mental health – Page 2 of 3

1Dec

By Michele TheilNo Comments

Lifestyle

The Art of Doing Nothing

As someone who requires constant stimulation, be it from books, Netflix or a conversation, ‘doing nothing’ isn't something that comes easily to me. I have, however, come to appreciate the moments of quiet, where I can just close the door and breathe. At university, where there is always a person down the hall, a lecture to attend and a deadline looming, quiet (and solitude) is exactly what we need sometimes. When I talk about ‘doing nothing’, I don’t necessarily mean that you must sit watching grass grow. It is merely an easy turn of phrase to explain the idea of relaxing and taking some time for yourself, rather than continuing to be at the mercy of your seminar leaders, flatmates or society members. Once, my housemate burst into my room and tried to make me go to gym with her. I vehem...

‘Good’ and ‘Bad’ Days: Is it possible to have both?

30Nov

By Bethany GoodingNo Comments

Features

‘Good’ and ‘Bad’ Days: Is it possible to have both?

November is the time when the days start getting shorter and for a lot of us, this means our mood will also get worse. Late autumn/winter is one of the worst times of the year for those who suffer from conditions like depression. While the stigma surrounding mental illness seems to be diminishing, there is still an undeniable confusion and a lot of misconceptions that surround disorders such as anxiety and depression. Both of these disorders are fairly common, and yet they also seem to be the two most contested. Therefore, in anticipation of winter, I want to talk about what ‘good’ and ‘bad’ days really mean. There seems to be a misconception that if you are suffering from a mental disorder and you are seen as experiencing what is thought of as a ‘good’ day, you cannot possibly be menta...

27Nov

By Helena KeebleNo Comments

Features

Life’s Greatest Taboo

Life is full of hardships and trials. We are constantly being pushed beyond our limits and so many people try to help us, but never really know how. Most of us have that special someone we can turn to - whether it’s our parent, significant other, best friend or councillor. We all project our negative feelings in multiple ways; commonly through anger or tears but sometimes it can escalate to more destructive behaviour such as self-harm. Nowadays there is a lack of understanding in regards to someone’s pain and depression, derived from the stigma surrounding mental health. How many times have we felt down and someone has told us to just ‘get over it’? Or been told that happiness is within our control? As humans we have the amazing ability to experience an unlimited variety of emotions and...

Reduced-Anxiety Events: Neglected, but Necessary

23Nov

By Natasha PhillipsNo Comments

Opinion

Reduced-Anxiety Events: Neglected, but Necessary

Going to large events – music concerts, theatre performances, comedy shows – can be nerve-wracking for anyone, but living with mental illness can exacerbate an already intimidating situation. Often, venues hosting such events will accommodate for physical disabilities – by providing access ramps and wheelchair spaces, accommodating visual impairments and allowing assistance dogs – but these disability requirements seldom include safeguarding for sufferers of mental illness. In the same way that a wheelchair-user would be deterred from attending an event catering solely for an able-bodied audience, those with anxiety or panic disorders often avoid overwhelming situations. This is an issue that is often overlooked, but ignorance and stigma makes it easy for venue and event management to look...

22Nov

By Emma HalahanNo Comments

Opinion

The Suicide Statistic: It Matters

In 2016, 146 students in England and Wales committed suicide, a 94.6% increase from 75 students in 2007 (Office of National Statistics). The university mental health crisis is real and it is growing. Yet in its wake, universities and colleges seem to be frozen in fear with very few rushing to collect any data about these issues. Royal Holloway is one of them. Whilst mental health difficulties present in many more ways than the few who do die by suicide each year, keeping the statistics of how many students complete suicide is important. It illustrates the number of students in severe crisis and allows students to hold their universities accountable for better mental health service provisions as a result. The RHUL Mental Health Network submitted a Freedom of Information request to Roy...

19Sep

By Michele TheilNo Comments

Opinion

A Bone to Pick

Netflix' new film To The Bone stars Lily Collins as Ellen, nicknamed as Eli, a girl struggling with anorexia nervosa and portrays her journey towards recovery as she is admitted to a new in-patient facility for sufferers of eating disorders. When the trailer was released earlier this year, there were many who thought of the movie as groundbreaking, with some hailing Netflix, and writer & director Marti Noxon, for portraying an often stigmatised and usually difficult topic. There was also praise for the production team leading the project, many of whom suffered from or had experience dealing with eating disorders (including Noxon), using their own stories to shape the narrative. However, it also sparked controversy due to critics' views that it may, in fact, be glamorising the illnes...

8Feb

By No Comments

Lifestyle

Don’t be SAD

It’s not the most light-hearted topic, but maybe that’s why it affects so many people. Depression is very common for people at university not because university itself is particularly horrible, but because it is a sign of A LOT of change. However, as the weather gets colder, seasonal depression (also known as SAD) becomes a real prominent issue for thousands of people every year. Some people are more likely to be effected by it than others; the cold miserable weather and the stress from going so long without a break can be incredibly difficult. Depression is not only linked to feeling sadness for an extended amount of time. In fact many people, especially students, find themselves under “a grey cloud”, where they find it hard to connect with anything. This happens in moments when w...

10Oct

By No Comments

Features

Panic and Me

Your heart is pounding. Your hands are trembling. Your head is spinning. Everything is louder, brighter and faster than it seemed a few moments ago. These are just some of the symptoms that can occur during a panic attack, yet they can come in all shapes and sizes, and no two panics are the same. For many people, including students, panic can become a part of daily life, however that does not make it any less terrifying. As many will be aware, panic attacks are caused by the ‘fight or flight’ response. Put simply, this is when the brain perceives there to be a threat to survival, and subsequently releases hormones into the bloodstream, one of which is adrenaline. As a result, breathing becomes much more frequent, and the symptoms described above emerge. This was a very be...

12Jun

By No Comments

Opinion

Keep CALM

I’m walking through Waterloo Station and around me are posters and screens showing me the new summer fashion line and the blockbuster movies. With summer here, we are more than ever exposed to what the consumer market says we should look like, eat like, act like, be like. While the pressure on women is intense, the less focused and damaging stress is on men. With chiselled abs on store fronts and male heroes blowing things up and punching it out rather than talking it out on the silver screen and sport season reaching its peak, men are more than ever told that overcompensation is a key trait of their gender and this is dangerous, especially for our generation of young men. Defined as the ‘exaggeration of male stereotypical behavior, such as physical strength, aggression, and sexuality’, ...

28Dec

By No Comments

Features

It’s ok to not be ok.

It has been estimated that during any one year, 23% of adults experience a mental health disorder, and students are no exception. In fact, statistics suggest that the problem is even more severe within a University setting. All the more concerning is the finding that 26% of students who claim they are experiencing mental health problems, do not get treatment. The overwhelmingly obvious conclusion reached is that something needs to be done. As a psychology student, I have listened to many a lecture dedicated to explaining the topical mental health issues within modern society. Despite the course, which focuses on this area, being entitled ‘abnormal psychology’, week after week, across a variety of different disorders, the same message is hammered home – that these problems are not uncomm...