Share your story – Sahar Hakim-Hashemi
Tell us a little about yourself
I’m Sahar, a recent graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Those who have not gone to MIT might not know what it’s like to be a student at the best engineering school in the world. For me, and many of my friends and classmates, it was extremely difficult — mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically.
What mental health challenges have you experienced?
Every year that passed at MIT, my depression, anxiety, and numbness would increase. I saw many friends and classmates experience extreme anxiety and stress daily.
By my fourth year, I had shortness of breath most days; I felt like I didn’t care if I was alive or not. And most of my friends didn’t know about this, because we didn’t have time to hang out more than a few times per semester. My friends were also struggling themselves.
How did you get support for your mental illness?
After graduation, I felt like there was a need for myself and other MIT students to openly talk about the common student life challenges that they all experience; to start a conversation about improving student lifestyles.
It seemed like most students were experiencing difficulties in isolation and blaming themselves for it. So, I decided to make a documentary, called Sleep is for the Strong, to gather the stories of many students as they bravely talked on camera about their difficulties with living healthy lifestyles at MIT.
I thought that it could be powerful for students to see their peers in a film talking about the same issues that they have. I thought that it could prompt students to realize that they are not alone in their struggles, and start to think about what can be done to bring about change.
Meeting with and recording the stories of so many other students had a profound impact on me and helped me give a closure to the damages of my life as a student by realizing that we could all come together as a community to make a difference.
At MIT, there is a famous student mantra that says “”Sleep is for the WEAK.”” Since lack of sleep for college students contributes greatly to depression, anxiety, and other health issues, I decided to choose a title that brings attention to the importance of sleep and the fact that sleeping is actually for the STRONG.
Anything further you would like to share?
Now we are raising funds on Indiegogo to pay for the expenses of making this film. Many people have supported and contributed to our campaign so far! You can see our campaign here: bit.ly/SleepStrong.
We want this film to serve as a ground for discussions at MIT and other universities about the tremendous importance of having healthier student lifestyles in our universities. You are welcome to join us in this effort to raise awareness and start a conversation!
If you have a mental health story to share, please click here. Your story may inspire, encourage or save a life!
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