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Mental health services at the UoE – are they doing enough?

Mental health services at the UoE – are they doing enough?

Anna Romanovska takes us through the good, the bad and the ugly of the University Mental Health resources

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It’s no secret that there is an ongoing mental health crisis happening across all major university campuses. In a bid to help universities spot those who need help, senior coroner Maria Voisin called on UCAS to encourage “more disclosure on UCAS application forms.” Exeter University has had this feature for a while now. When registering on the Student Record System at the beginning of the academic year, there is an option to declare your mental health issue. But is that enough?

Many well-being services within UK universities lack the funds to support the ever-increasing demand for mental health support.

Many well-being services within UK universities lack the funds to support the ever-increasing demand for mental health support. During the academic year of 2016/2017, 113,644 students across the UK contacted the counselling services within their universities. Mental health issues are already sensitive as it is, and most universities are struggling to provide the support students need.

At the beginning of my second year I myself had experienced some mental health issues and was very close to dropping out of university. I contacted the services, got my Individual Learning Plan (ILP) sorted and applied for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Unfortunately, my name got lost in the system and it was not until a couple of weeks later that, after chasing my application up, I received my first appointment. The Health, Wellbeing and Support for Study Procedure (also known as HWSS) and the ILP work great, and I have been incredibly grateful for all the support I have received so far. However, getting support outside of these programmes is tricky. My first-year application for mitigation fell through because I was abroad at the time and the services cannot accept non-UK phone calls.

My first-year application for mitigation fell through because I was abroad at the time and the services cannot accept non-UK phone calls.

There is lots of support available for your studies, yet information about them is not circulated enough. ILPs, online CBT, counselling, group therapy, mitigation and college-specific welfare advisors are just some of the types of support systems that are available. Yet, many students do not know about the support available, and it is not exactly easy to find your way around the swamps of information that are thrown at you by the university. I constantly get asked what an ILP or HWSS is. If you want people to reach out, surely you should sign-post them in the right direction first? In order to truly battle stigmatisation, the university and its colleges need to step up and be more transparent about any support that is available at the university and in Exeter.

In order to truly battle stigmatisation, the university and its colleges need to step up and be more transparent about any support that is available at the university and in Exeter.

Help outside of the university is available as well, however these services are usually private or spread thinly. Despite the local NHS service aiming to book an appointment within six weeks’ time, it took me two months from my initial appointment to secure a Telephone Referral call.

The shocking numbers of lives lost to mental health issues at university should have been a wake-up call years ago

Perhaps instead of laying the foundations for new buildings and accepting more students every year, universities should look at solutions to tackle this crisis. The shocking numbers of lives lost to mental health issues at university should have been a wake-up call years ago. Funding and accessibility are essential in the provision of mental health support.

Can I pay my rent late this month?

Can I pay my rent late this month?

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Fenton Christmas explains what it’s like being a student from a low income background and how the university fails to address the impacts inequality can have on less affluent students’ studies.

With the end of year celebrations approaching, there might be one person who sticks to just one drink, says they’re not hungry when everyone orders food, and goes home rather than joining in as the group moves on to the next bar. You might think they’re tired, unwell or just plain boring. But the reality could be a little more sobering – they might just not have the money. Students from lower income backgrounds are everywhere and are in need of help that all too often evades them. Every day becomes a struggle as they try to function as a student whilst having real money worries and troubles. I know, because I’m one of those people who deals with it on a daily basis. Can I afford another drink tonight? What excuse can I use to get out of this dinner out? What more can I cut back on to allow me to afford a Grad Ball ticket? It’s a genuine problem that affects so many people at the top universities in the UK, and so often it’s never addressed in the right way.

In a city with some of the highest rents outside of London and some of the highest monthly parental contributions in the country, having to pay your own rent and having no help from parents can have a monumental effect on not just your finances, but also your mental health. In my second year, I was given the same student loan as someone I knew whose parents paid all their rent and also gave them a substantial amount of money each month. In contrast, my loan covered just over half my rent for the academic year. I had to find the money to pay not only that, but also my bills, food shopping, and then have some money on top of that to have some degree of a social life. I know many people at this university and elsewhere who have not been able to join the societies they wanted, struggled to make friends, or even go on dates because of financial strain.

