DBSA National Capital Area

Sponsored by DBSA-NOVA and George Mason University

“No One Said a Word, No One Knew What to Say…” ~Alison Malmon

On a dark and stormy night last month at George Mason University in Fairfax, Alison Malmon delivered a powerful, heartfelt presentation on changing the conversation about mental health on college campuses. While a freshman cheerleader at University of Pennsylvania, Alison was compelled to speak up and speak out on mental health by a hellish odyssey that began when her older brother Brian lost grasp of his mind at Columbia University, returned to his family’s home in Potomac, Maryland and then lost his life by his own hand.

Transforming unspeakable grief into social action, Alison chose to honor the life of her funny, gifted brother by founding Active Minds on Campus, a group that engages high school and college students on the subject of mental health. Active Minds today is made of 114 college chapters across 34 states, Washington D.C. and Canada doing important, creative work to send silence packing. Alison announced that the group’s first high school chapter would be starting soon at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire.

Here is a link to the recap of Alison Malmon’s presentation at GMU:
http://www.dbsanova.org/news/Alison%20Malmon%20at%20GMU%20022708.html
A pdf formatted version is also available for download on the page.

Moira Wait.Board Member.DBSA NCA.
Jayson Blair.President.DBSA Northern Virginia.

DBSA NCA hosted this marvelous and rare event at the George Washington University Auditorium thanks to long-standing board member Kathy Colvin. Thanks to her relentless efforts and various relationships over the years that help us to connect the abstract world of doctors and lab rats, to the people that benefit from the results of their findings, and in the case of Kay Jamison, their own experiences.

The event got off to a rough, but exhilarating start. Where are the books for the book signing? Where is Kay? Where will the book signing be? I was there early to audio record her lecture for a potential podcast. It was a packed event. People had brought their own books for her book signing. I myself, bought, Night Falls Fast. I had already read Exuberance: A Passion for Life, and Unquiet Mind, her New York Times best-seller.

Kay gave us some memoirs and spoke very candidly. She looked much younger than I thought she would! I think that a large portion of the audience enjoyed hearing her discuss her experiences as a professional with an ongoing, yet treated, mood disorder. What is that like? How do you manage that? How can you teach when you are ill? How can you practice as a doctor? Must we receive our education at Johns Hopkins in order to get the support that you did? Is it the ONLY place in the country with a tolerance and awareness of proactively helping the profession succeed despite whatever is thrown at it, such as students/doctors with addiction, mood disorders, etc.

It was a great inspiration. The audience was extremely diverse.

Something that did make me think was when there was a question about borderline personality disorder. Kay made the distinction that this lecture was about mood disorders. So I guess I have to think about that. I’ve never really thought about any clear differences between mood and personality disorders. (questions for my therapist….)

Tip for the next event: Don’t tell the speaker you own their website domain and that if they want it, they have to buy it from you right away or else it will expire. That’s just NOT cool.

Thanks again to all who helped out at the event and made it such an impacting success. I think this event was important and meaningful to many people and that is definitely what matters.

- Tabetha. VP. DBSA NCA.