Saturday 29 December 2018

My Experiences of University as an Autistic Student

Niraj writes about the challenges of being at university with autism, and gives advice on settling in, making friends, getting involved, and finding support. 
Niraj

As someone diagnosed with autism, I have faced many challenges at university. However, I have learnt from my experiences and made a lot of good memories. Here, I give my advice on managing four areas of University life as an autistic student.

1) Living Out and Settling In
A good proportion of autistic students aren’t fond of change. Therefore, the prospect of having to live out and be away from their parents can seem extremely nerve racking. Even if you are living at home and commuting, there is still a lot of things you have to adapt to. Luckily, my university allowed me to arrive 2 days early which allowed me to adapt and settle in before things got busy with Arrivals Weekend. However, it can take time to settle in to university life, and you will make mistakes initially– this is completely normal and nothing to be ashamed of, and one thing I always advise to any upcoming fresher is to give this process time. You will learn from your experiences and mistakes as you begin to settle in, which will help your personal development. 

One thing I would also highly recommend is to visit the university beforehand, so that you can get a feel for the environment and the surroundings. I visited the university twice before I started, and it certainly made things easier when I moved in. 

2)     Making Friends
Before university, I had massive doubts over whether I would be able to make friends due to my autism. However, despite my worries I went to university with an open mind and ensured that I made an active attempt to meet people and initiate conversations. And that worked extremely well for me! On my very first day at university I met someone from my course who also moved in early, and we are still really close friends today. This put me immediately at ease, and after meeting lots of people I quickly came to realise that everyone you meet is very understanding of autism so I didn’t need to worry about whether I would make friends just because I had autism! The advice I would specifically give to autistic students is to just be yourself, and don’t try and change your personality just to “fit in”; if you be true to who you are and give yourself opportunities to meet people, you will make real friends that accept you for who you are!

3) Extracurricular Activities and Getting Out of My Comfort Zone
University can throw many challenges for students with autism, but at the same time it also offers a lot of highly rewarding opportunities to get out of your comfort zone and grow as a person. Whilst at university I have joined several societies, including the Hindu Society, Krishna Consciousness Society, Badminton Society, which have allowed me to try new things and gain new perspectives. I have also been fortunate enough to have taken 3 different society committee positions and volunteered in India, all of which have allowed me to develop many soft skills and expand my comfort zone. My advice to autistic students would be to keep an open mind and take every challenge that comes your way as an opportunity to engage, enjoy and thrive at university. Getting out of your comfort zone can be challenging but the rewards are certainly worth it.

4) Specific Support Available for Students with Disabilities
There is lots of support that is available at university for autistic students. Before fresher’s week, I visited the Disability Services support team at my university and they were extremely helpful in ensuring that arrangements were put in place to guide my transition into university, such as allowing me to arrive 2 days early. Throughout university, they have always been easily approachable whenever I have needed something.

It is completely up to you whether you want to disclose your autism to your university. But if you do, you can be assured that it is against the law to be discriminated against due to your autism. Furthermore, it is worth noting that the university wants you to do well, and they are willing to help in any way they can.

Remember that autistic people have unique qualities that enable them to thrive and succeed at university. Good Luck!

For more advice on looking after your mental wellbeing at university, click here

Hi, I'm Niraj! I am a third year student from the University of Warwick studying Maths, Operational Research, Statistics and Economics. Having suffered from anxiety issues whilst at university, I know about the various mental health issues that university students face, and how tough it can be. I therefore want to raise awareness on different aspects of mental health and wellbeing, and help as many people as I can by sharing my own experiences.

Thursday 27 December 2018

FOMO and how to deal with it

An anonymous student from Bath University shares their experiences of dealing with FOMO and the effects on mental health.

Ah, FOMO. The Fear of Missing Out. Might not be a technical term, but it means a lot to a lot of us. I used to get it bad, to the extent that I no longer knew if I was going to parties and events because I actually wanted to or whether I was going to avoid FOMO-induced Instagram scrolling.

FOMO made me feel terrible. It was almost debilitating. If I wanted to stay at home on a Friday night and watch Hocus Pocus while eating a tagine, I should have been able to without feeling boring. And most of the time, I didn’t feel boring. I was OK with my decision – until the next day when I looked at my phone and saw 6-second clips from the R&B room in Bridge. The only thing that could make me feel better at that stage was a 6-second video from Zero Zero – no one wants to be in Zeros, ever.

And that’s when I realised that the articles and headlines we see everywhere are right – it is because of social media. Dealing with FOMO first and foremost comes down to how much time you do or don’t spend scrolling after a ‘big night’ (i.e. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday). It’s simple – the only possible reason you can think everyone else has more fun than you is that you look at pictures of everyone else having more fun than you. Or what seems like it, anyway.

But social media fun is exactly that. It’s fun – on social media. It’s a snapshot; a millisecond during which a bunch of people quite literally position a bunch of other people and props under perfect lighting. To prove they have more fun than you.

I know I’m guilty of doing it. I know you probably are, too.

What changed everything for me was one pre-drinks I went to. I’d seen these girls’ pictures every Saturday night, so I chose to go this time because I knew if I declined once more I’d never be invited back.

It started off well. I shuffled into a seat around a table of twenty, and the drinking games started. Ring of Fire and all that. Decent chat and good music.

But within 5 minutes, the games stopped. The group of 20 had sectioned themselves off into 3s before starting their snapping process. And this is when I realised how far what I saw online every weekend was from what really went on.