Whilst no-one in this world is entitled to those things without money, the disparity is so large for two students at the same university it’s scary. The level of stress and pressure I was under was too big to cope with, I fell into a bad depression and would often just break down in tears. I couldn’t sleep, wasn’t eating and barely left my room. I was, however, very fortunate to have a landlord who was understanding of my situation and moved my rent payments around as I scrambled money from various sources just to cover myself.

The somewhat obvious rebuttal to any cry for financial support is “well, go and get a job.” There’s nothing wrong with having a job alongside studies by any means; I have one and I would implore everyone to get one. It teaches invaluable life skills, integrates you with a diverse range of people and gets you used to the working world. But the problem emerges when the need for money ekes too far into your studies. For some, they take up summer jobs to earn enough to live off over the course of the year so their studies are not impacted so much. I did that, however on minimum wage, I found myself working nearly every day over the summer to earn enough to try and live off over the following year. One summer I worked two months straight, eight hours a day and not one day off, as I tried to pay off the debt I had accumulated over the previous year. It led to me losing substantial weight as I ended up not eating or sleeping properly to work more hours.

the disparity is so large for two students at the same university it’s scary

But I had no other choice without a large impact on my studies. Some can only get a job during term time, but it makes things so much more complicated. How can two degrees be comparable, when one person who works, hypothetically, three days a week then only has the potential to work on their degree four days a week, whilst another who doesn’t need a job theoretically has a full seven days? That’s almost double the amount of time. Imagine sitting an exam in which all the lower-income students have half the time to complete it as everyone else – there would be public outcry. However, this sort of difference occurs at almost every top university in the country, and nobody seems to notice.

Moreover, not all degrees have the time allowance for students to work during the week: medicine, law, etc. have such full-on timetables that lower-income students with jobs are constantly playing catch-up or just missing out on teaching altogether. I’m not suggesting that money should just be handed out to lower-income background students, but at least level the playing field in terms of their academic pressures.

However, universities seemingly reject this approach and leave lower-income students out to dry. Take the recent University post of an “inspirational” video to reassure students about working alongside their studies. In the video, EU student Anna discussed managing her studies around her five jobs. FIVE JOBS. I for one do not find Anna’s story inspiring – I actually feel so sorry for her. Nobody, student or otherwise, should have five jobs. Let alone alongside a full-time qualification. For the University to endorse this level of over-working is simply outrageous. Rather than help students with the vast sums of money the University has, they instead suggest that students go out and simply work themselves to the point of exhaustion before they even come around to studying. EU students aren’t entitled to any maintenance loans, so to ask them to work five jobs alongside a degree is apparently the University’s preferred option.

There’s this very dangerous rhetoric that’s aimed at lower-income students from UK, EU and non-EU backgrounds to simply just “work harder” to keep up with the crowds. Rather than put things in place to actively help these students better, to take those pressures off them, universities instead hold up people who work unrealistic and unhealthy amounts as some sort of aspirational goal. It’s detrimental and disturbing, and I hope at some point universities reach out to offer better financial and academic support to those who need it.

How to Deal with Loneliness on your Year Abroad

Foreign Correspondent in Germany, Emma Wallace, explores in detail how you can deal with loneliness on your year abroad and gives examples of her and her friends’ strategies to overcome these “study abroad blues”.

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Loneliness is not an experience unique to studying or working abroad. Given that 32% of university students have reportedly experienced some degree of loneliness, it is possible that any university experience could produce these feelings. Loneliness, however, can be exacerbated by a placement abroad, where you are relocated to a new country and can be confronted with a language that is new to you.

I thought that it would be useful to collate together a comprehensive list of techniques for those that are about to embark on their year abroad and are worried about experiencing loneliness.

