t drinking any more than my friends. I just didn’t have the same resilience as the skinny-jeaned-fraternityhoused finance major who somehow made it to class after two hours of sleep and 12 Jagger bombs.

born of necessity, but a chance to take a step towards im proving my mental health. The first few weeks were chal lenging—I quickly realized how often you need to make a conscious choice not to drink. And with every soda water ordered, I felt compelled to offer some explanation to the people I was with, as if I needed a signed note from my doc tor to excuse myself.

“There was no rehab or Alcoholics Anonymous meetings; it wasn’t a decision born of necessity, but a chance to take a step towards improving my mental health.”

Now, before you start trying to pull me off my high horse, let me concede that alcohol is fun. It makes you sociable and there’s some cathartic anarchy that comes from it. Up until four months ago, I was drinking almost every day; sometimes it was a glass of wine with dinner, other times it was eight tequila shots and a 3 a.m. McDonald’s order. There was no emotional intervention or criminal record that de manded the change; I just came to the overdue realization that drinking wasn’t healthy for me.

In retrospect, the three-day-panic-inducing hangovers should have been clear evidence that drinking wasn’t ben eficial to my mental health, but it never occurred to me that I should just stop. At the time, dancing shirtless on a strang er’s coffee table at 2 a.m. felt as much of a part of being in your twenties as struggling to pay your bills or eating out of Tupperware does.

“Alcohol is so deeply engrained in Western society that the government is, quite literally, our dealer.”

Despite the hangovers and panic attacks, it took a con versation with a friend to alert me to the obvious toll that alcohol had on my mental health—that is how normalized drinking is amongst my friends, my family, and my culture. Alcohol is so deeply engrained in Western society that the government is, quite literally, our dealer. Despite the im mense collateral damage that alcohol causes, there is no way that this will ever change on an institutional level.

So, I made the change on an individual level.

I gave up drinking four months ago. There was no rehab or Alcoholics Anonymous meetings; it wasn’t a decision

If anything is a testament to alcohol’s entrenchment in Western society, it’s that you can’t stop drinking without people asking questions. Imagine if every time someone an nounced they got a membership to a gym or were trying a new diet, people were baffled, confused, and demanded answers as to why. But those conversations are temporary. Even if my friends were disappointed, I wouldn’t be puking in the stall next to them at 11 p.m. on a Tuesday night, they eventually understood.

It’s now been four months since I’ve spent a morning with my head in a toilet bowl. That’s 4 months where I didn’t have to wake up and try to piece together my fragmented memories of the night out, or reserve my afternoon for lay ing starfished on the living room floor waiting for the world to stop spinning. For four months, I haven’t had a lingering hangover, an abusive bar tab, or a moment of sober regret. I feel I’ve found consistency in sobriety, and it works for me.

And yet, for many people, alcohol is not an issue. Some people can go out, drink until they’re dizzy, and wake up for a 9 a.m. lecture without much of a headache, let alone an ex istential crisis. Kudos to you. But if you’re like me, and you struggle with mental health, consider taking a hiatus from alcohol and see if it makes a difference. You never know, it might just be the change you need.

“There was no emotional intervention or criminal record that demanded the change; I just came to the overdue realization that drinking wasn’t healthy for me.”

Clubs on campus are disappearing

Tran

The first week of our semester whispered isolation. There were no clubs advocat ing for members as if students were depressed about their return. More likely, it was that many students were stepping on campus for the first time, even as third years. Covid-19 ruined our relationships, our self-esteems, and our favourite activities.

According to a study published in the Com munity Mental Health Journal, those with strong social relationships are 50 per cent more likely to thrive than those who keep to themselves. They state an association between social isolation and risk factors such as heart disease, arthritis, and increased blood pres sure. But specifically, the dangerous effects on mental health. Not just students, but people who are isolated will have higher anxiety and depression.

Students want to socialize when they can, or when they deem safe. Even the shyest in dividuals want to break down their walls, and club activities allow students to do so. The

halls of the campus are filled with students with earbuds or headphones, studying, or on their phones, each confined to their own bubble. We speak with friends we make in our classes but forget about each other as soon as the semester ends.

Students don’t get much exposure to the clubs on campus. Club activities are a great way to socialize, network, and most impor tantly, enjoy campus life. However, this year, club executives only started to recruit students in the second week of the semester.

At the campus’ Club Fair, there were stu dent associations like the Chinese Students and Scholars Association, and the standout club that caught the eyes of many students, the Archery Club. The booth had a 1.5-metrelong black and red bow showcased for all that skittered by to notice, stare, and, to the execu tive’s joy, touch, and spark conversation over.

For every club available, one was missing. I didn’t see a Vietnamese Association or the other tens of cultural associations. I didn’t see niche activity clubs like the anime club or knitting club. I didn’t see the club booths line up to the Kaneff building like usual.

It’s understandable that many students are

just trying to find their way around campus. Covid-19 infected our social lives, and the two years of isolation have transformed campus life. But we can change that by making groups of our own.

Step one is to find members. To be consid ered a club, you must have at least five students. Two of these stu dents will be the signing of ficers of the group— the execu tives. With five mem bers, you’re eligible to apply for student recogni tion by logging into the Stu dent Organization Portal. Even alumni can apply.

through the “University Policy on the Recognition of Campus Groups.” The rules are straight forward—follow the law, be a club of the student body, and don’t do commercial activities

(like selling things for profit), just to name a few. Other notable points would be the ap plication process which includes supplying a mailing address and phone number, the total number of governing students, and a copy of the by-laws or constitution of the group.

Step three is writing the constitution, which must include a name, purpose and objectives, membership, executive list and duties, elec tions, finances, meetings, and amend ments. Fees for club membership, if any, cap out at ten dollars. Any amount more than that must be justified.

And you’re done. Submit your ap plication! There’s typically a rush of applications in August and September, but a member of the University of To ronto Mississauga Student Union’s Stu dent Groups team will contact you to discuss further details about the club before accepting it. Soon enough, more members will pour in, and you’ll have the perfect club. Don’t be afraid to try new things, mingle with new people, and find your calling. After all, that’s what clubs are for.

Students with disabilities failed by Ontario’s Education System

Universities knowingly lack accessible resources for students with disabilities.