It was a big revelation for me – I was now seeing the real-life version of what I’d been scrolling through. And it was so different. What looked like epic fun turned out to be small clusters of friends and randomers holding phones above their faces for 2-minute time slots at angles that would hide all signs of a double chin.

I know I’m writing the obvious, but this one pre-drinks made me realise that I’d been missing out on nothing at all. I’d been fretting and talking myself into my lows for no reason.

So what am I suggesting?

Next time you have FOMO, firstly go to that party. But instead of trying to convince yourself that you’re enjoying it (although if you are enjoying it, great!), take a big (but subtle) look around and observe the sh*t out of everyone. Watch people’s actions and expressions and judge whether or not that picture you see tomorrow morning is what you’re seeing at that exact point in time. Because you probably don’t realise that you’re talking yourself into feeling FOMO so much that you’re not thinking about what’s actually in front of you.

The more I look around me, the more I see people starting to take a break from their phones. Snapchats are almost non-existent and Instagram posts are becoming fewer (though Stories are definitely on the up), which means there’s less to compare yourself to. Friends don’t whip out their phones as much, we (try to) put our devices away at the table, and we leave computers up in our rooms when we cook. There are signs of improvement.

And now, there’s ‘Screen Time’ on iOS. I shocked myself into spending less time on my phone in general by looking at Screen Time, and I suggest you do the same.

But before actively trying to spend less time on your phone, first admit you get FOMO. It’s normal to care about what people think. It’s normal to want to seem ‘fun’ and ‘outgoing’.

And then, go to a party and watch people take photos. I hope it gives you the same revelation it did me.

This article has been reposted from Student Minds Bath

Student Minds Bath are currently running two major campaigns: "Look After Your Mate" and "Time for Tutees". The former was run nationally a few years ago. Bath's campaign feels this still needs work at the university, hence aiming to encourage students to open up to their friends and support each other's mental health. The latter campaign revolves around personal tutoring and improving the system for both students and staff with regards to mental health. Not enough students feel they even can open up to their tutors in the first place and those that do are often unsure of what they can expect from their tutors and/or where the boundaries between them and their tutor should be.

Monday 24 December 2018

Nothing Compares to You - The Harmful Habit of Self-Comparison

It is important that we have a sense of self-worth that exists beyond our relation to others.

- Harry 

In everyday life, we constantly make comparisons. Putting one thing against another enables us to notice differences, make choices, and make sense of the world. However, when it comes to comparing ourselves to others, this can be very problematic. Although a competitive instinct and a desire to be the best can be a good motivator, basing our self-worth on how we relate to those around us is a precarious source of self-esteem that can have significant effects on our mood, our concentration, and our wellbeing. This is especially the case at university, where academic assessments, sports, job applications and other occasions for comparison are common. It is therefore crucial that we become aware of the intimate connection between self-comparison and mental health.

One of the most common factors that we compare at university is our intelligence. Surrounded by other talented people, it is easy to obsess over where we rank and make judgements on our own intelligence accordingly. Personally, my academic ability was always the source of my self-esteem. I came to university having done well at school and assumed I would be just as successful in higher education. However, I soon discovered that I was just one among many intelligent students. Although my grades weren’t bad, I was concerned with the fact that others were doing a lot better than me both academically and in terms of managing their workload. In comparison, I felt like I was failing. By relying on how I compared to others to discern my self-worth, I found myself feeling worthless and eventually this led to difficulties with anxiety and depression. If I hadn’t been so preoccupied with how others were doing and realised that I was doing perfectly fine, my mental wellbeing would have been much better.

Social media also has a large part to play in our tendency to compare ourselves. We are now so much more aware of where people are and what they are doing, which means that it’s easier than ever to compare our lives to theirs. If you’re feeling down or having trouble in your life, then scrolling through your news feed to see these artsy photos of friends smiling and having fun is likely to make you feel worse. What’s more, we often forget that these photos have been edited and framed, with the specific intention of depicting people in the most positive and flattering way, making our comparison to them all the more damaging to our self-esteem.

So what can we do to prevent self-comparison and take care of our mental health? I am not trying to say that we shouldn’t notice what others around us are doing or that we shouldn’t use social media; having an online presence is almost inevitable nowadays and seeing the achievements of others can be inspiring. But it is important that we have a sense of self-worth that exists beyond our relation to others. Setting personal goals, recording progress when learning a skill, and knowing what you want to achieve with your time is key and provides a much healthier source of self-esteem. As for social media, while reducing the time you spend online will lessen its impact on your wellbeing, maintaining a sense of what is real and what is manufactured is more crucial if you want to use social media in a healthy way.

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, good moments and bad moments. It’s about time we put less energy into thinking about the lives of others and more effort into nurturing and recognising the talents and value that we have to offer.


Hi I'm Harry! I'm a fourth year English and French student at Durham. University has been a brilliant experience from the very beginning, but it as brought about some very difficult times for me too, forcing me to confront issues with anxiety and depression. Getting through these times would not have been possible without the family, friends and other support offered to me, so I want to help develop the community of people talking about mental health and finding ways to support one another.

You can find more support on starting university here and how to maintain your mental wellbeing during exam season here

Saturday 22 December 2018

Not everyone is excited for Christmas, and that's okay

Becky writes about the struggles the festive period can bring and how we can help ourselves during this time
- Becky

It’s that time of year again when everyone seems joyful. It’s a time to celebrate the end of another year surrounded by family and friends, with a glass in hand and laughter filling the air. 

Except, for some of us, it’s not. I normally love Christmas – I’ll be dying to put up the Christmas decorations, too excited to sleep the night before and love any excuse to catch up with family and friends. This year, though, my mental health has taken a battering, and I’m currently recovering from a severe episode of anxiety and depression. I don’t know how I’m going to be when I wake up each morning, so perhaps unsurprisingly; I’m currently not looking forward to Christmas.