I was made aware I could experience some degree of loneliness before I even started out on my year abroad. As a department that sends out one of the largest cohorts of exchange students in the country, Exeter’s Study Abroad team was a fully-equipped hub of knowledge. They remained transparent about the various difficulties that students could experience; while this was intimidating when applying, I appreciated that their honesty allowed me to mentally prepare for the year ahead. Unlike my romanticised expectations of university life before arriving at Exeter, I began my placement understanding that I would likely encounter the “year abroad blues” (the Study Abroad team’s term for periods of loneliness or homesickness.) Although the notion that your year abroad is the best year of your life might be an empty platitude, mine has been a wonderful, revitalising experience. There have, of course, been blips. Indeed, the belief that your year abroad will be consistently brilliant is an unhelpful mind-set, as is the idea that bouts of loneliness will detract from an overall great experience.

I have just emerged from my most intense period of loneliness. Following a two month break between semesters, I decided to return to Germany in early April, a full two weeks before the start of the new term. When I arrived, I found that there were a lot less people that I knew in Munich, especially since the majority of my international friends were only on exchange for one semester, and so, had returned home. While I had returned to the UK soon after the semester ended in mid-February, most of my Erasmus friends had remained in Germany and went on to travel around Europe shortly before I came back. Although I knew that this period of loneliness was temporary, I did feel emotionally low and was worried that this phase might characterise the remainder of my year away. These feelings dissipated, however, and I took the time to mentally re-position myself before the start of term. I kept in mind the advice given to me by the Study Abroad team, and employed the coping mechanisms that I had acquired from Exeter’s mental health facility, Wellbeing. In light of all the time I spent scouring the internet for tips on how to deal with my “study year abroad blues”, I thought that it would be useful to collate together a comprehensive list of techniques for those that are about to embark on their year abroad and are worried about experiencing loneliness.

Whilst it may be a scary thing to consider, I would already make note of the periods when you might be most prone to these bouts of loneliness. Prior to my departure in September, I contacted a friend who had already started out on her year abroad in Australia and asked about her process of settling in. She told me about how vital those initial days were in helping you acclimatise to your new location and noted that her second day was the hardest, especially since she was without a routine at the time. Although I think that you should be flexible and leave yourself room when you arrive for spontaneous meet-ups over coffee with people you just bumped into at the train station (it can happen!), I also recommend having a rough plan in mind for those first few days, even if it means listing a couple of recommended sites in your area courtesy of Trip Advisor. If you are already aware that you will be unable to visit home for special, family moments, such as birthdays or religious holidays, I would factor in special plans that will help you mark those occasions and mitigate any feelings of homesickness. I was fortunate that my relocation to Munich coincided with the start of my intensive German language course, a three-week long language programme that was invaluable in not only giving me a set structure in that first month but, also, introducing me to many of my current friends. Although this was unique to my situation as a non-German speaker, I would recommend investigating what your host university might offer for international exchange students.

University experiences vary internationally, and it is good to embark on your year abroad without expecting your time with your host university to mirror your life at Exeter. In Germany, unlike the UK, university is not singled out as an all-encompassing experience: aside from the student network, which largely organises trips away and small events throughout the year, my host university does not offer any societies. University is predominantly an academic experience, without the additional expectations that you will move away from home or participate in extracurricular activities. There is a greater prevalence, as well, in Germany of single-occupancy accommodation – a type of living that can limit opportunities for interaction with others. Despite living in accommodation where there is a shared kitchen, a friend and fellow Erasmus student even noted that the “people who you live with are just people you wave to or make small talk with for five minutes”, stating “I am not even sure of all of their names, […] at the start of my year abroad I spent a lot of time by myself in my room wondering how I would ever meet anyone in this big city”. Although this is not representative of every university or country, I would recommend being open-minded when it comes to meeting new people. Do not necessarily rely on the avenues that were available to you at Exeter for making friends and, equally, do not become dispirited if you find the process of meeting new people difficult.