Manisha Basuita Contributor

The year was 2018. I was in my first year of my under graduate studies at the University of Western Ontario (UWO). I remember experiencing intense emotions. I was anxious, stressed, excited, and confused—feelings shared by almost every student beginning university. I had nev er anticipated the added challenges of living away from home—especially with Multiple Sclerosis.

I felt more ill than ever before. Gaps between my classes were spent napping or attending doctors’ appointments at the campus Health and Wellness Centre. And after class, I found myself waiting in the emergency room at University Hospital in London.

I was falling behind. My grades were low. And all my accessibility advisor had to offer was advice on dropping my courses, so I was forced into taking a lighter course load. I went from taking five courses a semester, to four, to three, and eventually, two. No one was listening to the concerns I had. My chronic illness wasn’t going to magi cally go away or get better, and I didn’t want to spend ten years completing my undergrad—not that there’s any thing wrong with that.

Most of my symptoms made it difficult to physically be on campus. Especially on days where I had classes from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. I often had numbness, tingling, severe fatigue, pain, muscle spasms, and pseudoseziures.

I decided to transfer to the University of Toronto Mis sissauga, which was closer to home, allowing me to have extra support from my parents when it came to dropping me off to class, picking up my homework, and taking me to doctor’s appointments. I had to transfer because it was

nearly impossible to do well while staying in my old envi ronment. If I couldn’t attend a lecture or class in-person, there was no other option I had.

When the pandemic began, schools in Canada quickly moved to remote learning. UWO released a statement, like many other universities, announcing that effective the next school day, students would not need to attend in-person classes and instead would learn online through platforms like Zoom. Student safety was their “number one priority.”

It didn’t seem to matter when students like myself, who are disabled, struggled emotionally and physically to at tend classes prior to the pandemic. Why does “student safety” matter to them now?

If I had an online learning option during my time at UWO, I wouldn’t have had to drop so many courses and miss so many classes. I could have attended classes re motely, and instead of falling behind, I would’ve been fol lowing along with the rest of my class. But no matter how many times I went to the accessibility office, remote learn

ing was never an option.

Not to mention, I was always worrying about my health. Being severely immunocompromised meant that I had to take extra precautions even before Covid-19. If I caught the seasonal flu, I was glued to my pillow for weeks or hooked up to an intravenous device, receiving fluids. The university didn’t feel the need to protect my health or en sure I was safe then.

Virtual solutions can help disabled students overcome many of the physical challenges they experience accessing education. Online education for disabled students pro vides them with equitable access as nobody has to jostle for space in a crowded theatre or struggle to hear a lecturer.

And if the countless issues and complaints brought up by disabled students weren’t enough to demonstrate the importance of remote learning, Nicholas Gelbar, an As sociate Research Professor at the Neag School of Educa tion, conducted a study to consolidate it even further. Gelbar’s study, published in the Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, surveyed students regarding the abrupt transition to online education in the spring semes ter of 2020. After tabulating the data collected from 340 student survey responses on personal experiences with remote learning, Gelbar concluded that “[disabled stu dents] were able to change how they took notes, because they were able to watch an online lecture and then watch it over again.”

Universities should consider adding remote learning as an accessibility accommodation for students with disabili ties. By doing so, we make education more accessible to students and create a warm, safe, and inclusive institution. And to those who continue to, or have ever battled this, I stand with you. Mental health should never be ignored, regardless of your circumstances.

12 features

Editor | Prisha (Maneka) Nuckchady

On Demonic Infestations in 17th century Québec

Professor Mairie Cowan explores how society’s understanding of demonic possession has changed over time.

Kiara Senanayake Contributor

In the Autumn of 1660, residents in and around Québec reported strange sightings. “A man enveloped in flames and a canoe on fire” were seen, and “lamentable cries and a thunderous, horrible voice” were heard, ex plains Professor Mairie Cowan. A teenager working as a servant in the manor house of Beauport named Barbe Hallay began to show signs of demonic possession. Hallay saw de mons and failed to control her actions. She accused a local miller, Daniel Vuil—her ro mantic interest—of tormenting her with the “diabolical art” of witchcraft. Hallay was later treated at a hospital, and Vuil was imprisoned and later executed.

As a researcher of late medieval and early modern history, Professor Mairie Cowan specialises in the social and religious history of Scotland and New France. Her upcoming book, The Possession of Barbe Hallay: Diaboli cal Arts and Daily Life in Early Canada, ana lyzes a single case of possession to comment on the larger themes of colonial insecurity and the role of women in society. Microhis tory—the detailed inquiry into a specific per son, event, or community through primary sources such as first-hand accounts and docu ments—allows historians to understand wider historical contexts and broader themes of the period. Professor Cowan describes microhis

of the new colony to “save souls.” The 1627 Charter of the Company of New France

clusively with French Catholics,” shares Professor Cowan. Thus, being Catholic was an important part of the identity of

worthy because he was not Catholic

standing of demonology included locks were particularly motivated by spite and envy. This belief fit the claim made by Hallay, which was that Vuil used his witchcraft on her because she had rejected his

lay’s accusation against Vuil was influenced by several

bec in the early 1660s. The most significant was that

secure—the population was not very large and the Indigenous Peoples were not assimilating as some had arrogantly expected. The colonial project in New

plains Professor Cowan. Warfare had erupted between the Haudenosaunee

and the French in 1660, and the colonists were aware of their increased vulnerability when their communications with France were cut off for months each year due to the iced cli mate. Professor Cowan notes that there were rumours of invasions as the colony prepared for attacks, while suspicions of attacks of a su pernatural nature grew from within.

She adds that Hallay was taken to the HôtelDieu Hospital, to be cared for by nuns. How ever, she was only healed two years later, in 1662, when the lady of the estate performed an exorcism (despite exorcisms only being performed by priests) using the rib bone of a French Jesuit missionary. Barbe Hallay even tually married and moved to a farm where she raised several children, and no possessions or witch hunts followed.

Eventually, tales of the supernatural began to decrease in colonial society. This was largely due to an elite population that was unwilling to prosecute crimes related to demons and witchcraft, despite the larger population still lending significance to them. “Discussion[s] of demonology were being characterised more and more by doubt,” states Professor Cowan.

