How to find comfort in being uncomfortable: breathe
1 day ago
Breathe. Just breathe.Ever since the first day of classes as a first-year just four weeks ago, these three words have been crucial to almost every aspect of my life. Since arriving at UVM, my life has become completely different. I have no choice but to step outside of my comfort zone and seek out ne...
Ayahuasca: the alternative antidepressant
Caroline Slack, Assistant Feature Editor
April 24, 2019
Though psychedelics are often portrayed in popular culture as recreational drugs, psychedelics like ayahuasca have played a role in religious ceremonies and alternative medicine. Josh — not his real name — a junior, was 23 when he took mental health treatment into his own hands with a do-it-your...
Students seek mental health help in winter months
Jean MacBride, Staff Writer
February 13, 2019
Vermont’s dark winters, with their bluster and shadow, leave many studetns struggling with their mental health. Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that occurs in nine percent of New England’s population, according to a 2015 study by the National Institute of Health. D...
This year, do self-care for you
January 25, 2019
Mid-way through January, many people have New Years’ resolutions dictating their daily routines and choices. By opting to work out more frequently, eat a healthier diet or cut back on alcohol and drugs, many people are picking up self-care, a significant pop culture trend. However, I want to thro...
UVM mental health professionals: we care about you
November 17, 2018
We who work to support UVM students’ health and well-being continually seek ways to improve the services we provide that support students’ mental health needs. Like colleges across the country, UVM is experiencing an increase in student need for mental health and disability-related support. Ou...
CAPS uses short-term model
Ben Drape, Staff Writer
October 18, 2018
UVM’S Counseling and Psychiatry Services are only meant to be used as short-term counseling, despite students desiring long-term services. CAPS uses a short-term model when counseling clients, Interim CAPS Director John-Paul Grogan said, although many students use the services for longer-term counseling and being...
SGA demands counselors
April 11, 2018
Last week, SGA highlighted a desperate need for a counselor dedicated to the serving students of color at UVM. First-year SGA senator Carter Yee brought up a resolution calling on Counseling and Psychiatry Services to hire a mental health specialist to work specifically with students of color. We agr...
Mental health on campus
February 14, 2018
Last semester, a first-year illustrator on staff, Cole Thornton, was struggling with the transition to college. The stresses Thornton experienced were routine: balancing the buffet of social opportunities with new academic expectations. Like many students looking for professional help, he reached out to ...
Students need more mental health services
Joey Waldinger, Assistant News Editor
February 12, 2018
At the end of last semester, senior George S. Tolley IV sought help from Counseling and Psychiatry Services for the first time of his college career, he said. His was a special case, so after calling the office on a Tuesday he managed to get an appointment the following Friday, but most students ...
Dallying with dogs improves student mental health
Libby Camp, Staff Writer
November 15, 2017
Tight circles of grinning, kneeling students usually reveal flashes of a wagging tail or a lolling tongue. Thirty-seven percent of households in the U.S. have a dog, according to the U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook. Vermont has the highest percentage of pet-owning households, as 70.8 percent of all...
Prioritizing mental health services
September 27, 2017
Taking care of your mental health is hard. Sitting in front of a professional and vulnerably telling them your worries? Not easy. Getting mental health homework? Some people would rather have four exams in one week. Maybe you think meditation sounds even scarier. Having to sit silently with your o...
Meditation will help ease stress and anxiety
December 7, 2016
Chances are you dear Cynic readers are just about Trumped out, and would rather not read another thing about Trump and his latest shenanigans. Instead, I want to talk to about the benefits of meditation. I think we could all use some help staying sane in these trying times, especially with ...