One of my Erasmus friends, a student from the University of East Anglia, arrived in mid-September but was unable to attend the language course that I had enrolled onto. Due to the fact that the semester did not start until October, my friend was left without a defined structure or many opportunities to meet others for almost three weeks. When preparing this article, I asked her what she did to remedy that lull and how she handled those feelings of loneliness. She said that her most effective coping mechanism was regular contact with her best friend, who she sometimes called twice a day and often cooked with or watched the same television shows as over Skype. Noting that this might not be workable for some due to potential time differences, she, also, recommended going for regular walks and listening to podcasts as a way of familiarising yourself with the surrounding area and actively concentrating on something. If you lack a firm structure, find a reason to go outside – even if that means dividing your weekly food shop into small, regular shops. Although my friend qualified that her experience as an international student at a UK university already gave her a taster of what it is like to study abroad, she recommended being pushy and identified her regular attendance of local networking events, despite not knowing anyone at the time, as key to establishing those early connections.

Do not necessarily rely on the avenues that were available to you at Exeter for making friends and, equally, do not become dispirited if you find the process of meeting new people difficult.

For some these forced interactions can be awkward. So, another Erasmus student recommended taking these opportunities regardless and seeking out people you take a liking to – even if that means spontaneously messaging someone you have just met. Since the Erasmus community is small but interconnected, they are open to large gatherings and meeting mutual acquaintances. Although it is good to maintain contact with friends from home, I would equally recommend taking the time when you arrive to make new friends. I even had a policy when I first arrived in Munich of giving myself a couple of days to settle before I contacted my parents. At the points when I feel lonely or homesick, I am wary of being spontaneous and impulsive, knowing that any random outburst over Skype might create undue concern for my parents. When I do encounter the “year abroad blues”, I take time to evaluate my feelings and what help is available for me where I am, and in the present moment, before I confide to my family so that we can work out a constructive plan of action. These periods of loneliness are a collective experience for those who have embarked upon a year abroad- by readily acknowledging that mutual experience, you will lay the foundations for an immediate support network. As one of my friends noted, the assumption that every day will be busy and exciting is an unhelpful expectation. She stated that its normal to have days when you maybe only see one person in the corridor of your halls, or maybe just text one friend from back home, recommending that you occupy that time with making use of those quieter moments to emotionally refuel and make future plans.

There is every reason to be excited about your year abroad and I encourage that every study abroad student interrogates what there is to do in your local area, or even makes a rough list of countries and cities that you would like to visit whilst you are on exchange. A friend of mine, who is an international student from Australia, stated that these trips away were vital for her during those periods when she felt lonely or homesick. Although the opportunity to travel is a privilege that is not always feasible, I did concentrate on becoming a tourist again in Munich when I felt low and scrolled through many websites listing cheap, local events and day trips. It is best to be active during these moments and to not succumb to lethargy. I generally find that inactivity can give rise to endless scrolling on social media, a pastime that amplifies any experience of loneliness or homesickness by forcing you to compare your year abroad experience with others. Whilst I think that social media is a useful tool to document your time away, I think that its usage should always be treated with caution. Exposure to social media, and the edited, selective highlights that it often shows, was one of the key areas stressed by the Exeter Study Abroad team when discussing challenges that students experience on their exchange. Any attempt to compare one year abroad with another is fruitless, especially since there are so many external factors that define your experience. My year abroad feels incompatible with those who are in Canada or Australia, who have to factor in different term dates, holidays, a greater distance, a different university lifestyle and, often, no language barrier.

A cognitive behavioural therapy technique I learnt from my sessions with Wellbeing has been especially useful during these periods: I have a habit of catastrophizing a situation and so forcing myself to sit down, draw out a table and weigh up my negative experiences with my positive ones forces me to rationalise my study abroad blues. Although I have had a hard time accepting my mental health, I instinctively knew that I needed to establish contact with Wellbeing prior to my departure. Everyone has a mental, as well as physical, health, and you can never anticipate how a change in your lifestyle might impact it. If you feel like your mental health might be affected by your year abroad, I would make steps in the year leading up to your departure making arrangements with your local mental health facilities, or the Study Abroad team, so that they are made aware of your concerns and can offer you the appropriate support. Even though you will not be situated near Exeter, these facilities will still be available and accessible, with overnight services offered for those who are based in countries that operate in different time zones.