Tales of a “diabolical” nature became forms of entertainment rather than sources of anxiety.

Though demonic stories make frequent ap pearances in Québecois and French-Canadian folklore, Professor Cowan notes that the devil appears as a force from the past rather than the present—a figure to be outwitted rather than feared.

Advice for young daters: Managing relationships and sex

Malavika Puri

I

n today’s world of online dating and ca sual sex, relationships are more compli cated than ever. Many of us come into uni versity dreaming of supportive, committed relationships only to feel lost and confused. But being in a relationship is also challeng ing. Many have no idea how to balance classes, assignments, and work with a ro mantic commitment.

The Relationships and Well-Being Lab (RAWLab), run by University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) Psychology Professor Emily Impett, can help address these prob lems. The lab focuses on research topics at the intersection of relationships and wellbeing with the goal of understanding how the former shapes the latter.

In James Cameron’s 1997 film Titanic Jack sacrificed his life so Rose could sur vive. King Edward VIII renounced his kingdom to be with Wallis Simpson. Prince Frisco of Netherlands renounced his claim to the throne to marry Mabel Wisse Smit. Although many couples have made sacrific es in the name of love, a partner’s sacrifices

are not always beneficial for their relation ship. Research suggests that sacrifice might be a double-edged sword. When a partner gives something up, there is only a 50 per cent chance that their sacrifice will be ac knowledged by their partner.

Negative feelings from such a sacrifice can harm relationships: “People who sacri fice also experienced an increase in ambiv alent feelings toward their partner, and this

That makes sex even harder to discuss in a relationship. “In one study, 69 per cent of women and 57 per cent of men reported faking enthusiasm or arousal during sex,” concludes the RAWLab. Those part of the statistic did this to spare their partner’s feelings and reinforce their partner’s per ception of security and satisfaction in their relationship. However, after doing this, partners felt less trust, closeness, and com

ceptive affection in their romantic relation ships than women, […] and feel less guilt and shame after doing so”

Rejection is difficult as people often don’t know how to deal with it or move forward from it. While both partners should feel comfortable and safe discussing their feel ings and desires about sex in a relationship, rejecting sexual interests in a relationship can hurt a partner and become a conten tious issue.

The RAWLab reveals that, “People re ported feeling more rejected, insecure, and dissatisfied when their partner rejected their sexual advances than when their part ner declined a request to engage in nonsex ual activities.” Sexual activity can be a way for people to show affection and increase intimacy with their partner. Rejection of sexual activity can therefore feel like a re jection of their love.

Preserving mental health in relationships can be a tricky task. There are new things to learn regarding relationships but few trustworthy resources to learn from. Enter ing the dating scene should not be a nervewracking experience. Instead, it should be exciting and fun—its unique possibilities for social connections and learning experi ences are endless.

U of T lecturer Taryn Grieder on selfperception, eating disorders, and disassociation

Michaela Dimitrov Contributor

Globally, one in eight individuals struggle with mental health illnesses. In Canada, this ratio is greater—one in four young adults experience mental health disorders. These include eating disorders and dissociative disorders. Together, they affect a large portion of the Canadian population. In her class on abnormal psychology (PSY346) at the University of Toronto Mississauga, Taryn Grieder, a lecturer and neurosci ence researcher, discusses the importance of diagnosing these disorders and developing methods to treat them.

In an interview with The Medium, Grieder provides some examples of what an eating disorder can look like: “It includes disorders like anorexia, binging disorders, pica, and more.” She describes it as an unhealthy relationship with food, where your self-perception is distorted. Similarly, Grieder says, “dis sociative disorders are abnormal self-perceptions.” This can happen if someone doesn’t know who they are or if they have multiple personalities.

Both of these disorders are psychological responses to stress. People who inhabit high-stress environments are most at risk for developing these disorders. For example, many peo ple with low social economic status, or those with sick family members are at higher risk because their circumstances make them more prone to stress.

Adolescents and young adults are especially prone to eating disorders. Grieder explains that eating disorders often don’t

fully develop until adolescence, when a person starts to learn more about the importance and effects of food. At this age, they also begin to perceive other people’s opinions of them and, unfortunately, start to grant them more importance than their own views.

comments that the “symptoms don’t start showing until later in life, in adulthood, with their friends and the environment they live in.”

Grieder strongly encourages those who are concerned they may be showing symptoms to seek help through counselling and therapy. These services address the problem immediately, provide advice on what to do next, or in some cases, involve other professionals for more support.

Finding symptoms in yourself or others is reasonably sim ple with eating disorders. In Grieder’s view, “[these] symp toms are visible instantly after the person starts falling into it.” Symptoms may include feeling guilty about what you eat, obsessively checking calories, not allowing yourself to eat, or being in denial about any of these actions.

Factors like social media that encourage a distorted selfperception can give rise to eating disorders. Social media ap plies pressure on people to look a certain way. Consequently, adolescents can become overly cautious of what they eat in an attempt to “look good.” Grieder mentions that “about 10 per cent of the population will end up experiencing [an eating] disorder,” with most being female.

Dissociative disorders, however, are much less common. Grieder states that “only about one to two per cent of the population identifies with this disorder.” It typically results from childhood experiences such as trauma or abuse. Grieder

Though symptoms of dissociative disorders are much harder to see, Grieder notes that addressing the illness and seeking help as soon as possible is crucial. She advises look ing for unusual behaviours such as not remembering notable events that happened, like forgetting a significant purchase or an important conversation. Although zoning out is a regular occurrence for most, zoning out for very lengthy periods can indicate an onset of the disorder.

As of 2020, over one million Canadians have been diag nosed with an eating disorder. An additional 1.5 per cent of the population currently battles with a dissociative disorder. Often, they can lead to further mental health issues. Alarm ingly, eating disorders are the mental illness most responsible for suicide, the second main cause of death nationally. As such, Grieder stresses, “if you see someone or yourself show ing symptoms, […] find help immediately.”

Grieder discusses how we develop these disorders and how we can prevent them from getting worse.

findings that can help you navigate today’s

Ottavia Paluch Contributor

With the lack of sunlight and 60-degree grades of midterms season arriving, many students at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) might be feeling anx ious, stressed, or burnt out. Sometimes it might feel as if your professors just don’t get it. But Professor Norman Farb does.

