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West Virginia University Carruth Center
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October Newsletter

We hope your first few months on campus have been great and that you are starting to find your rhythm this semester. For returning students, we're back with our monthly emails to touch base with you and focus on mental health from our experts at the Carruth Center.

Hi students! We hope your first few months on campus have been great and that you are starting to find your rhythm this semester. For returning students, we’re back with our monthly emails to touch base with you and focus on mental health from our experts at the Carruth Center.

For new students, welcome! You will begin to see this email every month from our Carruth Center for Counseling and Psychological Services. Your well-being is the most important thing here at WVU, and we hope these emails will meet you where you are in your life or in your semester. This is part of our commitment at WVU to keep you safe, share as many of our resources as we can and show you that you are loved and valued.

We want this email series to be useful to you, so if there’s something you want to learn more about, please email Carruth’s Assistant Director of Outreach, Sara DiSimone, at sara.disimone@mail.wvu.edu.

We want to remind you - ask for help when you need it

Don’t wait to reach out to someone for help. If you’re struggling and need someone to talk with, you can reach out to the Carruth Center.

You can schedule a time to talk with a therapist. There are multiple ways students can talk with a counselor, including:

Don’t forget about your support system! Lean on family and friends who can help you work through some of the items on your plate so you’re able to balance work and your personal life.

Our Carruth Center also has emergency services available.

  • Our Urgent/Crisis clinic is available for students who are experiencing a psychological emergency or are in immediate need for a same-day intervention. Availability for same-day, in-person visits are Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
  • If you find yourself in a mental health emergency, call us 24/7 at 304-293-4431 or dial the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.

HALLOWEEN

Halloween is an exciting time at WVU, and we look forward to safely celebrating the holiday of candy and costumes. Here are helpful tips to have a safe and fun weekend:

  • Hydrate and fuel your body.
  • Be aware of your surroundings and make sure to follow WELLWVU’s Party Smart Tips.
  • Use the buddy system. Whatever your plans, go with people you know and stay with that group.
  • Know your limits. If you choose to celebrate with alcohol, here are some tips to be safer.
    • Avoid drinking games.
    • Stick with one type of alcohol.
    • Eat food before and during drinking.
    • Set a limit for drinks and keep track.
  • Have a plan.
  • Keep in mind campus emergency resources.
    • If you don’t have it already, make sure the LiveSafe app is installed on your phone. LiveSafe enables direct and discreet two-way communication with University Police using text, picture, video and audio. It also lets you virtually walk your friends and family home with SafeWalk.
    • If you have an emergency call 911 or 304-293-3136 to reach UPD.
    • Additional resources are available at safety.wvu.edu and police.wvu.edu.
    • Students and employees are encouraged to follow the WVU Safety and Wellness Facebook page and @WVUSafety on Twitter.

HEALTHY STRIVING vs. PERFECTIONISM

We all strive to succeed in various daily roles, especially college students who are earning a degree and balancing multiple demands. There’s a difference between setting goals that are within reach versus too high to ever achieve. We live in a society that values perfection and makes it appear easily attainable, but perfectionism ignores the fact that we are human and prone to making mistakes.

We’re not saying to lower your standards. It is totally fine to have high standards, just be mindful on how these standards are practiced. Healthy striving becomes unhelpful when you no longer enjoy the process and your only focus is the outcome. It’s important to understand the difference between healthy striving and perfectionism so you can recognize when your behaviors are no longer helpful — and you can break free from the problematic thinking of perfectionism and define a healthier sense of what you are striving for.

STRIVING FOR PERFECT? TRY HEALTHY STRIVING INSTEAD!

Healthy Striving

  • High standards but learns from mistakes
  • Able to tolerate uncertainty
  • Achievements are judged objectively
  • Makes achievable goals

Unhelpful Perfectionism

  • High standards but mistakes feel catastrophic
  • Uncertainty is very tough
  • Always feel like a failure
  • Unrealistic goals

Crisis Resources

Life-Threatening Emergencies

911

University Police: 304-293-COPS (2677)


Psychological Emergencies

Carruth Center: 304-293-4431 (press 1 after hours)

Crisis Text Line: Text “WVU” to 741741

Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988

Veteran Crisis Line: 988 (press 1)

Trevor Project Hotline (LGBTQ): 1-866-4UTREVOR (1-866-488-7386)

Carruth Center has an urgent/crisis clinic that provides in-person visits without an appointment for students who are experiencing a psychological emergency. Call 304-293-7731 (press 1 after hours)

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