It is never too soon to put strategies in place for dealing with your year abroad blues and I would spend time shortly before your departure focusing on your own mental well-being. Be open to the idea that you may face some challenges on your year abroad and be conscious of the fact that your year abroad blues are temporary phases that do not have to define your year away. It is a remarkable, and brave, decision to embark on a year abroad placement, one that I think suggests your ability to adapt and embrace situations that exist outside your comfort zone. If I ever feel lonely or homesick, I keep in mind what intrigued me about the year abroad experience, how that factored into my decision to apply to Exeter, and all the enticements that pushed me to send in that application. My year abroad has exceeded the majority of my aspirations, and has made nearly every challenge I encountered in the years leading up to it worthwhile- my experience of loneliness will not alter that.

Self Care Supplies: Creative Breaks

For me, revision self care is always about being able to take breaks when I need them. I find it impossible to concentrate if my head’s not in gear, so I tend to take breaks when I feel I need them. This can vary from day to day, depending on what I’m studying, or just how I’m feeling. When I take breaks I either like to do a little exercise whilst listening to one of my favourite podcasts (I personally recommend Oh No, Ross and Carrie! for people like me who love finding out about fringe science, cults, and the paranormal), paint my nails, do a facemask or play the ukulele.

After I’ve taken a little me time, I always feel more positive about revision,

Taking the time to do something for me (like doing a facemask) helps me feel relaxed, and when I’m chilled out rather than stressed because it feels like my revision is going nowhere, it helps me see things in perspective.
After I’ve taken a little me time, I always feel more positive about revision, and find it easier to get stuck in. Mid-revision pampering can also help – I keep a tube of hand cream on my desk so I can keep my hands soft and lovely.
Getting up and moving or doing something creative like playing the ukulele also helps take my mind off things, but rather than just de-stressing it actually helps me with inspiration. If I’m ever really stuck on an essay doing some squats or learning a new song nearly always helps me to have a breakthrough. Also, if I ever need to edit an essay but I can’t work out where to start, I find it’s far easier to come back to an essay and read it with fresh eyes after having a little jam to George Ezra or doing some crunches whilst learning about why I really, really don’t want to join Scientology.

Time to speak up?

Breaching the subject of mental health, especially with those closest to you, can be difficult. But, it can make such a difference when you finally have that conversation.

For me, that conversation happened a month ago. I mentioned to a close friend that I was worried about my mum as she has been dealing with some health problems. After further chats, it turned out that her own mum had the same illness. After a lot of hugging (and a few tears), we realised that we weren’t alone in our fears and worries. Now I know I can message her whenever I am stressed. I know she understands, will listen and reassure me. Equally, I can do the same for her. All it took was a conversation, admitting that I was worried and now we can be there for each other. The issues are still there and can still affect my life at University, but I know that I am not alone.

University is amazing, but can also be overwhelming. It is so important to talk to those around you, your housemates, your family or if you are really struggling, the Wellbeing Centre. It is important to keep an awareness of those around you and their mental health. Noticing if someone is not eating properly, sleeping poorly or drinking more alcohol than usual are just some of the things that could show that they have something going on under the surface that they should talk about. All it takes is an “are you okay?”. They might not talk to you initially, but it lets them know that you are there when they need that conversation. I know from experience that simple things like, “if you want to go for coffee and talk about it let me know” can make such a difference.

Taking on ‘Dry January’

Ultimately, we drink to socialise. Exeter, for example, has a culture of pre-drinking, going out to Fever, dancing, drinking and letting go. You might even end the night eating Dominoes with friends, sitting on the scratchy carpet of your student halls corridor, crying and laughing. Some of our best memories are made on nights out. So why are 3.1 million of us ditching the drink this ‘Dry January’?

Alcohol Concern started the campaign as a way to tackle alcohol related problems. Ever feel like your multiple nights out cause your life to snowball? This is exactly what ‘Dry January’ is about; promoting healthy relationships with alcohol.

In taking on ‘Dry January’ we actually begin to ask ourselves why we drink? For me, often it seems that I’m using that extra drink to make my night better. However, avoiding alcohol can mean you can save the money and energy to do all the things you have always wanted to do. For example, to book the ticket to that gig you really want to go to, to start societies you have never tried, or even save money to put towards travelling. And taking on ‘Dry January’ doesn’t mean your social life is over. You could plan some nights out like going down to Las Iguanas or Turtle Bay for a couple of the best Exeter mocktails.