Professor Farb is an Assistant Profes sor in the Department of Psychology at UTM. His research focuses on how mindfulness, meditation, therapy, nudge interventions, and psychedelics can shape our emotional experienc es and promote well-being.

“If you know that things aren’t going well and you stop letting in new information, you’ll never know anything beyond the fact that things aren’t going well.”

One of Professor Farb’s most impor tant findings is that stress causes people to shut down the parts of their brain that process sensations. “If you know that things aren’t going well and you stop letting in new information, you’ll never know any thing beyond the fact that things aren’t going well,” he explains. “That eventually leads to burnout.”

“You’re surviving, but you’re not actively growing or learning. It’s a type of manifestation of physiological exhaustion.”

Professor Farb defines burnout as, “You’re surviving, but you’re not actively growing or learning. It’s a type of manifestation of physi ological exhaustion.” He notes that burnout is a response that dates back to 15,000 years ago when hominids—a primate group in cluding modern and extinct great apes, such as humans—mobilized resources to escape predators. Similarly, burnout is a survival tactic our body uses when drained.

“Social media is a tool that we don’t have [the] cultural maturity [...] to use. We’re like five-year-olds with hammers.”

Although research has shown that ex cessive social media use is a proponent of burnout and can lead to poor mental health, Professor Farb argues that “our own inability to take responsibility for our usage” is also to blame. “Social media is a tool that we don’t have [the] cultural maturity [...] to use. We’re like five-year-olds with hammers,” he states.

trying to determine how these small bumps can keep us engaged and ultimately, change a small portion of how we act or think.

Nudge interventions can play a role in the life of a UTM student as well. “If you nudge students by checking in on how they’re doing a few times a week, they will feel less stressed

ing and when you’re feeling overwhelmed.” Self-care is essential. Professor Farb notes that this might look like taking on fewer re sponsibilities, prioritizing a healthy lifestyle, and asking for help when you need it.

“The thinking is that we can’t handle something, so it’s better and safer to just not do it.”

That feeling of being overwhelmed can lead to procrastination, Professor Farb points out. Just like how we procrastinate on finish ing our assignments or studying for exams, we can, and often will, procrastinate on tak ing care of our own well-being during mid term season. “The thinking is that we can’t handle something, so it’s better and safer to just not do it,” he explains.

But we know that this is not a good longterm strategy for success. Professor Farb explains that our capacity to produce good results relies on maintaining our emotional well-being. “Part of continuing to be productive and doing well means check ing in on yourself to make sure that things haven’t spiralled out of control. Your opinion might not change from day-to-day, or from weekto-week, depending on what’s going on. But just because something was okay last term doesn’t mean that it is now,” he expands.

Changing our habits then, is cru cial to our success as university stu dents. For example, after realizing that the strategies that worked in high school might not bode well for us in university, adapting to new methods is essential.

“If you nudge students by checking in on how they’re doing a few times a week, they will feel less stressed when they’re going through midterms and finals.”

Professor Farb’s research also focuses on nudge interventions, which is an approach used by people, companies, and educators, to modify the behaviours of their audiences while safeguarding their freedom of choice. This is accomplished by making small changes to both their internal and external environments instead of large ones. “If you want people to change, you can’t ask them to sacrifice their whole life and drop every thing,” he explains. “Instead, you have to be like, ‘What’s a little thing we can get you to do?’” Researchers and teachers are actively

when they’re going through midterms and finals. It allows them to take a step back and look at what’s going on in their lives,” ex plains Professor Farb. Those small interven tions can lead to students taking greater ac tion later on, such as practicing mindfulness or meditating.

“You have to start checking in with yourself early on in the term and take notice of when things aren’t working and when you’re feeling overwhelmed.”

“Your habits take care of you in one way or another,” he says. “So, you have to start checking in with yourself early on in the term and take notice of when things aren’t work

“Many of us, myself included, don’t realize that we have limits,” Professor Farb shares. “You fail an exam, and your whole world crumbles, right? But [it doesn’t]. You just had too much stuff piled up to the point where you just couldn’t handle all of it.”

There will be times when we will feel that we need to take a step back and ask for help, and there will also be times when we will feel fine and seek to be challenged. That’s okay.

“You just need to be real with yourself on where you are,” says Professor Farb. “Take two minutes to ask yourself, ‘How did to day go? Is there anything I could do to take care of myself better tomorrow?’ Just ask that question and be okay with not knowing the answer,” he concludes.

“Just because something was okay last term doesn’t mean that it is now.”

“Many of us, myself included, don’t realize that we have limits.”

UTM psychology professor Norman Farb on surviving midterm season and prioritizing self-care.

“Checking in” with ourselves before it’s too late

DALAINEY GERVAIS/THE MEDIUM

OlgaFedossenko Contributor

Imagine you have a quiz on Friday and decide to prepare for it in advance. But every time you sit down to study, a strange sound, like the crackling of a record player, echoes through your head. The sound grows louder and louder until you cannot focus anymore. You sleep three to four hours a night, studying late because your brain shuts down during the day from the scratchy noises. When the morning comes, you wake up early to revise. Instead, you end up scrolling on your phone for hours to take away the stress.

Every day, she continues to learn how to address the blur in her head. But sometimes, Fawzy’s anxiety is triggered by small things, like losing a U-Pass right before class. “There is no quick fix for ADHD,” she explains.

According to clinical psychologist Arthur Anastopoulos, university freshmen diagnosed with ADHD have more emo tional difficulties than their peers without the diagnosis. They are less prepared to enter the independent, and sometimes isolating, facets of student life. They achieve less academically and tend to receive poor support in their friendships. Students with ADHD have fewer close friends they can open up to because not everyone can sympathize with what they deal with daily.

“People would always tell my mother ‘She is so smart, but if only she could focus better,’” says Rola Fawzy, reflecting on her early suspicions of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). She is a third-year student double majoring in Communications, Culture, Information, and Technology and Professional Writing and Communication at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM). Fawzy loves spending time with her friends, engaging in club activities on campus, writing in her journal, and dancing to relax after school. But Fawzy is also a struggling student who has a hard time paying at tention in class, remembering her appointments, and turning in her assign ments before their deadlines.

