mental health – The Orbital

Connectivity through understanding: Emetophobia and relationships

21Jun

By Millie DraperNo Comments

Lifestyle

Connectivity through understanding: Emetophobia and relationships

Trigger Warning: Discussions of vomiting and anxiety. Note: the purpose of this piece is to bring awareness to Emetophobia and the effects it has on making connections and forming relationships. It is from my experience, and I do not aim to speak for everybody. Emetophobia is a debilitating phobia of vomiting which affects my everyday life and leaves me completely panicked whenever I feel sick. My experience with Emetophobia has not been easy; even the thought of sickness sends shivers down my spine. No one likes being sick, but for me, this fear is next level. Emetophobia isn’t easy to deal with, and it is certainly not easy to explain. It can put massive strain on relationships and friendships because, naturally, it isn’t easy to empathise with a phobia you haven’t personal...

15Nov

By Shannon GrayNo Comments

Features

The Power of Putting Yourself First.

Shay Gray explains, from personal experience, the importance of taking care of your mental health at University. Warning: this article discusses topics of anxiety attacks and suicidal ideation. Let’s not sugar coat it: University is kind of scary. You’re away from your family and living alone for quite possibly the first time in your life, you’re surrounded by total strangers, you’re studying more than you’ve ever studied before, and you’re paying a bucket load to do it. Because of that, students tend to put their mental health in the back seat. I’m here to beg you not to do that. When I entered my second year in 2017, I was excited, but I was also overwhelmed. This was the first year that actually counted towards my overall graduation grade, and that was terrifying. It all start...

3Jun

By Modupe ReisNo Comments

Features

#GiveYourselfAPec: A Brand New Mental Health Campaign to deal with Academic Stress

As exams have finally come to an end, I would like to say congratulations to everyone reading this! You made it – bring on the champagne and fireworks. Now that the ‘worst’ is over, I would like to call everyone to reflect on how the exam and essay season went, even though I’m pretty certain most of you want to completely erase the horror from your minds. Ask yourself the following questions: How did I feel during this time? Did I neglect my wellbeing? Was I constantly stressed? Did my Mental Health suffer under the academic pressure? Some of those questions are easy to answer – of course I was stressed – but the others might be more difficult to realise about yourself. Mental health is a tricky topic and, in trying to find out how essays and exams have affected me personally as well...

22Feb

By George WhiteNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Three Fish in a Tree: Review

“If you forever judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it will live its life thinking that it's stupid”- Albert Einstein. This quotation is the foundation on which the Student Workshop’s recent production, Three Fish in a Tree, is based. I’m not normally one to endorse the use of Instagram-bio pseudo-philosophical quotes, however I would argue that in the context of this production the quotation is actually quite profound. Three Fish in a Tree is a celebration of originality: following the story of three characters whose lives have been affected by Dyslexia, Autism and ADD. The charming nuisances were at first completely lost upon an uncultured swine such as myself, as the abstract script is ambiguous towards the concept of time and space, which was somewhat confusing. However, onc...

6Feb

By Michele TheilNo Comments

Opinion

A Forecast for Social Media in 2018

As we welcome in the new year, it’s an important time to reflect on the previous one. Our ups and downs, our successes and our failures. One important thing to reflect on is our use of social media. Research shows that there were approximately 3 billion active users of social media, 2 billion of which were avid users of Facebook alone. It brings a large number of benefits and is clearly the most preferred form of communication these days. However, it’s important to know that social media comes with a lot of downsides too and so should be used with caution. Social media has many advantages. First and foremost, it gives us the ability to connect with people from all over the world, quickly and in real time. It helps us maintain strong relationships with friends and family and gives us the...

Online Gaming: Redefining Social Interaction

13Dec

By Ryan GullifordNo Comments

Science & Technology

Online Gaming: Redefining Social Interaction

Over the last two decades, the world that surrounds the gaming industry has expanded undeniably, often leading the way in social and technological developments. Often, there has always been a negative stigma associated with gaming and young people, where people feel that playing video games deprives you of social interactions. In today’s society, the phrase ‘social interaction’, has a complex definition, particularly with online gaming communities providing their own take on what it means to express yourself socially. So, does gaming really have an effect on mental health? Online gaming communities are paramount to exploring this question, with multiplayer gaming being at the very forefront of the games industry, its social impacts are hard to ignore. Millions upon millions of people sh...

9Dec

By Shannon GrayNo Comments

Features

What happens after you attempt suicide?

TW: this article discusses suicide and self harm. When I was 16 years old, my father had to drive me to our nearest accident and emergency unit for an illness he didn’t know I had. For years, I had been suffering from depression, anxiety and borderline personality disorder, all undiagnosed, all of which I had been hiding. I refused to let anyone know how broken I was, partially so no one would pity me, and mostly because there was such a stigma around mentally ill teenagers that I would rather suffer in silence than speak up and be mocked. I struggled for years to maintain the facade of being unbothered; I would make fun of myself before other people had the chance, I would be loud and bubbly so no one would think they’d bullied me into passivity, I changed myself into a person I cou...

5Dec

By Oli RushbyNo Comments

Features

On Student Counselling

A recent YouGov survey of Britain’s students shows that one in four students suffer from mental health problems. Anxiety, stress, and depression are a few of the issues causing a growing number of students to drop out of university. Research finds that the student suicide numbers nearly doubled in the past decade. As troubling as those numbers may be, according to Help Me Investigate, the demand for student counselling services on campuses has risen by 33%. The decision to seek help can be a difficult one to begin with and something most students struggle with. Daniela: Approaching student counselling definitely made me nervous, fortunately I had a friend who was willing to come with me to make the appointment. Having someone there made me feel more comfortable, afterwards I realise...

4Dec

By Carly NewmanNo Comments

Features

You Are Not Alone

Everyone has mental health and whilst we’ve been conditioned to think that that sounds radical and scary, it’s true! Misunderstanding and stigma when talking about mental health is rampant, and part of the problem is related to a misuse of terminology, and lack of understanding. We hear the term ‘mental health’ in the media all the time, but this is often misused. In most instances, what we really mean to say when we say ‘mental health’ is in fact ‘mental health difficulties’. This has led to a collective misunderstanding of what mental health actually is, and what it means. Using the term ‘mental health’ always with negative connotations has led us to believe that mental health is always bad, and that someone only has ‘mental health’ when they are struggling. In fact, we all have ment...

3Dec

By Louisa WicksNo Comments

Sports & Socs

Mental Health and Sport

One way to help improve your mental health is to get involved with a sports club or society. By getting involved with new things, such as a sport that you’ve never tried before, you will be able to meet new people and make unforgettable memories. Also, if deadlines, homesickness or just university life in general is taking a toll on your mental health, then doing exercise or doing society activities is a good way to put those worries at the back of your mind. Whether you’re at a training session or just at the gym on your own, sport can improve your self-esteem, reduce your stress levels and lower your risk of depression and anxiety – especially if you’re doing a sport that you enjoy. Royal Holloway’s sports clubs have done several events and campaigns in the past surrounding mental hea...