The biggest challenge to ‘Dry January’ will be those nights when your friends are going out, you don’t want to miss out and so have to go sober. We’ve all given it a go and regretted it! It may sound simple, but make sure you go to a club you like, and to a night where they have great music. Try something new like Salsa night at Timepiece. Make sure you go with people you love, and you may even realise that you don’t even need to drink to have a great night. Apart from money for entry and emergencies (chips), leave your card at home so you don’t give in. Alcohol Concern state that 79% of participants saved money, 62% had better sleep, and 49% lost weight. A study by the University of East Sussex has revealed that a rebound is highly unlikely to occur, and that the experience will instead promote a happier and healthier lifestyle with alcohol.

This is not to say that you won’t have another night after ‘Dry January’ where you drink a little too much and fall down the TP stairs. But look forward to that night, with some extra money and loads of energy, having achieved the ‘Dry January’ challenge.

For more information on Alcohol Concern, take a look at www.alcoholconcern.org.uk.

In Defence of Idleness

Idleness has been condemned by its web of negative synonyms which trap the phrase in distaste as an indolent, slothful laziness. A biblical sin. And yet, sometimes there is little sweeter than reveling in a state of nothingness where little matters but you and the soft sibilance of your stillness.

To be cocooned in a blanket of our own forgetting, it’s the delight of an escapist. Surely idleness is to be desired? Desired especially when we feel crushed by overthought, deadlines, and the stress of breaking into the barracks of adulthood. The cusp of adulthood in which we pay rent and bills we can’t always afford, have to keep up social appearance with people we don’t necessarily favour, all alongside the want to uphold high academic standards imposed on us by parents, tutors and peers. Students are palpitating with pressure points which threaten to break us at any given moment.

At our stage in life especially, we need to be idle in order to appreciate the barricades our constant state of busyness (or desire to be busy) imposes on our wellbeing (which is already fragile). Just as we need sadness to appreciate joy, relaxation is essential if we are to feel content in the constant, quickened shift of our lives at university. To step back, to breathe, to hold that breath and let go. If just for a moment. It’s a beautiful, attractive prospect that can propel us softly back into the firing line of our current existence. Idleness can be the up to our down, the dip of relief in the roller coaster, the fresh air that cools us in the break of a mountain hike (to use clichéd yet endlessly applicable analogies).

But what is idleness if not an unconscious, hedonistic state of uselessness? Idleness is watching people pass from a café window, listening to music that blocks out thought before you sleep, napping in a warm room mid-afternoon; zoning out, tuning down. Like lying on our backs on a ripple-less lake in summer. Idleness is the oblivion of dancing beneath club lights, all arms flailing and eyes-shut, between essays: it is a form of bliss, if spread sparingly. It’s a fallacy to assume one moment of idleness will lead to a life of no achievement, to achieve we need to break from the rhythm of everyday life, do NOTHING and love that brief reprieve of passivity. We can take it as medicine. Take the Idle pill that echoes those tiresome phrases we see chortled over Instagram: taking some ‘me time’ or finding a quiet space to ‘love yourself’. Though perhaps this renders it a selfish pursuit, how are we to understand the lives of others (be selfless) unless we appreciate the time taken to care for ourselves? All this has been said before, perhaps this article is a mere regurgitation, all dialectic and no didact. Yet, it is exactly this repetition that renders idleness more a need than an empty desire, it is neither base or simple avoidance. Rather, we should approach it like a coffee break with an old friend. A pick me up. A slice of cake between meals. A little sweet taboo we should cherish, a slight indulgence we needn’t feel guilty for.

“Just as we need sadness to appreciate joy, relaxation is essential if we are to feel content in the constant, quickened shift of our lives at university”

It’s important to forget sometimes. To sup on the slow-down, unthinkingly. To be idle is neither a lofty nor profound concept but a facet of everyday existence often taken for granted, especially when time seems to surpass us so fast and the year seems to disclose in a simultaneous blink.