After two years at UTM, Fawzy was diagnosed with ADHD. “I knew it by then,” she admits. “I’ve seen it a lot in my immediate family. But because my sister has ADHD, my parents were always like, ‘No, not another child.’”

ADHD is among the most common neurodevelopmental disorders. It causes inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Scientists do not fully know the risk fac tors for ADHD, but current research shows that genetics plays an important role.

Children with this diagnosis usually have trouble paying attention and control ling impulsive behaviour. They talk too much, forget and lose things, and struggle to make friends. When they grow up and become teenagers and adults, they often fail to get their work done, or form long-lasting relationships with other people.

For many young women like Fawzy, ADHD is the reason they find university extremely difficult. Because ADHD manifests differently in girls compared to boys, it is more complicated to diagnose. In the end, young women often do not realize why they are struggling so much.

“ADHD manifests differently in girls compared to boys, it is more complicated to diagnose.”

Luckily, because of Fawzy’s sister, the diagnosis did not come as a surprise. Right away, she began making changes to her lifestyle. Now, Fawzy has curfews for all her electronics and social media apps. For the first two hours of her day, she tries not to go on her phone and meditates instead. “I feel like my brain just doesn’t like it if I don’t meditate for an hour every morning,” she says. “Otherwise, everything be comes a blur. And you’re like, ‘When did I start watching TikToks? How has it been an hour and a half?’”

Fawzy zones out like this often. It took her time to realize that asking countless questions would help her stay focused during lectures. And yet, some UTM pro fessors see it as interference. She says that even after registering with UTM’s Ac cessibility Services, teaching assistants sometimes argue with her about extensions on assignments and tests, claiming that all students should have equal deadlines.

“I’ve disappointed an immense amount of friends in my life. I tell people that I’ll be somewhere at a certain time, and then I forget or misplace appointments,” says Fawzy. “Some people see me and think I’m too much for them with all my emotions. And that’s not a bad thing, because this way I can easily find out if they’re ‘my people’ or not.”

Fawzy refuses to see herself as a victim anymore, because when she did, she ended up hating herself. She has accepted that sometimes she takes longer to finish assignments and cannot wait for her turn to answer a question in class. “I should take accountability for when I get things wrong. But I also believe that it’s better to learn how to use my ADHD in a proper way,” she shares.

She says that the creativity that often comes with ADHD has healing power. It is Fawzy’s bursting emotions that make her writing so vi brant and relatable. Disassociating from reality bothers her during lectures but also helps her generate ideas that others might never think of. She says writing, therapy, and a good cry from time to time help her overcome her anxiety and restlessness the most.

“U of T tends to accentuate the hustle culture. Don’t do that. It’s never worked for me and many of my friends with ADHD. Don’t force things and take your time. Also, use your 20 free sessions with a counsellor,” she states.

Fawzy’s final advice for new coming students to UTM who have ADHD is to never think that the world is ending even when everything seems bad. Only through multiple failures and heartbreaks is it possible to develop insights that can help accept the diagnosis and learn to love it.

“People would always tell my mother

‘She is so smart, but if only she could focus better.’”

What university feels like for a student with ADHD as she navigates her studies and friendships.

“Everywhere is loud and everything is a blur”

SAMIRA KARIMOVA/THE MEDIUM

Arts

How Stranger Things uses complex characters to explore mental illness

From blood-thirsty monsters to a group of teenagers trying to save their town, the Duffer Brothers will surprise you with their complicated world of the “Upside Down.”

Leah MacKay Contributor

Spoiler alert: This article discusses scenes from Stranger Things.

If you didn’t spend this past summer binge-watching Netflix’s Stranger Things, the monstrous hive-mind clearly hasn’t ensnared you in the tentacled vines of the “Upside Down.” To put things simply, you are unaware of the kind of horror that’s been

mare on Elm Street, Hellraiser, and Carrie

The predatory and human-like characteris tics of the new villain, Vecna, are reminis cent of 80s villains such as Freddy Kreuger and “the boogeyman” Mike Myers

Despite more fantastical circumstances explored in previous episodes, the fourth season’s plot takes an unexpected turn.

Through progressively darker scenes, viewers are submerged in a psychological universe, journeying with each character through their individual mental health struggles. The cinematography brilliantly

acters into his darkness by promising them refuge from their suffering.

One disorder omnipresent this season is “smiling depression”—a type of depression that hides behind a veneer of perfection and a shining smile. Viewers can identify this in many characters, such as Chrissy (Grace Van Dien)—Vecna’s first victim—who on the surface seems well-adjusted and popu lar. As Chrissy hides behind her struggles with an eating disorder and trauma from an abusive mother, she finds it difficult to feel connected to others—even when she is in

Understanding that Vecna is of human origin is the cornerstone of the show’s plot. When a curtain is pulled to reveal psycho logical influences, we eventually discover his true identity. We get a glimpse into Vec na’s childhood—a life filled with clear signs that foreshadow his future psychopathy. Stranger Things shows us how childhood trauma can translate into a life of suffering and mistakes.

“Even those with the darkest wounds can

Mustafa, also known as Mustafa the Poet, is a Sudanese-Canadian singer, song writer, poet, and filmmaker from Toronto. At only twelve-years-old, he rose to fame after performing his poem “A Single Rose” at his middle school. His local recognition led him to national success, with multiple news outlets and media platforms sharing his story. His po etry and music, which are heavily inspired and influenced by the neighbourhood and com munity that raised him, highlight the complex ities of love and loss.

Born to Sudanese immigrants, Mustafa lived in Toronto’s Regent Park neighbourhood. He made several close friends throughout his time there, but even they weren’t strangers to the systemic violence and gangs within the east-end community. In 2009, Mustafa wrote “A Single Rose” about his family and the strug gles of poverty. Since then, he has co-written songs for many well-known artists, such as The Weeknd, Justin Bieber, and Camila Cabello Mustafa’s debut album, When Smoke Rises highlights a collection of intimate ballads that

BETHANY MOLLENKOF

The longest and most powerful track on the album is “What About Heaven.” The song appears to sound like a conversation between Smoke Dawg and Mustafa and touches on the idea of death through all the “missing words” they didn’t say. In the chorus, Mustafa sings: “We forgot to talk about heaven, and leavin’, and what it would mean, and how I would grieve.” The song lyrics are authentic and capture the feelings of despair after a sudden loss. Through the incorporation of traditional Egyptian and Sudanese instrumental music, this track speaks to the life and culture that made Mustafa the artist he is today.

