By Maurisa Weld | Observer Contributor
Mental Health Counselor Melissa Manzi deals with opiate addiction on a regular basis. Though students don’t usually seek out treatment with Manzi, she said students come to her for help when loved ones are battling addiction.
An Opiate Addiction Awareness Seminar was held and focused on, in addition to addiction, mental health. “I’ve had several students who have watched their parents overdose,” Manzi said, “and others who have had a total of three friends die to opiates.”
Abnormal Psychology students contributed poster boards of information displaying various mental health conditions as part of a Service Learning project. Noel Ntoro, a Psychology major, said Service Learning projects are the best route to go in college. “When you’re informed and care about the topic, it doesn’t really feel like a project at all.” The Service Learning students advertised the event and had a large turnout, including photographers and the mayor of Gardner.
All who attended the Opiate Addiction Awareness Seminar signed a pledge at the door. By signing the pledge, guests promised to promote acceptance and constantly challenge mental health stigmas.” Stickers with the saying “Know science, No stigma” were handed out. Manzi said “We can destroy stigmas through awareness. We need to have these discussions about mental health, so we can learn what we can do to make a difference.”
Manzi hopes to see support groups for the children who are forced to be around opiate addiction. She said there are numerous support groups for those actually battling the addiction, but no “age-specific” groups for those family members, especially children, watching it happen. At the end of the seminar, Manzi invited anyone who needed emotional support to come speak with her.
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