Category: Health & Wellness

Anyone at BC in a crisis always has someone they can talk to, such as the PEC at university counseling (call health services at 617-552-3225 and ask to talk to the PEC) or at the National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255. I cannot give concrete, specific info about medical problems; I am a library wall, and librarians are duty-bound to provide resources, not medical advice. You can search our catalog for “suicide” and find a lot of material on the subject. Regarding sin, for Catholic doctrine, search with the subject heading “Bioethics — Religious aspects Catholic Church,” which covers a number of different areas such as euthanasia and suicide.

Yes, I agree, that seems like it would be a difficult situation, and I’m sorry you (or someone you know) had to go through it. It sounds like your complaint is with the hospital staff, so I recommend addressing them.

I can tell you’re trying your best. I admire your persistence. In fact, your persistence is inspiring and has given at least one of my assistants the courage to work through some of their own difficulties. So it doesn’t seem from my perspective like hope is what’s missing. Maybe it’s trust? When you fear that trust could be betrayed, it’s hard to take a risk. But you’ve also already demonstrated your courage in sharing as much as you have here. You really are hopeful & courageous, so I believe you have the capacity to keep trying until you heal.

I’m sorry you were in such distress that you harmed yourself. As you’ve noted, it’s more common to do that than most people know. I recommend calling the Dean of Students office; you can say the Wall sent you. (Remember, a phone call can still be anonymous.) Tell them your concerns about HIPAA, parental notification, and the consequences of disclosing, like section 12 & mandated leave. Suggest what they can do that will help you trust the process. “Please contact Caroline Davis, Associate Dean for Student Outreach & Support at caroline.davis.2@bc.edu, 617-552-3470 or by stopping by 448 Maloney Hall to schedule an appointment.”

If you mean leaking natural gas pipes or appliances, definitely get them repaired. Natural gas in high concentrations can be toxic and explosive, and incidentally includes methane, a potent greenhouse gas. If you mean in your digestive tract, here are some suggestions from Mayo Clinic: bit.ly/mayo-gas.

I’m sorry; I clearly misunderstood the question. I’m willing to bet there would be less opportunity for confusion about policy issues if you were to reach out directly to the Dean of Students office: Please contact Caroline Davis, Associate Dean for Student Outreach & Support at caroline.davis.2@bc.edu, 617-552-3470 or by stopping by 448 Maloney Hall to schedule an appointment.

That does seem like a way that could risk damaging a patient’s trust & confidence. I’m sorry that happened. Please reach out to the Dean of Students office. I’m sure they would be interested to hear about your experiences, and would be attentive and compassionate. Here is the contact invitation in response to another post: “Please contact Caroline Davis, Associate Dean for Student Outreach & Support at caroline.davis.2@bc.edu, 617-552-3470 or by stopping by 448 Maloney Hall to schedule an appointment.”

It sounds from other responses as if the Dean’s office would be interested in hearing what you have to say about less traumatizing options. Please reach out to them. This wall (and librarians who help answer it) are not equipped to give medical or medical policy advice. However, library staff *are* equipped to evaluate sources. If you click through to the sources for those figures, you’ll find that the lower % was established by a non-random internet survey, and asked about lifetime harm; it is both a low standard for evidence, and not necessarily about behavior during college years. The higher % was a very small sample (159) of a wide range of ages in UG classes at U. Mass Boston, and was intended as an instrument validation study for the Deliberate Self Harm Inventory (DSHI). Researchers caution that the results should not be used to estimate population prevalence for self-harm behaviors. If you are interested in further uses of the DSHI, I recommend searching for it in the PsycInfo database and selecting “test and measure” in the search drop-down menu.

I want you to live, too! I even want you to thrive. But I don’t really have the capacity to help those things happen other than to say that I care about you. The offices & phone numbers you list are exactly what I would tell you to try; that’s all I know to do, because I’m not a medical professional. If you’re concerned that those routes wouldn’t help, all I can say is you’re worth the effort of trying. If you’re concerned that they might hurt (by, say, triggering a mandatory leave), please read the responses from the Dean of Students office; I think their answers may allay your fears.

As with any impressive physical feat, Super Saiyan and Ultra Instinct require a lot of training and dedication. Goku didn’t go SS overnight – he trained for his entire life up to that point (and after it’s worth noting). It helps to have a strong motivator to keep up the training (like the rivalry with Vegeta or an existential threat in Frieza). Just like Goku, I recommend starting small with some easy diet changes and incorporating exercise into your routine. Exercise classes can be useful because they will give you a social network to keep you coming back and teach you good technique.

Please check the policy noted in the reply from the Dean of Students office: bit.ly/BC-inv-LOA. It looks as if re-entry procedures are triggered only if there has been a leave of absence. However, I am only interpreting policy as a third party, and don’t actually have the authority to provide a definitive answer. Please contact the Dean of Students office to clarify this policy for you.