Lexie Shadix, Campus Carrier asst. arts and living editor

“We get our name from an old proverb that says: A shared joy is a double joy; a shared sorrow is half a sorrow,” Dennis Gillan, the executive director of the nonprofit foundation “Half a Sorrow,” said. 

He visited Berry on Sept. 10 to speak at “A Journey Towards Recovery,” an event hosted by Berry’s Cultural Events Center. Kristina Clay, a junior at Berry majoring in biochemistry, is a member of the Cultural Events Committee and was able to provide insight into the centers’ purpose. 

“It’s to broaden the perspective of students,” Clay said. “To give them insight into different backgrounds, [with help] from professional speakers from all over.” 

Students at Berry are required to have 24 credit hours of Cultural Events to graduate. Each event equates to three hours of credit, so this requirement can be met by attending three Cultural Events each semester of a student’s schooling. This event, “A Journey Towards Recovery,” covers the topic of suicide prevention, in honor of suicide prevention month. 

“I’ll tell you where I was when my older brother Mark died,” Gillan said. “I tell you where I was when my younger brother died.”  “And then we’ll see my reactions, and they’re two different reactions, and then we’ll go over resources with the audience.” 

Chante’ Hill, the director of the Suicide Prevention Project at Berry, was the sponsor of this event. Last year, she helped conduct a study at Berry called “The Healthy Minds Study.” Surveys were sent out to students that asked questions about their feelings towards themselves, school, etc., and one thing that was seen to be prevalent among students at Berry was loneliness. College students are subjected to many changes in a relatively short amount of time. They are moving away from home, they’re doing a different level of schoolwork, and they are, oftentimes, faced with the challenge of making new friends, among many other things. 

“It’s just many layers of things going on,” Hill said. “And so therefore, sometimes students feel like “Ok this is my issue, this is how I feel about it, and I can’t deal with this.” And what we want them to know is that yes, you can deal with it and there are other options.” 

One of the reasons Gillan was chosen to speak at this event is because he deals with the topic of loneliness. 

 “His story is amazing because he had two brothers that died by suicide and he tells how he overcame that,” Hill said. “He also speaks very much on loneliness as well and tells people how to overcome that.” 

However, Gillan was not always faced with a schedule full of talks to raise awareness about suicide and suicide prevention. 

“It took me forever to even talk about my brothers,” Gillan said. “Sixteen years before I spoke about him in public in fact.” “I was part of the stigma I’m now fighting.” 

Then, he spoke to the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention. And, even though he believed that would be his one and only time in front of a microphone, he was told he needed to tell that story more often. While he had never planned to speak in front of another audience about this topic, that is not how his story played out. He went on to visit multiple colleges and share his experience. 

“I really got going with Charleston Southern,” said Gillan. “It’s a Baptist school and they have to show up, they get credit for going to service.” “About 300 kids showed up because they get credit; they didn’t show up for me. I’m like, you know what, screw it. I’m just going to go for it, I’ve got nothing to lose.”

After his presentation, Gillan’s friend happily informed him that none of the college students had resorted to searching for entertainment via their cellphones for the entirety of his speech. 

 “He said you got to keep going,” Gillan said. “Onward.” 

 And onward he went. He went on to speak on TEDx, at corporate events and churches. But, according to Gillan, the truly moving part is not what happens during his talks, it is what happens after them. After is when people ask questions and can talk with him and each other, as they were able to do at “A Journey Towards Recovery.” After is when people have fully let their guard down and realized that maybe coming wasn’t such a bad idea. It is when people uncross their arms and allow the message to access their heart. And Gillan’s message is that life is worth it. Through this event, students will learn how to help, and spot, people who may be going through a mental health crisis. And, hopefully, when they leave, they will be more comfortable staying in the conversation about suicide prevention and mental health. 

For students who may be considering suicide, there are many resources available on campus, and off campus, to provide them with help. Students can visit the Counseling Center, which is in The Ladd Center, and receive counseling. By talking through problems with a counselor, they are often made aware of a solution they may not have known even existed. 

 “One of the statistics we have is that 80% of the people who have actually gone on to die by suicide have never been to their college counseling center,” Hill said. “So we want you to know that we are here and please come and visit us. Let us give you mental health support and the tools that you need to cope and to manage stress, because it’s stressful being in college.”

Students can dial 988, which is the national suicide and crisis lifeline. 

“When you dial that number, wherever you are in the US, you can receive mental health help,” Hill said. “They have a mental health professional on the other line, and they will talk with you.” 

People facing a crisis can also use hello 741-741. For people who do not want to speak with another person, this option allows them to receive assistance via text. Clay recommended visiting the chaplain’s office where students can find prayer and support. Students can also take advantage of Berry’s Peer Educators, who can help connect students to various resources around campus and offer continual support. 

And for those who want to help in the fight against suicide, there are many ways that they can do just that. 

“You don’t have to reinvent the wheel,” Gillan said. “There are some groups out there that you can get actively involved with. There’s probably something at your school that already exists in some form, or just needs to be rejuvenated.”

One thing that students can do is join Hill for QPR training. This acronym stands for “question, persuade and refer.” Through this training, students and faculty members will be taught how to recognize signs of someone who is experiencing a mental health crisis and what resources to refer them to. Anyone interested in this training can email chill@berry.edu.

 Young people are certainly moving in the right direction with their willingness to have honest conversations about mental health. 

“I find that the younger generations are more willing to talk about mental health than people, say, my age or my dad’s age,” Gillan said. “They didn’t want to talk about it at all. Their pride got in the way.” 

And students can continue on that path by actively taking care of their mental health. Dennis, Clay and Hill shared some ways that students can do that and added some things that they personally do to prioritize their mental health. Gillan advised joining a club, having joined a tennis club himself. College students can relate to each other, because many of them are experiencing the same fears and challenges. Joining something such as a club can help a student find a place where they can feel a sense of belonging and community. Clay said she journals, prays, and makes time to read a devotional. Hill recommends checking in with yourself often. And, when everything starts to feel like too much, stop and take a break. There is no shame in resting. And don’t be scared to talk about how you are feeling. 

“Get it out, because if you swallow your problems, your stomach will keep score,” Gillan said. 

Death by suicide is preventable. And this event examines situations that happened, but did not have to. 

“Suicide prevention is everybody’s business,” Hill said. 

Something that is so prevalent in this age should not be ignored, it should be discussed openly and honestly. And while suicide prevention is highlighted in September, every month is suicide prevention month. It is a conversation that should not be shied away from but should continually be had. Hope is out there. So do not be afraid to point people towards it; and if you are experiencing mental health issues, do not be scared to ask for help finding it.