The pressure to be joyful, lack of routine, social expectations: the list goes on of all the factors weighing on my mind. And while support systems like counsellors, personal tutors, and other key workers may take time off over Christmas, mental health difficulties don’t. Even during a ‘holiday,’ we cannot let go of things that look after our mental health. Here are some tips you might find useful:

• Don’t pretend to be joyful if you’re not. It can be challenging to be honest at the best of times, let alone when there is such a pressure to be joyful. But, please be honest with yourselves and those around you. If you can’t talk to those around you, or your usual support is on a break, remember you can talk to Samaritans 24/7, 365 days a year (116 123). 

Know your limits and take time out. Take a break from everyone to just breathe. Do something that helps you relax – take a bath, listen to music, go for a walk, or enjoy your favourite film. It can be incredibly difficult to say ‘no’ to things to look after yourself, but remember, you can’t pour from an empty glass.

Get into a routine. If you’re anything like me, a routine is vital to support my mental health. When the structure of University life goes out the window, it can be difficult to maintain a healthy mind. It might help to write a plan for the Christmas period, including everything from family gatherings to medical appointments. Around that, you could plan in some time to study, time for you to relax, or time to shop for Christmas presents. Knowing what we are doing each day can be hugely comforting. 

• Switch off social media. Social comparisons can be detrimental to our mental health. If we are struggling, it can be really easy to forget that there’s always a story behind a photo or status that we can’t see. Everyone looks so happy and like everything is going just right for them. Don’t compare – you don’t know what they’re going through. 

• Get enough sleep. Without the structure of normal life, it can be really easy to fall out of a sleep routine. Added to which, social gatherings often go on late into the evening, so we are bound to sleep at different times to normal. But, sleep hygiene is important, so make sure you allow yourself to lie in, get an early night, or nap during the day.

• Everything in moderation. Know your limits and don’t go beyond them, with regards to food and drink. It may leave us feeling guilty and low, or in the case of alcohol in particular, in may increase the severity of some mental health conditions. Have fun, but be aware of the after effects.

• Keep a check on medication. If you’re on medication, plan ahead. There are different opening times over the holiday period so make sure you have everything you need in advance. 

Remember, it’s okay not to be looking forward to this holiday period. You are not alone. Christmas is only one day, and it will come round again. You can get through this. Do what you need to do to look after yourself.

Hey, I'm Becky. I'm in my first year of a Masters in Health and Wellbeing at the University of Bath. I have lived with Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, and PTSD, for a number of years. I want to share my story, and all the tips I have picked up along the way, to help as many people as possible to realise that there is light out there, no matter how dark it can seem.

Friday 21 December 2018

Social Anxiety and How to Make Friends at University

Astrid talks about her journey to finding great friends at university.
- Astrid

Often students move halfway across the country to attend university, without knowing anyone else and having to fend for themselves for the first time. My biggest fear about joining uni was not making friends and I shared this fear with most other students. 

Being a fresher should be exciting and I didn’t want my worries to prevent me having any fun. Here are some ways I made making friends easier: I decided to volunteer abroad before I began university. I thought it would boost my confidence and make me more comfortable living and spending a lot of time with a new group of people. I was right! 

It introduced me to stepping outside my comfort zone for a shorter period of time. It also prepared me to meet a large group of new people and engage with them. Most of the people I met were also volunteering by themselves. Nobody knew anybody beforehand, and everyone was in the same boat!

The stories my fellow volunteers told me were surprising. Many others were volunteering for similar reasons to myself, to boost their confidence or even help manage their mental health. The coordinators even said that about a quarter of volunteers are on a form of medication or treatment for mental health conditions. Volunteering abroad is primarily done collectively, volunteers sharing their interest in helping others and the work they are doing, forming natural friendships with plenty to chat about in the evenings.

Since my first time volunteering, I have joined many different projects with different organisations, both affordable and expensive. The range of people from different backgrounds was far wider on more affordable programmes. 

I can’t be 100% sure if my teaching and building work was helping my anxiety as there were so many other things happening as well: meeting new people, living and working together, going out in the evenings and weekend tours. But I would definitely recommend volunteering as it totally worked for me and covers so many bases. I’m not sure if volunteering on my own on a computer in my room would’ve had the same effect!

Once I’d started university, I felt more confident talking to new people and wasn’t scared to live with a group of strangers. I am confident this wouldn’t have been possible without spending time volunteering abroad. However, I still didn’t feel comfortable knocking on people’s doors and introducing myself. I came up with another way to make friends. 

I thought if I joined clubs then I could meet people and we would share an interest, as it had worked with volunteering. I made a mistake in joining the football team to begin with. I knew the basic rule, kick the ball into the goal, and thought that it would be great exercise. But I hadn’t considered that the majority of people who had joined the football team had played football at school, some even knew each other from their schools playing each other in the past. My lack of skill made me stand out for all of the wrong reasons. 

After failing miserably at playing football, I chose to join the water polo team. No one on the team had ever played before and we were all novices. We instantly had something in common, our lack of water polo skills.

I also joined the ice-skating team. The first couple of lessons were spent with everyone continuously falling over. After the first time it became a joke and we bonded over sore bottoms and bruised legs. Volunteering abroad and joining clubs at university helped making friends effortless. I would recommend anyone who is nervous about making friends at university to volunteer abroad beforehand, even if it is only a couple of weeks before freshers.

