President Harris Pastides

Photo provided by UofSC Office of the President

If you’re reading this, we truly care.

For many years I’ve had great compassion for the mental health issues that have affected my friends and family, and that are also prevalent among our own student body and young people everywhere.  I think that part of my heightened awareness is due to some firsthand experiences I had early in my own career with a matter that triggered significant anxiety in me.

The event is relatively unimportant to this story… It was simply a professional disagreement that stemmed from a scientific study that I conducted.  However, some of the negative feedback that I received came from respected members in my field and I began, at first, to worry that I may have done something wrong. Later, my confidence in my abilities slipped and I worried that more bad things might happen, although I didn’t know what they were.

It was hard to speak with friends or family about my stress and it was clearly affecting my sleep and my disposition toward all who cared about me.

Admitting that I should speak to someone was also difficult because 40 years ago there was a pretty big stigma about seeing a counselor or even speaking openly about these things. Still, I made an appointment and after a couple of visits, things began resolving. Acknowledging that I needed help was the biggest step in my recovery.

I want to be encouraging to all students and members of our campus community who might be struggling with their own issues. Big or small, there is somebody here qualified and willing to speak with you. Please take that first step to share your concerns. Take it from someone who did. It truly helps, and we truly care.

Harris Pastides, University of South Carolina

Interim President

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