Mental Health At Texas State

In this mental health episode of IPI, hosted by Harrison Keesee and Matt Alvarez,  Ila Mar talks about her personal connection with Autism, a disorder that is often misinterpreted. It’s not a mental illness; it’s a developmental disorder that often comes along with several mental illnesses.

Texas State University’s very own Executive Director of the Autism Research Center (CARES), Dr. Russell Lang, explains how autism is diagnosed and how it can effect someone’s everyday life.

Thirty year old, Joshua Mar, suffers from a high functioning case of Autism. He is able to communicate, but he has problems picking up social cues and he must repeat certain routines each day in order to remain content with himself. Josh also has several other mental illnesses including severe depression, high anxiety, and obsessive compulsive disorder.

Niloofar Torabi explores the lives of student mothers, their stories, struggles, and how they managed to overcome the challenge.

Ana Vaso discusses adventure therapy as a way to relieve stress or work on any issue one might need to overcome in a fun and creative way. Expert Lyn Lichtke talks about the importance of recreational therapy in everyone’s lives.

Student organizations, like A.R.E., are in charge of coordinating recreational therapy events at Texas State so students can get involved.

In the Public Interest is produced by Harrisson Keesee, Matt Alvarez and Megan Carthel.