When at uni, join as many groups as possible, the weirder and less common the club the more likely there will be fellow newbies who you can bond with over inexperience. 

Astrid Halliday loves travelling and especially getting away overseas to help build and develop a community. Volunteering many times with Original Volunteers and also with Habitat For Humanity, she loves sharing her passion and encouraging other to travel in a similar way.

Wednesday 19 December 2018

Tackling Exam Anxiety

Adam discusses techniques for limiting the effect of exam anxiety on your grades.
- Adam

Just over a year ago, I was in the midst of counselling and had received poor AS level results, which made me doubt whether I wanted to stay in sixth form. It is fair to say I was in a bit of a pickle. My motivation was at an all-time low after thinking I had done well in those summer exams.

It is extremely common for AS level results to not be quite as positive as you expect, particularly after making a big step up from GCSEs. I could have given up, or thrown the towel in. However, I had a clear aim after researching university courses: I found the exact course that suited me. I had one immediate problem though, which was how was I going to cope with my anxiety during my A-level exams.

However cliché it may sound, it is much better to start revising sooner rather than later. You may think that it stresses you out even more, but in the back of my mind, I was patting myself on the back thinking I had started revision before a lot of my friends at sixth form. That meant I could revise a little less intensely during all these examinations. 

Starting revision before some of my friends also gave me a competitive mindset that I did not have during my AS level. For me, that competitiveness in my mind took some of my anxiety away because revising quite a lot took away the focus on the anxiety itself. This made me feel a lot better. Combining this whilst going for runs during breaks really helped me. This is coming from me, the guy who thought that nothing could help my anxiety after receiving poor AS levels.

Despite the competitiveness, I felt I never went through my A-level exams alone, I refused to allow myself to do that again. Knowing that everyone is ‘in the same boat’ in your classes in terms of having to do these exams, makes you feel a lot better. Revising together in class can make a huge difference academically as well as mentally.

This may sound mad, but I treated my water bottle that I took into my exams like a friend or constant companion throughout the exams: my water bottle and I went through my exams together! Other than using the water bottle for that purpose, it was very good at keeping me hydrated, keeping my brain active and it kept me feeling well. It also prevented my stomach from rumbling, another anxiety that affects a lot of people during exams in silent exam halls.

If you also experience exam anxiety, and you do have coursework for a subject, it helps to put in a lot of effort to do your coursework to a high standard - it helps massively when doing your final exams.

With all these small changes, I made marginal gains that helped boost my exam grades massively. This meant I had met my conditions and therefore I got accepted into my university course. Anxiety can be really tough, but mitigating the effects of it that are in your control can make a significant difference.

Hello! My name is Adam. I study Journalism and Media Production (BA Hons) at the University for the Creative Arts in Farnham. Being a keen blogger and having several experiences during my academic studies, I hope that I can help people along the way whilst enjoying writing for you.

Saturday 15 December 2018

Mindfulness: for when you're overwhelmed

Katie discusses her tips for getting involved in mindfulness for when life gets overwhelming.
- Katie

Student life is like a roller coaster. There you are, maintaining a slow and steady pace mounting up the slope of increasing workload then BOOM! All of a sudden you’re swamped with assignment deadlines and you’re flying through the weeks faster than the speed of light. But have you ever taken a few moments to just focus your attention on say the gradual movement of clouds passing over or the birds flying by? My guess is probably not. 

Nowadays there’s so much apprehension about upcoming events whether they be exam results, job applications or just mundane activities like the dishes that need doing, or (for me anyway) needing to start packing for university. All that thought and preparation means that no one ever really takes the time to fully benefit from a few hours of complete relaxation. Even when you try to just relax your mind, it always manages to wander somewhere or other. And this was definitely the case for me. 

Amidst the stress of A Level exams, I’d always be thinking about a future exam I needed to revise for or question so and so in a previous exam that I answered horribly. It seemed like no matter what I did I’d never feel fulfilled and somehow I’d feel guilty about giving myself a few hours to unwind. 

However, it was just my look that I ended up stumbling upon a lovely little form of therapy called Mindfulness - a mix of meditation and hypnotherapy classes aiming to help you control your emotions and appreciate living in the here and now. By taking these classes, it’s really drilled into me that it’s not at all selfish to take some time to yourself in the peace and quiet. 

Some of the advice that was given was to find your spot. Find somewhere that’s calming to you. So for example, I would choose either the conservatory or the garden, as I like being surrounded by daylight as much as possible to bring a bit of light in my day. Then choose a time of day. It can be early morning or even in the evening sometimes! Whatever makes you feel most comfortable or whenever you can remember! Make yourself comfy with a few cushions. Get a cup of tea or coffee and then take a few minutes to do the rule of five senses. Firstly, think of five things you can see in front of you. Then close your eyes and start to envision what you saw only this time try point out how many things you can hear and touch. Suddenly all the worry and stress will now seem irrelevant as you will be focused on your surroundings, thus appreciating the here and now as opposed to the stresses the future may bring. 

Another piece of useful advice is to keep a journal beside you to write down your concerns or just general thoughts rather than trying to bottle it all up. I have my own little positivity book, but any will do. Try and write down three things you’re grateful for every day. Starting the morning off with a bit of positivity will instantly give you that boost and motivation needed to kick-start the day.

Those are just some examples as to how Mindfulness can work for you and what’s great about it is that it’s something that can be done at home, no audience, no equipment, just you alone with your breathing… and sometimes that can be all you need. I’m so much better off now because of it so I can't recommend it enough!