Mustafa is a storyteller. His music and po etry naturally reflect his stories of grief and loss. From a young age, he made communi ties aware of the poverty that exists in To ronto and acted as a social justice advocate.

Now, he raises awareness for violence and discrimination. Through music, Mustafa transforms his pain into beautiful and thought-provoking ballads.

Rupi Kaur’s latest collection prompts personal healing

empowering words and personalized exercises, Kaur’s Healing Through Words allows readers to reflect on difficult emotions.

Yusuf Larizza-Ali

about love and reminds readers that another person cannot make us complete—only we can do so for ourselves.

Through the book’s exercises, readers are prompted to write how and what they feel. In doing so, Kaur encour ages us to heal and cope with our own traumas while also

sharing hers. She speaks of her anger towards a partner she deemed as selfish and reminds women about their right to bodily autonomy. Her collection encourages us to share our trauma in ways that empower us. Many exercises are open-ended, allowing for a diary-like experience.

R

upi Kaur is a Canadian author known for her graceful yet minimalistic poetry style. Her most recent book, Healing Through Words, illustrates her struggles with men tal health through meaningful, short poems and includes a writer’s handbook with exercises for readers.

Throughout her poetry, Kaur touches on themes of sex ual violence, love, anxiety, fear, and coping with grief. She provides commentary on these emotions and offers advice on conquering them. Kaur believes that while her works are simple, her style infers deeper meanings. Her poems allow readers to contemplate strong emotions related to mental health.

“Kaur touches on a multitude of emotions—from heartbreak to healing.”

Healing Through Words investigates some of Kaur’s pre vious works. She dissects a poem about love from her book Milk and Honey in three parts: a declaration, her needs, and a goal. Throughout the collection, Kaur touches on a multitude of emotions—from heartbreak to healing. Her words help us understand the essence of romantic rela tionships and how sometimes, they don’t last. Kaur builds on breakups and motivates readers with the message that heartache doesn’t have to impede on our happiness. Her poetry serves as commentary on society’s unrealistic views

Kaur advises readers to think about irrational fears as subjects that we can speak to directly. As she subtly speaks of her gut-wrenching experiences with sexual assault, she states that ignoring our fears gives them power. Fears consume us in ways that prevent healing. Through Kaur’s words, she hopes to break the stigmas of fears as “weaken ing.” Her straightforward words, targeted to female read ers, deliver a simple yet empowering message of staying true to our inner feelings and needs. She encourages us to love ourselves for who we are—fears and all.

As both an aspiring writer and someone with anxiety, Healing Through Words spoke to me. I received practical advice for my writing and was able to process many emo tions—a process that was, indeed, healing. Kaur’s collec tion offers incredible messages that stay with readers long after the final page. Anyone who has ever felt burdened by heavy emotions can benefit from this book.

“Mustafa uses music to express grief, struggle,

Jonina Rai Contributor

Exploring how the Toronto-based artist shares his grief through music and poetry. Mustafa the Poet—songs of pain and love

“Her collection encourages us to share our trauma in ways that empower us.”

“Fears consume us in ways that prevent healing.”

Blonde—a repulsive depiction of Marilyn Monroe’s legacy

Andrew Dominik’s latest biopic portrays one of Hollywood’s most iconic stars with disgrace.

Paige France Contributor

B londe, directed by Andrew Dominik, gives poor in sight to the rise, and eventual demise, of actress Mari lyn Monroe. Just when we thought that Kim Kardashian ripping her infamous 60-year-old dress would be the worst thing to happen to Monroe in 2022, this new biopic comes along to prove us all wrong. Since its premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September, the film’s mortifying depiction of the starlet has stirred immense controversy.

Portrayed by Ana de Armas, the film centres around Monroe’s choice to have an abortion in order to star in the musical comedy Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953). Years later, when Monroe is pregnant again, she converses with her unborn, digitalized fetus image. “You won’t hurt me this time, will you?”’ the baby asks. “Not like you did last time?” She decides to keep the baby but suffers a miscarriage.

In true biographical context, there is no proof that Mon roe ever had an abortion. Due to her battle with endometri osis, Monroe had fertility issues—responsible for her three miscarriages within a four-year period. As yet another movie that objectifies female suffering and pain, Planned Parenthood, for a statement in Variety, accused the film of being “anti-abortion propaganda.” IndieWire claimed it to be an “anti-choice statement.”

The film also includes a graphic sexual assault scene in volving US president John F. Kennedy—another scene that

frames Monroe’s experiences through a fictional lens.

Through its partially make-believe embellishments, the film fixates on glamourizing drama by revealing the pitfalls of an objectified, exploited woman. Monroe has had a long history of oversexualization and abuse. Following Monroe’s overdose in 1962, men such as Hugh Hefner Founder of Playboy magazine, and ard Poncher, a businessman from Los Angeles, followed the star beyond her grave. The two men were obsessed with the blonde bombshell and ex ploited her body by purchasing crypts beside hers.

Painted as an overemotional, male-obsessed woman, Monroe is praised for her body—as opposed to her personality.

In a fictitious “throuple” with Charlie “Cass” Chaplin Jr. and Edward G. “Eddy” Rob inson Jr, both men collectively oversexualize her.

Blonde only revels on Hollywood’s favourite trauma story: the breaking point of famous women. Monroe overdosed on sedative drugs that were prescribed to treat her depression. The film recreates Monroe’s death scene in the exact loca tion where the real star died. It is astound ing that Dominik spent ten years creating this film and nobody raised concerns.

With Brad Pitt behind the project as a co-pro

ducer—a Hollywood big shot who recently has been under fire for allegedly abusing his ex-wife Angeline Jolie and children—it goes without saying that there are repercus sions when abusers are given creative advantages on largescale productions such as Blonde

This film is an insult to abused individuals.

A breathtaking representation of society in A Clockwork Orange

Spoiler warning: this article mentions detailed plot points from A Clockwork Orange.

