While learning to better manage her own mental health, Maddy Furgiuele also made it her goal to help others.<\/p>\n
The third-year Brock Psychology student first noticed a feeling of anxiousness while in Grade 8, but assumed at the time that everyone felt the same anxiety she did. That impression would soon change.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I started high school, one of the teachers talked to us about anxiety, and I made the connection that I might be struggling much more than some of my friends,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Furgiuele gained further insight into her anxiety and its tie to obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) when she began seeing a therapist in Grade 11.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was really such a validating experience,\u201d she said. \u201cI would talk about how I felt anxious, and my therapist was able to explain and help me understand why that was taking place, and provided me with some coping strategies.\u201d<\/p>\n
As she continued to explore her mental health, Furgiuele became fascinated with the topic.<\/p>\n
\u201cI never loved dance, basketball or soccer the way some of my friends enjoyed those types of hobbies, but when I started learning about mental health, it was everything to me,\u201d she said. \u201cI wanted to learn more about recovery and treatment and helping people.\u201d<\/p>\n
She would go on to lead the mental health awareness club at her high school and set her sights on helping people as a career.<\/p>\n
\u201cI chose Brock because the Psychology program is the first step towards hopefully becoming a therapist and opening my own office,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Furgiuele said there was another reason Brock stood out.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I was exploring universities, I learned that Brock was ranked No. 1 for mental health supports<\/a>, which was really important to me,\u201d she said. \u201cKnowing those resources are here has been comforting and helpful for me, and it\u2019s been amazing to see how quickly they have been accessed by friends in need.\u201d<\/p>\n Furgiuele has also made it a priority to candidly share her own mental health journey with those around her.<\/p>\n \u201cInitially I was really nervous and I wouldn\u2019t say anything, but over time, it\u2019s become more comfortable for me to tell people I have OCD and what that looks like, and everyone has been really supportive,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n As she pondered how to be open about her mental health during the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic, Furgiuele decided to start an Instagram account<\/a>, where she continued to discuss her journey virtually, when not able to see friends in person.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I have always been someone who is a bit more private about mental health, but now that I\u2019m running an Instagram account, I\u2019m feeling more empowered to talk about it in the moment and to let people be there for me when I need help.\u201d<\/p>\n On her Instagram page, Furgiuele is careful not to give out advice, as she is not yet a mental health professional, but there is one message she hopes to get across to everyone she comes in contact with both virtually and in person.<\/p>\n \u201cTalk to someone about what you are feeling,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen I was silent about what I was going through, I thought I was alone, but when I learned it was OK to talk about my mental health, it was the first step towards recognizing that I needed help.\u201d<\/p>\n