by Kyrsten Turner | Mar 13, 2014 | News Slider
The major message of the “Free To Be… You and Me” record, produced by Ms. Foundation for Women, was to inspire everyone, male and female, to achieve greatness. The goal of Lipscomb’s new recovery group, Free To Be, is similar in that it inspires students to take care of their bodies, achieving wellness. “Free To Be [started] because we realized there wasn’t a lot going on as far the drug and alcohol support was concerned,” said Andrea Mills, associate director of Lipscomb’s Counseling Center. “We wanted to make sure students felt like there was something they could come to and not feel like they were going to get in trouble for admitting that they had an issue or problem,” Mills said. Free To Be is a drug and alcohol recovery group, that also serves as a breakout chapel, where students can receive one chapel credit per session. Beginning in January, Free To Be meets once a week on Thursdays and gives students the opportunity to engage in a community that understands their situation and offers accountability. The group is not just for recovering addicts, however. Mills said she knows students think they have to be in recovery to join the group, but Free To Be is for any student who has any struggle with alcohol or drugs and wants help. Mills came to Lipscomb in October 2013 from the UAV Hospital, where she worked with emerging adults in the in-patient recovery program. She said students do not have to identify as an alcoholic or addict. The student just needs to see that they are struggling and want help. Free...
by Emily Snell | Sep 10, 2012 | News Slider
National Suicide Prevention Week is Sept. 9-15, and Lipscomb’s counseling center staff reminds students that resources are available for those who have concerns about depression, suicide or other issues. Director of the counseling center Dr. Paul Cates, Ed.D, LMFT, LPC, said students should seek out “anyone they feel comfortable talking with,” especially faculty and staff, if they’re struggling with something. “A pretty good percentage of the population will have periods of depression,” Cates said. “Those are situational. We have things that throw us a curve, and it takes time to work through it. “There are all kinds of reasons why we get down, and it’s in those kinds of times that we’re going to think drastically,” he said. “And that’s a good time to go talk to a counselor or talk to somebody that you feel is a good listener who can share some experienced wisdom with you and can help you work through those things.” Cates said suicide is not as common at Lipscomb as it might be in other communities but said there have been times when he’s had suicidal clients at the counseling center. He said students should not take it lightly if they know someone who might be suicidal. “If an individual has been thinking suicidally, that is something you take very seriously.” To Write Love on Her Arms, “a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide,” reports that suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15-24 year olds. The International Association for Suicide Prevention reports that women attempt suicide 2-3 times...
by Crystal Davis | Apr 12, 2012 | Opinion
I’m one of the not-so-young students here on campus, so I experience some things younger, normal-aged Lipscomb students might not – like losing your life, your meaning, your point of being here. I’m almost 25, a Lipscomb senior with an Associate of Science, and I’ll be receiving my Bachelor of Arts this fall. I’m what you call ‘extremely indecisive about life.’ After a lot of soul searching, I first decided I wanted to be a doctor. I had my heart set on being a pediatrician. I got through a few random courses at a small community college and then finished my Associates degree at another community college in Franklin. I came to Lipscomb still intending to pursue my pre-medical coursework. Then my world fell apart. At 23, my parents decided to divorce after 32 years of marriage. My father told me about it as we were sitting in the hospital while my mother was having surgery to remove a tumor the doctors thought was cancerous. It wasn’t, thank God. You would think, being an adult, the divorce wouldn’t hit me as hard as it would a child, but not only did it hit me – it knocked me over, beat me up and threw me back down. I had no idea how it would change me forever. The divorce consumed me. The whole process ended up being pretty nasty. I was pushed and pulled on both sides, as my parents started to treat me more like an equal than a daughter. I wasn’t shielded from any information or opinions. I ended up mediating their divorce and settlements just to get...
