Panelists Reflect on Experiences with Mental Illness

Using poetry to recount his experience with bipolar disorder, Hakeem A. Rahim ’02 inaugurated a night of panel discussions on mental illness at Harvard that took place in Sever Hall on Wednesday evening.

“I had to have faith that resurrection was possible,” Rahim recited in a poem.

Sponsored by the Black Men’s Forum, the Black Students Association, and the Student Mental Health Liaisons, the event, which took place in Sever Hall, featured speakers from many of Harvard’s counseling services.

Fadhal A. Moore ’15, a member of the BMF and one of the organizers of the panel series, explained that the event was meant to help demystify the issue of mental health on campus.

“Our lives are hard and we do need each other,” Moore said, stating that a frank dialogue about mental illness is crucial to the well-being of many Harvard students.

Rahim, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder during his sophomore year at Harvard, shared the experience of his illness, diagnosis, and treatment.

Rahim explained that the efficient provision of psychological and psychiatric treatment and an environment that facilitates a patient’s acceptance of mental illness are both essential to the process of healing.

“Leave here knowing that sharing your struggles in a safe and affirming space is not only cathartic, but also life-changing,” he said.

Frank J. McNamara, counselor at the Bureau of Study Counsel, discussed some of the most common mental health issues that Harvard students have to grapple with, specifically citing the performance anxiety that results from living in a very competitive environment. He urged the audience to be aware of the benefits of psychotherapy.

Members of the audience asked the panelists about rumors that students seeking counseling at Harvard are occasionally pressured into temporarily withdrawing from the College.

“I did not experience any pressure. I chose to take time off,” said Rahim, who temporarily withdrew from his studies twice during his time at Harvard.

Rahim added that he did have to write to the Administrative Board to petition for readmission in both cases, but he called the process “a formality.”

Mental Health Services clinician Melanie Northrop told the audience that far less than one percent of students seeking help at MHS ever take time off from the College, and that no students are ever pressured into doing so.

However, Northrop did state that taking time off might not always be a bad thing when mental health is involved.

“What might be understood as pressure is often actually encouragement to take time to care of yourself and build your resilience,” she said.

—Staff writer Antonio Coppola can be reached at acoppola@college.harvard.edu. Follow him on Twitter @AntonioCoppolaC.