The Barometer Online

Issue date: 2/10/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Jeff Wick Ross Szabo, author of "Behind Happy Faces," talks to students and faculty members about mental health issues Monday night in the MU Ballroom.

The newly formed student group Active Minds along with the Counseling and Psychological Services department held their "Darkness to Daylight" event yesterday for the second year.

The event was a three-part series centered on mental health with the director of the youth outreach program for National Mental Health Awareness Campaign (NMHAC), Ross Szabo, who spoke about alcohol and mental health wellness as well as a discussion on his book "Behind Happy Faces" and a lecture on "what happy faces are hiding."

"We invited him to come based off of some advice from some students that had seen him speak," said Larry Roper, vice provost for Student Affairs.

"One of our major concerns is how we manage the health and wellness of students including physical, mental and spiritual health in order for students to be successful in life."

A member of Active Minds had seen Ross Szabo speak before at a conference in Philadelphia.

"I think he really connects with students," said Aaron Thompson, a junior in psychology.

Thompson feels that this event is important because "people don't understand what [mental health] is about." With so much stigma involved with mental disorders, there is a lack of understanding from the community.

Szabo, with a bachelor's degree in psychology from American University, explained mental health from his own personal experiences and knowledge on the topic.

Early in life, Szabo experienced the difficulties of mental disorders. At age 11, he visited his oldest brother that was in a psychiatric ward with bipolar disorder. Later at age 16, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Szabo dealt with severe hallucinations, desires to kill himself and other deep states of depression. In his senior year of high school, he was hospitalized for attempting to commit suicide.

"I really felt I would be doing everyone a favor, if I took my own life," Szabo said.

He was president of his class, varsity basketball player and had a 3.6 GPA, but later explained that many times people have emotions and thoughts that don't match up with their "exterior" life that they portray.

Continued...

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