So be idle. Love the silence of it. Put down your problems for a small while and observe the world through a pane of glass, muffled, before you pick them up again and to tie up all the loose ends. Neatly. Begin again.

Words Matter: Talking about mental health

“W ith the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the forefront of the Heads Together campaign and the recent popularity of the Netflix show 13 Reasons Why, dialogues surrounding mental health have been on the incline. The topic is on our minds, yet there remains a legion of misconceptions surrounding mental health, adding to the overall treatment gap.

Our flippant usage of words like ‘depressed’ and ‘OCD’, even terms like ‘mad’ or ‘crazy’, are indicative of the lack of mental health knowledge in society as a whole. Our misinformed understanding of the language we use to describe our moods or behaviors is not intentional, but nonetheless, the repercussions are harmful. You can feel depressed, even sad, for a period of time and it may not be clinical depression. You can be particular about organisation and order, but those suffering from OCD have obsessive thoughts that lead to compulsive behaviours which not limited to organisation and cleanliness. Being ‘mad’ or ‘crazy’ are not quirks in one’s personality. Words do matter, it’s why mental health professionals have strayed from using terms like ‘insane’, ‘mad’, ‘hysteria’ and ‘neurosis’ — they do not serve to accurately describe the complex realities of those suffering from mental illness.

Mental Health: https://www.flickr.com/photos/125892716@N05/14419441390

Our problem is that we simultaneously understate and overstate, never getting close to a true understanding of mental illness. Our society’s perception is that it’s either a casual but overdramatic affliction or an extreme bout of symptoms, rendering the individual incapable of living a regular life as they must be dangerous and irrevocably broken in some way. If this is the image that shapes mental illness, it makes it hard for people to reach out and seek help. Many feel misunderstood because of the stigma attached to their experiences.

Words matter, but so do the people

There is also a growing sense of nihilism prevalent particularly in our generation. Suffering from a burgeoning amount of stress, we joke about death and destructive behaviours and in a way, I don’t really condemn that — it’s a very helpful way to unload the burdens of our lives that can often make us feel alone. Humour connects people and helps clarify difficult areas within ourselves that we have been unable to articulate. But it would be remiss to be thinking humorously about mental illness without the necessary help and resources needed to overcome such problems in our lives. Words matter, but so do the people. Having celebrities talk about mental health is well-intentioned and brings awareness to the subject, but the day to day conversation within our local and immediate communities is lacking. Distant figures make the concept and the experience of mental illness feel distant, and what people need is to feel less alone.

We standardise these things because we’ve been fed exaggerated and mythical interpretations of what it is like to deal with mental illness, mainly from mainstream media

It’s not always easy to tell when the person making a comment relating to mental health is being affected or otherwise. But it’s dependent on the situation, as all mental illnesses are not the same — the way people offhandedly talk about OCD, schizophrenia, anorexia or bi-polar is perhaps different to the way people talk about depression and anxiety; we are more familiar with the latter with mixed anxiety and depression being the most common mental disorder in Britain. However, mental health encompasses a wide spectrum of experiences, even within each different category. Its not static, its not definitive, its relative, which is part of the reason we don’t always realise when someone needs help. We standardise these things because we’ve been fed exaggerated and mythical interpretations of what it is like to deal with mental illness, mainly from mainstream media. Despite the fact that one in four adults and one in ten children will experience mental health problems every year, what we have not yet done is to represent mental illness as normal.

So whilst we may have the vocabulary for mental health, we do not yet have a comprehensive definition. We have conversations surrounding the issue, but there is still a lot that isn’t being said and much more that needs to be spoken about.

Home Is Where The Food Is

I was raised the right way by my parents. I know that’s a bold claim, but I was raised with good values; a love of food and a deep appreciation for anything that’s free. For most students that’s what home means: free food. I won’t lie, my parents are great cooks and I enjoy the luxury of not stressing about the price of Cathedral Cheddar. I can relax at home, which is both a blessing and a curse over Easter when I’m meant to be revising. But let’s look past free cheese before I go into a Homer Simpson style food fueled daydream.