Released in 1971, and based on Anthony Burgess’ novel of the same name, it is no secret that Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange (1971) broke new ground in cinema. From its deeper meanings pertaining to free will and humanity to its truly distinctive stylis tic elements, the film is complex—even though its storyline is relatively simple.

Beethoven and ultraviolence. The teens spend their nights committing heinous acts for the sake of appealing to their own fantasies. After the group gets caught by the authorities, Alex is arrested. Once in solitary confinement, Alex is presented with an opportunity to reduce his

sentence if he agrees to take part in an experi mental therapy program. He reluctantly agrees. As a result, Alex is forced to become devoid of the violence that shapes his character.

A Clockwork Orange follows a gang of juveniles led by Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell)—a teenager obsessed with

Multiple academic analyses have been done since this film’s release. Many critics pose ques tions with relation to the essence of evil. Based on Alex’s gang and their violent acts, it becomes easy for viewers to associate the gang with evil. However, the definition of evil becomes blurred once Alex is re-educated at the hands of the State—are they not evil for forcefully removing Alex’s sense of free will and turning him into a servant of the government? After Alex leaves prison, he notices his old friends still committing violent acts. These crimes are suddenly acceptable as his friends acquire the titles of officers—an interesting insight into the often-unjust workings of the State.

Outside of his violent nature, Alex’s charm and heightened intelligence are identifiable

throughout the film. Coupled with his lack of empathy towards his victims, a psychol ogy study shows that Alex displays symptoms of antisocial personality disorder—a mental health illness where a person shows no regard for ethics. As the film progresses, Alex be comes a tragic product of the world he lives in. Kubrick manages to tell the story of someone torn between good and evil—creating a sym pathetic tether between Alex and each viewer. The film’s depiction of a controlling State part ners with Alex’s psychological struggles to tell a powerful narrative.

Visually breathtaking and endlessly riveting, the inherent ambiguity in A Clockwork Orange is unlike any other film. With its release, Ku brick posed an important challenge to the film industry on the representation of social con ditions—a challenge that often ripples through Hollywood even today.

“The film is complex— even though its storyline is relatively simple.”

“The definition of evil becomes blurred.”

“Alex becomes a tragic product of the world he lives in.”

PAIGE FRANCE/THE MEDIUM

Vincent van Gogh: An art prodigy with a missing ear

Elizabeth Provost Editor-in-Chief

During the early hours of December 24, 1888, a man toppled into the HôtelDieu, a hospital in Arles, France. He was se verely wounded and hallucinating. His blood dripped onto the floor as he was rushed through the halls of the hospital. A police of ficer followed, handing the man’s severed ear to Dr. Félix Rey, a young intern from the University of Montpellier. The ear belonged to Vincent van Gogh. He had sliced it off in a frustrated fury that night.

After 15 days under the care of Dr. Rey, van Gogh returned home. In January of 1889, he painted “Portrait of Dr. Felix Rey.” I came across this painting on a visit to The State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow. At the time, I wasn’t fluent in post-impressionist art. The piece’s colourful, patterned back ground was unfamiliar, and the pointillistic technique caught my eye—drawing me in with its organized laxity and clashing palette.

ily member the artist was not estranged from. A recurring character in his tales was Dr. Rey—van Gogh admired and credited much of his mental health healing to him.

Despite his mental state, van Gogh was im mensely productive at the psychiatric facility. That year, he painted over 150 paintings—in cluding one of his most famous works: “The Starry Night.” He worked in the courtyard and the clinic organized a room to be used as a studio. His healing, however, was not linear. In certain manic episodes, van Gogh ate his oil paints.

was a talented, ingenious artist, who we often acknowledge as “the one who cut his ear off.” But to me, he will remain the epitome of postimpressionist art, and a man who communi cated his personal struggles far better than I ever will. He was honest, both in work and in word. His paintings, and his character, deserve to be looked at through a new lens—one with out the bias of his struggle but through the ad miration of his skill.

Despite van Gogh’s mastery of visual art, he was also a passionate writer. He shared his personal struggles, his small triumphs, and his deepest secrets in over 2,000 letters. Most were addressed to his brother Theo—the only fam

On February 3, 1889, van Gogh wrote to his brother revealing that there was a vocal and visual presence in his mind. He said, “I feel so weak with all that. Especially when my physi cal powers return. But I’ve already told Rey that at the slightest serious symptom I’d come back and then subject myself to the alienist doctors of Aix or to himself.”

In the same letter, the artist shared that he was dependent on his work as a means to dis tract him and keep him “in order.” He made a promise to his brother by writing, “Our ambi tion has sunk so low. So let’s work very calmly, look after ourselves as much as we can and not wear ourselves out in sterile efforts at recip rocal generosity.”

Van Gogh spent the rest of that year in a mental hospital in Saint-Rémyde-Provence.

During the week of May 31, 1889, van Gogh wrote to Theo, “As for me, my health is good, and as for the head it will, let’s hope, be a mat ter of time and patience.” While van Gogh was at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Theo married Johanna Bonger. They welcomed their son, Vincent Willem van Gogh—named after the child’s uncle—in January of 1890.

Van Gogh sent his sister-in-law and new born nephew a painting titled “Almond Blos som.” In a letter to his mother on February 19, 1890, van Gogh described the painting as “large branches of white almond blossom against a blue sky.” The blooming iconography served as the bulbs through which the artist stayed connected with his nephew from the hospital.

Losing his battle with mental illness, van Gogh committed suicide on July 29 of the same year.

As an admirer of van Gogh’s art, I am con flicted by how I appreciate his work. Van Gogh

The art and personal stories of van Gogh have been studied extensively in attempts to diagnose the artist’s ailments. Van Gogh him self struggled to describe them and attributed his mental state to alcohol, coffee, tobacco, and poor food—all a result of spending his brother’s allowances on art supplies. Van Gogh wondered what his work would look like if he wasn’t affected by mental illness. In one of his last letters, he wrote, “If I could have worked without this accursed disease, what things I might have done.”

“Despite van Gogh’s mastery of visual art, he was also a passionate writer.”

“But I’ve already told Rey that at the slightest serious symptom I’d come back and then subject myself to the alienist doctors of Aix or to himself.”

“His paintings, and his character, deserve to be looked at through a new lens—one without the bias of his struggle but through the admiration of his skill.”

