Mental health care

Being a student at MIT is a very difficult task, and for many, it is the first time that they need assistance with their emotional wellbeing. This can come in many forms: managing social anxiety, being overwhelmed by all of your obligations, feeling foggy and like you’re constantly walking through molasses. Throughout college and grad school, I struggled a great deal (as I still do) with mental health issues. Finding the language to talk about my experience — to say nothing about actually seeking help — was a really long process for me, as I had a lot of internalized stigma about mental health problems. It feels trite to say, but it is no less true: you are not alone. It is okay if all you did today was simply survive.

If you are looking for medical care and counseling services at MIT, you can make an appointment here; this scheduling system is not intended for emergency situations. As mentioned in the “mandatory reporting” section, MIT Medical, VPR, and ordained clergy are all confidential resources — they cannot disclose to others the contents of your conversations — whereas other entities like S3 are not.

If you or a classmate are in a life threatening situation, you can call, text, or chat the free 24-hour National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. (It can be used by anyone, even if you’re feeling sad or hopeless without ideation.) If you reach out to 911, please be aware that police are not equipped to offer mental health support and may even pose additional dangers to the person experiencing a crisis. The MA Department of Mental Health also provides these resources.

While MIT Medical offers counseling services (which, in my personal experience, has been very positive but requires long lead time), you may seek more specialized health care. MIT Medical itself can give you referrals for providers off campus who will be able to see you more regularly than providers on campus. There is an excellent step-by-step guide from NPR on how to find (and work with) a therapist. Here are some other national directories that you may find helpful: the National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color network, Therapy for Black Girls, Asian-American Therapist Directory, and Therapy for Latinx. If you have suggestions for other services to include (or exclude!), please do not hesitate to contact me.