Students Vs Stress at University #CopingonCampus

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University: The best Years of your life?

The best years of your life. That’s what everyone says about your time at university, right? The freedom, the independence, three years (or more) of partying, occasionally fitting in a bit of work for the degree you’ve chosen in between nights out at the students’ union… Jasmine speaks about her experience

These are the years to really live it up before you’re thrown into the “real world”, before you’re burdened with bills and mortgages, before you get stuck in the rat race of work and responsibilities.

But what if university doesn’t give you the best years of your life? What if they’re stressful and daunting? What if they’re some of the worst years?

Not Alone If you’re not enjoying your time at university, this can be quite an isolating experience. If the prevailing narrative suggests that everyone is having a brilliant time while you’re having a miserable one, it’s easy to get the impression that you’re the only one who feels like this.

So, I’d like to take the opportunity now to say to anyone who isn’t enjoying their time at university, to anyone unhappy at university – you are not alone. You are not the only one. I didn’t enjoy my time at university either, and there’s no shame in admitting this.

There are many reasons why someone might not enjoy university.

The course may not be what you expected, you may miss home, you may struggle to find friends, or you might not be getting the pastoral support you need. These problems are all bad enough in themselves, but they can also be exacerbated by poor mental and physical health. It’s important to recognise that for many students with mental health problems, their time spent at university will be very difficult indeed.

Breaking the Cycle Bad experiences at university and poor mental health continuously reinforce each other in a vicious circle. If you have poor mental health, it can affect your attendance at lectures, your ability to socialise, and your ability to live independently. But struggling in all these areas can worsen mental health – and so, the cycle continues.

We need to break this cycle. The first step is to acknowledge the problem.

We cannot help students who are suffering if we don’t acknowledge that they’re ill or unhappy. We must recognise their experiences as real, as true, without invalidating them by constantly saying “but these are the best years of your life!”

I want to tell you, if you’re a student suffering from stress or from mental health problems, you are not the problem and you’re not alone.

We worked with YoungMinds to create this zine because not everyone enjoys their time at university. We hope these articles and tips will help you cope on campus - and we hope they will inspire you to campaign for better mental health services at your university.

92% Students have had feelings of mental distress.

What’s the Problem?

Anxiety Anxiety is a normal response to stressful life experiences or big challenges, such as moving away from home or sitting an important exam.

However, anxiety becomes a mental health issue if feelings of fear or panic are very strong or last for a long time.

These are some of the symptoms:

We all have mental health, just like we all have physical health. Just as our bodies can become unwell, our minds can become unwell too. Some of the most common mental health problems are:

•

Depression Everyone feels ‘down’ or sad sometimes, but if you find yourself experiencing low mood for a significant period of time, you may be suffering from depression. If you’re experiencing these symptoms, it may well be worth seeking medical advice:

• • •

• • • • • • • •

Feeling low or sad for many days or weeks in a row Feeling hopeless, guilty or tearful Not wanting to socialise and avoiding friends or family Losing interest in things that previously made you happy or excited Having trouble getting motivated or making decisions Having thoughts of self-harm or suicide Everyday tasks feeling like a struggle Difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep Changes in appetite or weight Lacking in energy Losing interest in sex Unexplained aches and pains http://bit.ly/1XIa6lB

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• • • • • • • • • • •

Feeling frightened or ‘on edge’ constantly Difficulty concentrating Feeling irritable and withdrawing from social situations Feeling restless, dizzy, unusually tired, or tense Experiencing a panic attack Muscle aches or tension Trembling or shaking Stomach aches and a feeling of nausea Dry mouth Excessive sweating A strong, fast or irregular heartbeat or shortness of breath Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep

Eating Disorders The most common three eating disorders are Anorexia, Bulimia and Compulsive Eating Disorder. If you’re experiencing some of these symptoms, you may be suffering from an eating disorder: • • • • • • • • • •

• •

•

Skipping meals or eating very small portions Obsessively counting calories or avoiding eating any fatty foods Making yourself sick after eating Compulsively exercising Using laxatives, diuretics or diet pills to control your weight Weighing yourself or checking your body in the mirror compulsively Thinking about food constantly Losing your hair or having very dry skin Looking at ‘thinspiration’ or proanorexic websites Eating large amounts of food until you feel sick or physically uncomfortable (bingeing) Being consumed with guilt and shame after eating Eating in secret because you’re embarrassed about the amount of food you’re eating Avoiding social situations where there is food, such as meals out with friends

For more information and advice about mental health issues that may be worrying you, go to youngminds.org.uk/ whatsworryingyou

Where can I find Support on Campus?

