Anxiety – The Orbital

13Jun

By Luz Sanchez Real ZielniewiczNo Comments

Science & Technology

It’s so fluffy I’m gonna die!

As we approach the end of the academic year, it’s time to look back on what we have achieved and how we’ve made it so far in the first place. From stalking Penn Badgley on campus, to temporarily moving into the library, we can safely say that this last term has been an emotional rollercoaster for the majority of us. It is in these trying times that we rely on our connections the most. Whether it is a study buddy, a parent or even your houseplant, I find that everyone has something they turn to. Today, I’d like to discuss your connections to all things cute. That’s right. From your dog, turtle, guinea pig, or that cat meme your friend sent you earlier, we are constantly exposed to adorable animals, and I’m not alone in saying that seeing a puppy at the library can make any day br...

29Oct

By Michele TheilNo Comments

Features

Loneliness in Young People

Loneliness is something most people experience at least once during their lifetime. Whilst generally associated with older generations, it has come to light as an issue increasingly affecting young people. In April this year, the BBC published an article which suggested that loneliness is “more likely to affect young people” than those with greater life experience. The question that must be asked is this: why are young people suffering from loneliness? One contributing factor is the swift digitalisation of our modern world. The reliance most people, especially teenagers, place on technology is a major cause for concern. Frequent communication via Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram detaches young people from raw social experiences such as talking face-to-face. Whilst this issue is not exclu...

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...

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...

7Apr

By No Comments

Features

De-Stress Differently

The academic year is flying by and now it’s getting to that time of year. The time of late night breakdowns, officially moving in to the library and thinking, do I really need this degree? Regardless of whether you’ve revised or not, we are all far too familiar with the sleepless nights, churning stomach and existential crises that accompany the end of year exams. With that dreaded season fast approaching here are some alternative methods of relaxing and de-stressing before your final exams. 1. Revise with friends. Revising with friends, talking about your subjects and working together is a great way of studying. Working with friends is far less stressful than working alone; help each other out! 2. ASMR. ASMR stands for ‘autonomous sensory meridian response’ and has become massive...

23Feb

By No Comments

Opinion

The student strategy

We all share anxiety. We all have good days and we all have bad days. With anxiety, one almost becomes hyper-aware, but that doesn’t mean that everyone isn’t feeling the same, it just means that those who are hyper-aware feel entrapped within their acute perception of reality. Even for those who believe they have a certain amount of empathy and consideration can never fully understand until they have felt it themselves. But this is the underlying point, everyone has felt it, but some people hold onto it, and it manifests into a confusion of adrenaline and numbness that doesn’t necessarily structurally coincide with everyday life. Sometimes it’s there, and sometimes it isn’t. For those who don’t understand this feeling, it is sometimes difficult to gauge how it can affect someone to such an...