Hi guys, it's Katie, a little awkward 18 year old Ginger from the UK who's decided to share her mental health journey as well as providing self care advice. My aim is to make people happy and to help you out of a bad place even on the cloudiest of days. 

I’m currently a Modern Languages student at Durham University. Throughout the past few years, I have had to overcome so many hardships in my life. After acknowledging that I was suffering with depression and anxiety, I lost the support of so many people of whom were once considered my closest friends because of the stigma surrounding mental health. That emotional backlash was painful to endure at the time but at the same time it gave me the passion and the drive to fight against the mental stigmas and offer my support to everyone who feels like they can’t reach out. 

Learning to cope when a mental health difficulty reappears

In this blog, Freya talks about how she managed when symptoms of anxiety reappeared after a long time of feeling well.

One of the hardest parts of dealing with anxiety for me was the fact that it came back. I think what so many people think – including myself – is that once you initially overcome these issues, they’re gone forever. But mental health doesn’t work like that.

When you overcome cancer you are in ‘remission’, you are not cured, you don’t have a lifetime guarantee of health. But, at least temporarily, you are not suffering the immediate effects of this disease. For mental health, I think it’s the same. Knowing that could help prepare you for the possibility that you will suffer from conditions and symptoms again.

When I started getting panic attacks again after months of feeling fine, I rang my mum, distraught that it could be happening again. Hadn’t I already been through this?

Although this time I had coping mechanisms which made my anxiety easier to deal with, it’s hard to feel in control when all that was going through my head was ‘not again, please not again’. Then you panic about the fact that you’re panicking. It’s a vicious circle of panic upon panic when, in actual fact, I knew I had the tools to deal with it. My counselling had been useful and effective, but I just felt this overwhelming shock that such panic could penetrate my life again after so much time feeling good.

It took me some time to accept the fact that my anxiety had taken a hold of my life again, but when I did, it was so much easier to deal with. I guess what’s important to remember is that there is no everlasting cure for mental health. That’s not to say that you’ll spend the rest of your life dealing with mental health difficulties. I just think it’s important to always be aware that there’s a possibility that it could come back. And if/when it does: remember to look outwards not inwards. Positivity over negativity. There’s nothing wrong with suffering; you are a stronger person for it.

Remember that the people around you are more understanding than you think, something I forget every time I feel awful. My housemates know I struggle with anxiety and they also know how to deal with it. Often people don’t naturally know how to help, so talk to the people you trust and tell them what you find useful. For example, I don’t need someone to ask me if I’m okay, I need them to list random things with me such as dog breeds. Let people in. Let them help you. 

Positive is definitely the last thing you are feeling when mental health issues recur. However, it’s probably the most useful emotion to have. I don’t really need to even feel that positive, I just need to tell myself I am. I’ll smile to myself or listen to a song I relate to a good memory and bring myself back to that positive mind frame that I know is never far away.

The challenge isn’t getting your life ‘back on track’ because it’s not off the track, it’s just taken a slight detour. So, take a minute or a day or however long you need and try to remember how far you have come since you first started feeling low. If you used to go for a run once a week or save time to watch TV with your house mates, then do that again. Take as much time as you need to get back into the routine you built for yourself.

Mental health, just like anything medical, takes time. It doesn’t help to beat yourself up about it and it doesn’t help to forget everything you’ve worked towards. Don’t pressure yourself to be okay all the time, and don’t lose hope. Onwards and upwards.

I am a journalism student at the University of Leeds, in my second year. Writing about mental health and reducing any remaining stigma is important for me because I have seen my friends struggle with mental health as well as struggling with it myself. Writing has always been a useful outlet for me and I want to help as many people as I can going through university. 

Wednesday 12 December 2018

My Experiences with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

In this blog, Emily writes on her experience of trauma and PTSD
-Emily
CN: discusses difficult topics. 

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be caused by a wide range of traumatic experiences, either through being involved in or by witnessing traumatic events. 

You can find out more about the causes, symptoms and treatment for PTSD either on the Mind website, or the NHS website. This blog is going to explain my personal experience with PTSD and how I have dealt with it. 

My PTSD has been caused by an incident I was involved in six months ago which has left me shaken and shocked and scared, but it also happened at the worst possible time. I was about a week away from taking my final exam at university and it was the day before the Swansea Student Media awards evening, which I had been looking forward to for months as it was my final opportunity to attend the annual event. Despite the incident happening six months ago, I have only recently been in discussion with my doctor about PTSD because I didn’t realise that the incident was still affecting me so much, because I’ve been so distracted with everything else. 

Looking back, I don’t think I managed my emotions effectively, shortly after the incident. Even though I am pleased with myself for not completely shutting down, I wish I’d taken more time to let myself feel a bit more. Saying that, in the days after the incident took place, I didn’t get through one day without crying at least once and I learnt that that is normal and completely okay. However, I was also so focused on my exam and what to do after university that I totally pushed the incident out of my mind. 

Recently, I was triggered by something so badly that it was as though that incident happened yesterday, and I was more shaken up by reliving the whole thing all over again. 

Being diagnosed with PTSD has meant that I’ve had to learn to acknowledge what my triggers are and then how to calm myself down if I experience a trigger. This is by no means easy, but it’s a learning process. Not having the focus of university or the support that I had at university has been something that I’ve found difficult with this whole experience. However, one thing that I have found that helps me is to explore the topic of PTSD through creative writing. Furthermore, confiding in people about my struggles and about the incident also helps. 