Hopefully, you’ll be able to find support from one of the services below. However, not everyone can get the support they need, when they need it, and if that’s the case at your uni, see the campaigning section in this zine to see what you can do to fight for better mental health support on your campus Your GP If you’re struggling to cope, a good first step is to talk to your GP - make sure you’re registered with one at your uni. It can help to write down what you’ve been going through before your visit.

University Counselling Most universities have counselling services, which will give you the chance to talk through your experiences in a non-judgemental space. Find out more on your uni’s website.

Student Minds Student Minds run support groups, especially focusing on depression and eating disorders, which are led by other students. Find out if they have groups at your university: studentminds.org.uk

Tutors and student welfare officers There may be a tutor assigned to give you pastoral support, or a student welfare officer you can talk to.

In an emergency If you’re about to harm yourself or have already done so, phone 999 or go to A&E and explain that you’re at risk.

There are tips for coping on campus throughout this zine, and we’ve listed lots more organisations who can help on the back page. You’re not alone.

Josh talks about his experience of mental illness at university and the steps he took to look after himself.

I definitely felt pressure to be having as much fun as possible during my three year stint at university. Unfortunately though, however hard I tried, I just couldn’t enjoy myself.

Something Wasn’t Right After being stoic for two years, I finally decided I couldn’t bear the pain anymore. On arriving home from a summer internship placement in London, I broke down in front of my parents and told them that something wasn’t right. I didn’t know what the problem was, but I knew that I couldn’t carry on. It wasn’t until I went to see a counsellor that I found out that I was actually suffering from a mental illness.

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Mental Health Problems Can Affect Anyone

I was obeying all of the rules: be part of a sports team, check; read lots of politics, check; do a hell of a lot of drinking, check; meet a lot of new women, check. But despite all of this, I still felt awful. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t shake away the feeling of unhappiness.

Fast forward a month, after a lot of time spent in bed resting and with some counselling sessions underneath my belt, I was beginning to formulate a decent understanding of my illness.

I was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and I had symptoms of depression and anxiety. I was shocked, but more than anything very confused about this diagnosis. I hadn’t previously known much about mental illnesses, and therefore hadn’t had any idea that I could be suffering from one.

Reach Out The strangest aspect of suffering from a mental illness was the fact that, despite feeling awful for such an extended period of my life, it took me a long time to realise that I was ill. In my opinion we need to abolish the ubiquitous ‘stiff upper lip’ culture in Britain, because it is potentially fatal to not reach out for the help you need. If you feel like something is not quite right - if you’re drinking for the wrong reasons, if seeing friends is becoming a chore instead of a joy - then do not hesitate to see a doctor at uni.

Mental health is becoming increasingly high on the public agenda, and your uni should have the appropriate facilities and knowledge to help you. If I had reached out for support earlier than I did, who knows how much more comfortable university may have been for me? I would hate for others to make the same mistake.

Self Care After a pretty tough summer I decided to attempt my final year of uni while still caring for my mental health. Going back to university was difficult, but there were things I could do to make my time easier.

These included:

1. Exercising.

Jogging, running, swimming, anything that helped get my endorphins flowing.

2. Accepting that I was ill.

This was difficult because mental illness isn’t as tangible as a physical condition. However, trying to pretend I was fine only made things worse. I had to be kind to myself and put in the correct self-care.

3. Maintaining relationships.

Socialising seemed like a pretty arduous task at times, but it helped to stay connected with the world.

4. Cutting down on alcohol.

Drinking might have made me feel better in the short-term, but it only masked the problem rather than solving it.

5. Looking after my body.

This meant improving my diet, sleeping well, and drinking plenty of water.

6. Speaking to others about my illness.

This was the most important thing I did, and by leaning on those close to me, I was able to get the day-to-day support I needed.

"I was diagnosed with PTSD & anxiety during my final year of undergraduate studies. Without the help of student services (particularly the mental health and wellbeing team) I wouldn't have had the confidence to complete my course, then return & study my Masters."

University is a daunting time for many of us, but when do freshers’ nerves turn into anxiety? Jasmine talks about her experience of anxiety at uni and the things that helped her cope.

