The first time I went to Graham House was last year, in the middle of my Junior winter. I went during classes to ensure that as few people as possible would see me, and I took the most secluded route there for the same reason. I did not tell anyone I had gone. I was nervous about my friends’ reactions and scared that their opinions of me might change. My fears were not unfounded; when I told people I had gone to Graham House, the response was usually that it was only a place for “weird kids,” not like me. This stigma, that Graham House is not for “normal” students, leads many to avoid it for fear of being labeled as different or strange by their peers. As the annual Wellness Week took place two weeks ago, it feels appropriate to talk about mental health on campus, specifically Graham House’s reputation. According to The Phillipian’s 2013 State of the Academy (SOTA) survey, 76 percent of those surveyed said that there is a social stigma surrounding Graham House. Perhaps this is the reason why only 37 per cent of those surveyed had ever visited Graham House. Moreover, many who do go are uncomfortable discussing their experiences, perpetuating the unhealthy stigma. For the health of our community, our attitude towards Graham House needs to change. In Andover’s competitive atmosphere, it is often difficult for students to find an outlet for their stress. Some resort to problematic habits such as self-harm or eating disorders: according to the 2013 SOTA survey, 11 percent of students have harmed themselves while here and 15 percent have dealt with an eating disorder. Even worse, according to SOTA, these numbers are on the rise. If going to Graham House and taking full advantage of the counseling resources available to us were more socially acceptable, then it is likely such problems would be less prevalent on campus. Graham House can help students address mental health and stress issues in a constructive and healthy way and thus curb issues like self-harm and eating disorders. In my personal experience, Graham House is a severely underutilized resource. The counselors are some of the nicest people on campus, and, more importantly, they can actually help students alleviate stress and work through mental illness. It is my opinion that more people should go at least once, if only so that they can experience a counseling session. Everyone could benefit from talking to an adult who does not know them and therefore has no bias or reason to pass judgement. There are several ways to potentially alleviate some of the stigma surrounding Graham House. Perhaps if students were more familiar with the Graham House process, they would be more open to going. Graham House counselors could visit residential and day student advising groups at the beginning of each school year to introduce themselves, talk about the purpose of Graham House and counseling and discuss Graham House’s many services. New students already tour Graham House as part of orientation. Alternatively, however, Graham House could make appointments with all new students, either individually or in small groups. This would take more time, but would allow each student to visit Graham House at least once during their time here. It would also allow students to get to know at least one counselor on a personal level—important because the Graham House counselor could become an important resource later in the students’ Andover careers. The entire Andover community would benefit if students were more open about and more comfortable with visiting Graham House. If students felt more comfortable talking about mental health issues with a Graham House counselor, then they might also feel more comfortable talking about these issues openly. More students going to Graham House would be the first step in encouraging open discussion of mental illness in the Andover community, a very necessary first step in reducing their incidence.