What I recall from the blurry days after the incident, one of the things that really got me through those difficult, emotional days was the support of people around me at university. I almost considered not attending that awards ceremony but I had people there who made me feel comfortable and safe which I will always appreciate. I also had support and belief from those around me that I could push through and do my final exam and while I didn’t do as well as I wanted to do, I passed and at my graduation in July, I was able to say that I didn’t let that incident get in the way of my goal of graduating. 

This experience has changed my perspective on life significantly. Not only has it taught me that I can get through almost anything, it also taught me who my real friends are. I also learnt that after a traumatic experience, one’s emotions are likely to be all over the place for quite a while afterwards. Like with any mental health difficulty, PTSD takes time to get through and you may find yourself experiencing triggers and flashbacks years down the line. It’s important to recognise these triggers and to know how to deal with them. 

My name is Emily (Em). I have recently graduated from Swansea University with my BA degree in Modern Languages, Translation & Interpreting; I was also passionate about and dedicated to Swansea Student Media and the University students’ newspaper – Waterfront. I blog for Student Minds because I have experienced mental health issues as a student and now as a graduate, as well as other health issues, and I support friends who also have mental health difficulties. I am a passionate writer and writing has been important in my mental health experiences – both in helping me to explore and to cope with my mental health, as well as sharing my story in order to help others.

Thursday 29 November 2018

5 Reasons Why You Should Write for the Student Minds Blog

In this blog, Carys, one of our sub-editors, shares the reasons why she writes for this blog and reassures those considering blogging for us…

1. Blogging is powerful:

A lot of people who are struggling with their mental health find comfort on the internet, where they can research symptoms and read stories of personal experiences without anyone knowing. The Student Minds blog is an enormous hub of information about pretty much everything to do with student well-being (if there’s something you feel is missing… write about it for us!). We know a lot of students and recent graduates find comfort and reassurance in the work we publish, in addition to the relevant signposting to other charities or services that they might find beneficial. 

2. Blogging is rewarding:

Furthermore, blogging for us is so rewarding. By sharing your personal story and experience on the “biggest blog dedicated to student mental health and well-being”, you are certainly helping at least one other person to get the help they need or to manage challenging situations. We all know how it feels when university isn’t really the time of our lives like everyone said it would be. The Student Minds blog gives us a platform to help someone else in their recovery. It is so fulfilling. 

3. Blogging does not require you to have a diagnosed mental illness:

Mental health and mental illness are two separate things: everyone has a mental health but only some people have a mental illness. Here at Student Minds we talk about mental health as a continuum, which means we recognise our mental health as fluctuating constantly and as incredibly personal to an individual. Needing to have a mental illness to write for us is a complete myth! Student mental well-being is such a broad subject area that affects all students and we welcome posts from all perspectives. Check out the blog for ideas and examples of titles. 

4. Blogging is for everyone:

Honestly, if you’re interested in contributing to our blog, we want to hear from you! Even if you’ve never blogged before or are not sure about your topic being relevant – I bet if past-you would have found it useful, it will be for someone else too! 

In addition to our blogging guidelines which contain loads of blogging tips and rules, there is the blog editorial team. There are 9 of us in total and we are just ordinary student volunteers from across the UK - not professional writers or famous bloggers – so the pressure’s off! After you’ve sent us your draft blog via the Write for the Blog web-page, one of us will be assigned to work with you to make sure that it is trigger-free and typo-free before uploading it. We will always make sure you’re happy with the edited version before we publish. Lots of you may be worried about “writing the wrong thing” – a concern we hear a lot. The role of the editorial team is to make sure things are appropriate to publish and we are trained to spot these “wrong things” and change them. 

Finally, an average blog post is 600-800 words – not a lot at all! It’s not as time consuming or difficult as you might think. We also are not just all about blogging: this year we are wanting to expand the blog to include vlogs! If writing isn’t your thing but the camera is, why not give it a go? 

5. Blogging is awesome:

The blogging community (you guys) is really the heart of the blog. So many contributors from many different walks of life all come together to make this blog a reality – it could be you too! I personally love the mini biography and photo at the end of each post, as it really helps give some personality to the blog and show that we are all just students helping other students. In this section we are more than happy to link your personal blog or website too if you’d like! 

However, we understand writing about mental health can be a sensitive area and sometimes you’re not quite fully ready to share. Of course, you can publish your blog anonymously – we just won’t put this part at the end, nor your name in the blurb – either giving you a pseudonym of your choice or simply being called anon.

Behind this blog are 9 amazing volunteers who give up our time to make this a reality and be a huge source of information for students and recent graduates across the UK. We all really hope to see your work in our inbox and online very soon! If you have any questions you can tweet or DM us @StudentMindsOrg and we’ll get back to you! 

I'm Carys, a 4th year Modern Languages student at Durham University. As well as my passion for languages and travel, I love talking about mental health and I am one of the Student Minds editors this year. Please get in touch if you have any questions or comments about my work - I love hearing from you!

Tuesday 20 November 2018

Dealing with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) at University

In this blog, Emily shares tips she’s learned through experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) at university
-Emily

For some, the idea of the coming winter months fills them with warmth and joy. Cosy nights in with blankets and hot chocolate and Christmas movies sound welcoming. However, for others, the winter months fills them with dread. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which is sometimes referred to as “Winter Depression”, is a type of depression which typically arises during the winter months, when it gets darker and colder. 

You can find out more about the symptoms and causes of SAD either on the Mind website, or on the NHS website.

My experience:

Before starting university in 2013, I had never heard of SAD, but since losing my Dad to cancer in early 2012, I had been aware of a pattern of my mental health getting worse during the winter months. During my second year at university, I went to speak to my GP because I was worried at how the upcoming colder and darker months would affect me at this important time of the year for my studies. This was because, in my first year, I had missed several lectures before Christmas because my mood was low, I was feeling exhausted and generally had very little energy or motivation to do anything. A year later, I was diagnosed with SAD. 