It’s hard for me to determine the point when shyness turned into pathological social anxiety, but I’d say it was at least a decade ago, if not before that still. School was extremely difficult for me because of it, but at least when I was a child I had some hope that when I reached adulthood and my circumstances changed accordingly (i.e. once I was no longer at school) things might change. I fantasised that I would one day become a confident, popular, happy person – perhaps this would happen at university?

That didn’t happen.

Trapped in a vicious circle of anxiety and depression, both of which had been present but untreated for many years and continuously fed into each other, the move to university only exacerbated the problems. Although I had been very unhappy for a long time, it was clear that the familiarity of home and my parents’ presence had, to a small extent, previously been protective factors. Now, in an unfamiliar place surrounded by unfamiliar people, while other students were enjoying what they saw as their new-found freedom and independence, I was panicking about these new sources of fear.

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Anxiety at University and Learning to Cope

Beyond Freshers’ Nerves Of course, it’s normal to feel a little nervous about starting university. But I was definitely beyond a little nervous – I was overwhelmed by anxiety. And unfortunately, it became transparent very quickly that I did not know how to cope.

A lot of my earliest memories of my time at university are of my experiences suffering from anxiety. Feeling so anxious at a night at the students’ union that I had to leave after a few minutes of just standing awkwardly at the side of the room. Feeling left out of the flatmate group within less than a week because I was too anxious to go out with them. Being too anxious to speak to anyone at a party in my flat and leaving after standing there awkwardly alone for five minutes, feeling very embarrassed.

These experiences, as you would expect, did not help my mood. To be quite frank, my first year at university was hellish. I was anxious, isolated, lonely, depressed. I had few friends and barely left my room unless I had to. These anxious experiences were intensely painful at the time.

These are some of things that helped me cope: Listening to loud music This is the singular most helpful thing that I did to cope. Music is life.

Going for a walk I often went for walks in the evening as this was often the worst time, and I found it quite peaceful.

Asking for Help Finally, the best advice I can offer is to ask for help. Anxiety is a very isolating experience, but you really are not alone. And as stressful and anxietyinducing as seeking help can be in itself, talking to someone and receiving support is the only way to overcome it.

It will not magically disappear, as I once naively hoped it would.

Just remember, seeking help is a courageous act. And you are so, so brave for doing it. And even if you don’t feel able to seek help at this time, you are so, so brave for existing while living under the weight of anxiety. The world can be a terrifying place, but when you survive its harshest moments, you are at your strongest.

Learning to Cope

For more info on coping with anxiety, I think it’s important to stress that go to youngminds.org.uk/anxiety anxiety is not a choice, and people who suffer from anxiety are not simply lazy or failing to try hard enough. Anxiety can be overwhelming and debilitating, and uni life was particularly hard for me. But there is hope. I found some ways to help with my anxiety. Taking a few simple actions can help to reduce the sense of panic and its resulting sadness.

64%

of students do not use any formal support services for mental distress.

Getting Help with Depression at University At university, James struggled with depression. James writes about his experience of depression and how he looked for help.

“Depression, what’s that?” I thought, as I was looking down a list of symptoms, ticking off more than half of them. It was early 2014 and I had officially cracked.

High Expectations

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University was the dream, ever since I went to my interview and fell in love with it. I am based in Carlisle but my home town is Sunderland, so I was plonked in a house with 11 different people. With just a few familiar items from home, I had to adjust. There is a lot of pressure to succeed at university in terms of grades and when you feel that you’re not meeting your potential, you do get down. But when you set the bar so unreasonably high and have done your entire educational career, you are destined to be disappointed.

Everything I was doing was a perceived failure because that bar was too high.

There is also a big, big pressure to socialize and go out (clubbing/ pub crawling). This was the second problem: I could get on with people but felt the opposite of comfortable about the idea of going out, so when I didn’t, I apologised for my “failing” to do so. I didn’t want to go into a place where I would be uncomfortable but staying in the halls just made things worse and occasionally drove me to self-harm because of the anger I had against myself.

There is not a pressure as such at university for relationships but I was driven to think there was. All of my actual friends (half of the 11 I was put in a house with) were in long-term relationships which gave me a feeling of inadequacy as I had no one. They were my friends and they were happy and I should have been happy for them - not jealous of what they had. I was driven down, thinking that I needed to get a girlfriend and only then will I be happy.

20%

of students consider themselves to have a mental health problem

Getting Help These are the things that brought me down at university and led to depression taking over my life. My mother helped me find the local NHSrun mental health service after a close university friend said that the mental health service at our uni hadn’t been helpful for her friend. So, I enrolled in classes, 30 minutes a week or two at the local medical practice. After a few months, I was prepared to give up, just stop CBT therapy and put up with it.