“If I could have worked without this accursed disease, what things I might have done.”

An analysis of van Gogh’s paintings, his writing, and his struggles with mental illness.

VINCENT

VINCENT VAN GOGH, ALMOND BLOSSOM, 1890 VAN GOGH MUSEUM

20 sports & health

Recent research says the “forward momentum” narrative motivates athletes to keep going

Sriya Yalavarthi Contributor

Katherine Tamminen, Associate Professor of Sport Psy chology at U of T, describes her research as being “in terested in understanding how athletes experience and cope with stress and adversity in their sport and in their lives.”

While primarily centred around understanding the experi ences of athletes, her recent publication, “‘It’s easier to just keep going’: elaborating on a narrative of forward momen tum in sport,” is a read that proves to be beneficial for a vast array of people.

One recurring theme across the interviews suggests that athletes generally believe hard work, resilience, and diligence eventually pay off in the form of performance improvement. The study focuses on listening to diverse athletes and under standing how their stories fit into the narrative of “forward momentum,” or the idea of a progressive template which dic tates how an athlete progresses through their career.

Study participant Sydney, a camogie player, focuses on

preparing for her next game after taking part in a competi tion. “In terms of the winning,” she says, “I think […] next one, next one, next one.”

Professor Tamminen and her team took note of whether a given athlete in their study sees themselves as the hero or victim of their story—are they positioning themselves as someone who has overcome adversity or someone who has been the target of injustices? “We looked at what these stories are doing in their telling,” Professor Tamminen says. “[That is], what is accomplished by telling these stories in these ways.”

In some cases, the forward momentum narrative served as a useful companion story. Victoria, for example, a soccer player who suffered a knee injury, single-mind edly worked towards rehabilitation because she wanted to compete in a tournament. Following through on a schedule she had made for her self, the narrative motivated her to over come a challenge, and thereby led to her successful return to the field earlier than anticipated.

The forward momentum narrative, however, can also be a dangerous companion story. When hard work did not pay off for the athletes in the study (a phenomena Professor Tamminen refers to as a “contract violation”), they worked even harder to the point of burning out.

The forward momentum narrative is not inherently bad, nor is it inherently positive. It simply exists, and it is the way we interact with the narrative that determines our percep

When setting goals and making action plans to achieve those goals, Professor Tamminen encour ages us to ask ourselves: “To what extent am I drawing on this narrative to shape my career and my life experiences? […] Am I aligning myself with it and is that helpful for me?”

And as narratives influence our lives in many ways, Professor Tamminen warns of the importance of being “sure that you are not being dragged along by this story [of forward momentum], and rather you’re participating in it and writing it in a way that

Finding God in sickness: Numerous studies show the positive effects of prayer on mental health

Cristina Pincente Contributor

In exploring alternative methods of patient care, researchers from Yasuj University of Medical Sciences in Iran suggest there may be benefits to incorporating prayer into mental health treatment.

Their 2018 study published in the Journal of Religion and Health found that cancer pa tients receiving spiritual therapy experienced a decrease in anxiety, which in turn eased their physical pain.

The spiritual and religious approach is cru cial to cancer treatments, say the researchers, as psychiatrists seek cheaper ways to improve the quality of life in patients.

The researchers asked individuals in a group of 76 pensioners about their age, gender, edu cation, economic status, and field of study. The higher the score, the worse their health was. “A score of 28-55 meant good general health, and a score of 56-84 meant undesirable gen eral health.”

After a series of spiritual workshops and sessions, patients adopted “religious strate gies to increase mental health and control pain.” Following the spiritual interventions, the mental health of the patients in the experi

mental group significantly increased, while their levels of perceived pain lowered. For ex ample, one patient began with a score of 60.51 for general health and 8.21 for pain. After the intervention, the patient scored 41.72 for general health and 5.61 for pain, revealing the improvement in his health and pain scores by approximately 30 per cent.

While the Iranian study demonstrates the positive effects of spiritual medicine on pa tients’ mental health, there are some in consistencies amongst the results.

The multidimensionality of prayer types is one factor that can explain these mixed re sults. In 1989, Margaret M. Poloma and Brian F. Pend leton, sociology professors at the University of Akron, distinguished between four types of prayer that researchers continue to use today when test ing their hypotheses on the rela tionship between prayer and men tal health: petitionary prayer, which is when a person prays for themselves and others to gain concrete, material goods; colloquial prayer, which has a conversational tone as a person talks to God informally and lovingly with a request for guidance; medi

tative prayer, which is a passive, quiet experi ence of listening for God’s presence and direc tion; and finally, ritual prayer, which involves reading scripted texts and reciting memorized

Most studies conclude that colloquial and meditative prayer cause an increase in mental health but the results for ritual and petitionary

The findings of a study published by the American Counseling Association in 2015 suggests that, when in a rela tionship with God, some prayer types are more valuable than others. The authors of the study measured closeness to God, God-mediated con trol, and a combination of both models in 330 Christian adults. Michigan professor Neal Krause defined God-me diated control as “the belief that God actively works together with people to influence the course of events in their lives.”

As the researchers expected, “the indi rect relationships of colloquial and meditative prayers to mental health through closeness to God were significant and positive.” Petition ary and ritual prayer, however, were negatively

associated with mental health because they focus too heavily on the person and their indi vidual behaviour.

The Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling suggests that counsellors take the client’s approach to reli gious coping into consideration with manag ing the effects of psychological distress and mood disturbance. Once counsellors begin spiritual assessments and consider patients’ prayer values, they can suggest changes in their clinical approaches accordingly. Clients’ meditative and colloquial prayer types, rather than petitionary and ritual, are encouraged.

According to research from Larry Vande Creek, a retired chaplain from the Ohio State University, self-disclosure is “the communica tive process of sharing personal thoughts and feelings with another.” People who practice self-disclosure regularly are more likely to find positive emotional experiences. The second party can be God and does not have to be an other person.

In a 2010 study, psychologists Stephenie R. Chaudoir and Jeffery F. Fisher, outline that the discloser must begin by stating a goal, some thing they hope to change. When an indi vidual discloses stressful information to God, they experience a decrease in psychological distress, or a cathartic release.

Whether coming off a victory or loss, competitive athletes are always training for their next game.