Each year, I still dread the winter months. My mental health is significantly better in the summer when the weather is generally nicer, there are more hours of daylight and I have more energy and motivation to do things. 

Since being diagnosed with SAD, I have learnt and developed some techniques that help me to cope better during the winter months. From November onwards, it’s a particularly stressful time for students, with essay deadlines and the upcoming exam season after the Christmas break. Coping with SAD (or any mental health difficulty for that matter) on top of assignments and revision is even more stressful and challenging. 

It’s important, if you do suffer with SAD, to acknowledge that you’re not always going to have the energy to do work, and that’s okay. There are certainly support services at university who you can speak to if you are struggling. You can speak to a tutor, a doctor, anyone you feel comfortable talking to. Talking to your friends about how you feel can also help. I remember in my final year, one day when I was desperately struggling with SAD and assignments and other deadlines, my friend came over to make me dinner, which was a real help. Cooking healthy meals either by yourself or with your housemates can really help at this time of year too. 

Another good idea is to get as much natural daylight as possible. At Swansea, I was really lucky because I could just go for a walk on the beach or in the park. If your university has any nice parks (or a beach) nearby, then get out into the daylight each day if possible, or even walking into the town centre. Taking a walk in the daylight also means that you’re getting some exercise too. Another thing that can help with SAD – but is difficult as a student – is to avoid stress. In this case, from my own experiences, I have found that it helps to take some time each day to do something that makes me happy, usually writing or watching a favourite TV programme. Whilst I was at university, I ensured that I had one day or at least half a day off from university work each week to just relax. 

If you do suffer with SAD, it’s important to remember that the winter months are temporary. Spring and summer soon come back around. There are so many things you can do to help yourself get through the difficult winter months, however, if you’re finding it really difficult, speak to your doctor for more advice. 

My name is Emily (Em). I have recently graduated from Swansea University with my BA degree in Modern Languages, Translation & Interpreting; I was also passionate about and dedicated to Swansea Student Media and the University students’ newspaper – Waterfront. I blog for Student Minds because I have experienced mental health issues as a student and now as a graduate, as well as other health issues, and I support friends who also have mental health difficulties. I am a passionate writer and writing has been important in my mental health experiences – both in helping me to explore and to cope with my mental health, as well as sharing my story in order to help others. 

Monday 19 November 2018

Understanding negative thought process - and reclaiming control

In this blog, Romana describes different types of thinking processes that can have a negative impact upon your mental health, and explores ways in which we can manage them.

Earlier today when I was walking through town, I felt my nose tingle. Immediately I thought: “Oh my God. I’m going to sneeze. This could cause a nosebleed. Here, in public. I won’t have any tissues and I’ll make a huge mess. I might even faint and have to be taken away in an ambulance. I’ll be stuck in hospital and won’t be able to make my meeting tomorrow.” Upon reflection, this is arguably one of the most ridiculous thought processes that I’ve ever had. But at the time, the threat and the fear felt very real to me.

Every day, many of us get stuck in negative, unhelpful thinking patterns like this. Thoughts that drive fear, panic and low mood. Thoughts that, if we stepped back and actually considered, are doing more bad than good, and might not be entirely reasonable.

The type of thinking that I have described above is called catastrophic thinking: taking a small situation and blowing it out of proportion. This thinking pattern is very common in those of us with anxiety disorders. Another common example for me could be when I struggle with a coursework question, and I will immediately think: “I can’t do this. I will fail this coursework, and then the whole module. My degree grade will slip, and I won’t be good enough to get the graduate job that I want.” With this completely skewed outlook, it’s no wonder that we begin to feel anxious and panic.

Another negative thinking pattern is black or white thinking: an either/or mentality, where we fail to see that there are grey areas in-between the black and white. This kind of thinking involves a lot of ‘never’ and ‘always’ statements: “I am never comfortable in social situations” or “I always fail at essays”. Everything is negative or positive, and we fail to see that there is a middle ground. For me, my black or white thinking is paired with depression. On my least productive days I will think: “No way will I get a first-class degree, I am going to fail”. This leads me to feelings of helplessness and hopeless, not recognising that there are grades between first-class and failure.

There are lots of negative thinking patterns like this. Unrealistic expectations: “I need to get a first in every exam, nothing less is good enough”. Self-blame: “My housemate seems irritated, it must be something I said”. Disqualifying the positive: “My grade was good, but I probably just got lucky”. These distorted thinking patterns are all linked to mental health disorders, so it is worth researching them and finding which ones you can recognise in yourself. This way, you are in a position to change your thinking and reduce your anxiety.

What we really need to do is catch these thought processes and challenge them. Question them. Ask, “What is my evidence for thinking this way, and is it reasonable?” I have found that learning more about distorted thinking has been very helpful in understanding my anxiety. It makes me feel in control, which is something that many of us with anxiety feel we are lacking.

So, if you haven’t already, I would encourage you to learn more about and become engaged with your negative thinking – you may be able to understand and help yourself much better.

My name is Romana, and I am a fourth year Maths student at the University of Exeter. I have never been one to open up about my struggles with mental health, but I have decided to write for the Student Minds blog as a way to express and understand what I have been going through, as well as to hopefully bring reassurance to others who are feeling as I have.