For most students that’s what home means: free food.

I love going home for the holidays, I have never understood people who dread those orange tickets that lead there. There’s something about those bilingual signs that welcome me home at Severn Tunnel Junction that makes me so irrationally happy. Home is somewhere I can be my full Welsh self with my family and just unwind.

Despite having a little brother there are no stressful housemates to deal with and there’s always toilet paper.

Despite having a little brother there are no stressful housemates to deal with and there’s always toilet paper. There are small things that just make home the best place to be. I enjoy switching off uni mode for a while and just spending time with my family, who I usually am very fond of.

Bear in mind I’ve lived in Cardiff my whole life, so I know it so well. Seeing the familiar streets, shops and monuments bring back a kind of childish reminiscence, which is often needed after a stressful term at university, where I feel like my life is spiraling towards nothing but a dull office job… I mean… when I’m a little stressed about work… It’s so nice to be in the city where I grew up. It’s not really a feeling I can explain, but I know so many people will know what I mean.

Seeing the familiar streets, shops and monuments bring back a kind of childish reminiscence, which is often needed after a stressful term at university.

I know there are those for whom home isn’t the same safe zone it is for me. I guess what is important to remember is that home is different for everyone. It can be anything and it can be anyone; it’s about feeling safe and relaxed… But I will be forever grateful for free cheese.

I guess what is important to remember is that home is different for everyone.

Oh, and if my parents are reading this, you know me well enough to know I love you guys, but you raised me right.

Five (Not-So-Groundbreaking) Tips to Get You Through Exams

Forewarning: none of this is groundbreaking; most of this you will have heard before, but in these “times of trouble”, let me be your “Mother Mary”, and speak some “words of wisdom”.

1. Start revising early:

Both within the time leading up to exams and, more specifically, within each day you have to revise. This allows you to pace yourself, and allows time for the inevitable breakdowns along the way. Obviously this is all relative and it depends what works best for you, but I always avoid working in the evenings. I find facing revision a lot easier knowing that if I work hard during the day, I get the evening off to relax.

2. Make a timetable:

If anything, the excessive colour coordinating that this requires is a great method of procrastination that comes without the guilt, because it’s actually revision related! But seriously, a timetable made on Excel for example, is a great way of planning each day, and attributing revision and breaks into half hour slots. Plus, I find ticking off each half hour I’ve accomplished worryingly satisfying.

I find facing revision a lot easier knowing that if I work hard during the day, I get the evening off to relax.

3. Breaks:

Make sure those sacred breaks are wholehearted breaks. But think about mixing them up. Don’t just turn to Netflix or scroll obliviously through Facebook each time. Try things that will allow your mind to continue being stimulated, but in different ways to that of studying. I tend to pick up my guitar for half an hour, squeeze in a yoga session, or seek out my cat for a well-deserved cuddle (yes, my cat is very stimulating, tyvm).

Try things that will allow your mind to continue being stimulated, but in different ways to that of studying.

4. (Getting serious now) Wellbeing:

I have been so impressed with the amount of help I have received from Exeter’s Wellbeing department, and staff in general, in relation to my Anxiety. I urge any of you suffering with Anxiety, Depression, OCD, or anything that means your revision and exam performance may be compromised, to book an appointment to have a chat with someone from Wellbeing, or even just your personal tutor. They are wonderfully understanding and can offer valuable ways of making exams less daunting. From allowing you to sit your exams in a less crowded room, or extending the actual duration of time you are allocated within an exam, to simply sitting down with you and helping you formulate a revision plan, it is definitely worth reaching out if you’re finding the stress or dread of exams at all overwhelming.

If I were to give one piece of advice in relation to maintaining a good wellbeing throughout exam periods, or even within life generally, it would be to treat yourself as you would a child.

5. Self care:

If I were to give one piece of advice in relation to maintaining a good wellbeing throughout exam periods, or even within life generally, it would be to treat yourself as you would a child. Get yourself to bed early; feed yourself nourishing food; be strict with yourself; but also be kind and reward yourself: just take care of yourself.

Good luck!