Saturday 17 November 2018

Mental Health is Fluid

Rosie shares why it's important to recognise how experiences of mental health can change and fluctuate.
- Rosie

In recent years, one of the most important changes in attitudes to gender and sexuality has been the recognition of fluidity. To my understanding, fluidity means two things. It means recognising that people do not fit neatly into labels: everyone who identifies with a label will experience it slightly differently. It also means that an individual’s experience isn’t static, but can change over time. What if we started to think of mental health in these terms?

Labels can be important and liberating; they can give people the language to express their experiences and access support. Yet it is essential to recognise the fact that mental health does not exist statically within these labels. It changes person-to-person, day-to-day. Personally, two very different stages of my life have taught me how these two aspects of fluidity apply to mental health.

1: Everyone’s experience is different. Let’s rewind about two years. I was slowly acknowledging my struggles with food when I noticed a change in my social interactions. Looking back, what I was experiencing might be described as social anxiety. But, at the time, I never spoke to anyone about it, despite the fact that I was gradually open up about my problems with eating. The main reason for my silence on this particular struggle was that my experience didn’t match up with the symptoms I’d heard about. I never had panic attacks or heart palpitations, for instance. In hindsight, I wish I had known that my experience didn’t have to echo everyone else’s for it to be valid, real, or worth talking about. I may not have ticked all the boxes associated with social anxiety. But why should that have meant I didn’t deserve to talk about feeling physically sick when I bumped into people in the supermarket? 

2: Every day is different. By last year, as I had been recovering for some time, I no longer associate myself with the terms “eating disorder” or “body dysmorphia”. But in the stress of finals, I found myself experiencing some of the thought processes that I thought were long behind me. One of the scariest but most valuable lessons of this time was mental health can change day by day, minute by minute. Just as experiences of social anxiety vary person to person, recovery is not a permanent, unchanging state: it is complex and personal, with peaks and troughs. I still sometimes have days when I struggle with my body. But no more am I repulsed by myself to the extent that I can’t even look in a mirror. By recognising the fluidity of my mental health, I realised that any struggles I experience from day to day do not negate how far I’ve come. If anything, they highlight the progress I’ve already made and remind me of the importance of continuing to care for and monitor my mental health, regardless of my stage of recovery. 

So if you find yourself comparing your mental health to other people, or to your past experiences - you are not alone in that experience. But also know that you don’t have to think of it in those terms. I wish I could tell past Rosie that she didn’t need to meet any set of requirements and her feelings were and always would be valid. That labels were there only ever to help her express what she was feeling, not to limit or define her experience. That recovery didn’t mean she wasn’t allowed to have bad days. That mental health was fluid, and that it would be ok. 

Hi! I'm Rosie, and I'm doing an MA in interpreting and Translating in Bath. Mental health is very close to my heart, and I hope sharing my experiences will help others in similar situations.

Friday 2 November 2018

When Molehills Become Mountains

Katherine shares her tips on how to deal with overthinking. 

- Katherine Lund

I overthink EVERYTHING. I worry all the time. I worry about what I said, what I didn’t say, whether to go to a party or stay in and watch a film, what to wear, how to act, how to be and what to say. I ask myself so many questions. I think of the what-ifs and should-I-have’s. I over-analyse and I self-destruct. I make mountains out of molehills. But I can’t help it. Or can I?

Over the last few years I’ve come up with ways to stop myself overthinking.

They’ve helped so much that now I am able to stop myself, pause, and have more control. So here are my tips…


I stop comparing myself to other people.

I used to do this especially around my sister. Now, I say we’re completely different people. We’ve had different experiences. I’ve had various issues I’ve had to deal with and those have been massively important in shaping who I am today. Everyone is different. What might be your strong suit might be your best friends’ weakness and vice versa. Don’t compare when you don’t have a reason to compare.


I stop thinking about the worst that can happen, and start thinking about the best outcome.

When I get into that horrible mindset of thinking about all of the negative things that could happen, I shift my focus to what could go right. It’s all positive.


I try not to be a perfectionist. 

It’s great to be ambitious. That’s fantastic. But perfection is not going to happen. It’s like ‘fetch’ in Mean Girls… It’s never gunna happen. Just face it. Tip: Mean Girls is a great film. Watch it.


I found friends that love and support me for who I am.

They help me challenge that inner critic, so I can be a more confident, and less self-deprecating human being. Choose your friends wisely. A good friend is someone that appreciates you for who you are, not who you pretend to be.


I try not to think about the future too much.

I find that instead of making me feel good, it makes me anxious and worried. Live in the present. The ‘here and now’, as my therapist used to say. If you’re constantly thinking about the future, you’re not spending enough time focusing on yourself now. And what’s going on in your life now. Or what’s making you happy now. Live in the moment. Try not to look ahead too much. It’s tiring and isn’t actually that productive in the long run.


When I find myself overthinking something, I ask myself how much it will matter in the next few months, or days, or even hours.

Usually, it doesn’t matter in the slightest. Something like which biscuit to buy at Tesco – yeah I might not have the best type of biscuit for dipping in my tea, but does it really matter? Will it ruin my day? No. You can dip any biscuit into tea. It’s still going to be yummy. Next time you’re worried about overthinking something, take a step back and work out how much it will affect you in the long run. I bet it won’t be as much of a deal as you thought it was.


Finally, I don’t think about plan B, because that makes me feel rubbish. 

Instead, I tweak plan A a little. In fact, I screw plan B all together.




Hi I’m Kat! I’m a mental health blogger from Norwich, and current university student at UEA. I write about everything, from student stress to sexuality, from anxiety to relationships. I love writing because it helps me in my recovery, but also because it can help other people too! I can’t wait to share my stories with you.




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