Nothing was working in these classes.

The next session I went to call the whole thing off. I addressed the fact that it wasn’t working and they said “you can move up to the next level if you want?” ”Try that”. These sessions were an hour long and more intensive.

The next week came. Sceptical but open-minded, I went in and after a few months it still felt like it wasn’t working but persistence paid off. Every week I was talking about problems, then tracking my mood and the problems linked to its decline. We worked out a plan and I was discharged with a weight off my shoulders. I still get the occasional day or few days of low mood but that’s normal.

Moving Forward It is hard, really hard, when you are stuck in the low mood rut. It is hard to get up in the morning, concentrate on your work and even get to sleep at night because you are afraid bad things are going to happen. But if you are reading this, you are not alone, there is help out there.

For more info on coping with depression, go to youngminds.org.uk/ depression

Students Helping Students

Deborah talks about her own experience Project Wellness I, along with two other students, with mental health issues and what have recently created an initiative to she’s doing at university to help her improve student wellbeing within our fellow students.

I have lived with anxiety & depression since I was 16, although I wasn’t diagnosed until I was 20, after a suicide attempt. During this time I excelled academically but increasingly felt like a hopeless failure, that all my successes were undeserved and that I would never feel happy again. My descent into depression and failure felt inevitable, and living, let alone finishing a degree, felt impossible. However, after several months away from university, medication, lots of therapy and a lot of support from family, friends and my university I am much better and about to resume my studies.

Looking back, I am able to recognise that my ‘descent into failure’ wasn’t inevitable and that it shouldn’t have taken a suicide attempt before I received the necessary support from my university. Students at university are expected to be proactive in their academic and personal lives and ask for help when they need it. This makes sense in theory but to work in practice, universities must make their support services visible and staff must be approachable.

department.

Many of my peers have also faced mental health issues while studying but none of us spoke out. As a result we felt isolated and unable to ask for help.

I hope that our drop-in will create a safe and non-judgemental environment where students can discuss their wellbeing with their peers and find out about the support available to them.

Most students running the drop-in have also dealt with mental health issues so, through the sharing of experiences, we hope to create an open dialogue within the department about mental health, stress, and staying healthy.

We hope that surveying student wellbeing will create a more positive learning environment for students.

Our survey asks students about their mood, workload, module difficulty, staff approachability and experiences of support services. Students don’t always feel able to raise concerns with staff, especially if those staff will be assessing them, so we hope that surveys will allow students to express their opinions confidentially.

1.Create a student-run drop-in.

2. Regularly survey student wellbeing.

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The main aims of Project Wellness are to:

3. Improve staff awareness of the wellbeing issues faced by students and how to support them.

4. Promote the fact that everyone’s in the same boat.

Each and every student has the same (& different) fears. You are not alone. It’s okay to be worried.

5. Liaise with staff to reduce unnecessary stresses faced by students.

6. Distribute a guide to support services to students and staff.

For advice on setting up a mental health support group, or to see if one exists already, go to studentminds.org.uk.

“I hope that our drop-in will create a safe & non-judgemental environment where students can discuss their wellbeing & find out about the support available to them.”

Reducing Stress With 20% of students considering themselves to have a mental health problem it’s vital to reduce unnecessary stress on students. We currently work with staff to make minor changes such as making assessment criteria more explicit to improve wellbeing because minor stresses can combine to place significant stress on students.

Our final aim is to distribute a guide to the support services within, and without, our university to allow students to be more proactive in finding support.

At our university it is possible to renegotiate deadlines, take time out, and receive mentoring, counselling, and special exam arrangements.

Campaigning on Campus Some universities have great mental health support services, meaning that the students at those universities are able to get the help that they need. But unfortunately, the national picture is very inconsistent, with other universities lacking good mental health support.

Many students across the country are unable to get help, because the services they need aren’t there, or the waiting lists are too long, or because there simply isn’t sufficient awareness of the reality of living with mental health problems.

Every university should be providing good-quality mental healthcare to its students, and we hope that this zine will inspire you to act if the services at your uni aren’t good enough. If you’d like to campaign for better mental healthcare at your uni, here are some things to take into consideration: • What makes a good mental healthcare service?

• What services are already provided?

• Are any other forms of support available at your uni (e.g. peer support group)?

• How should you raise awareness of the issue on campus?

• How should you get other students / the students’ union / the college on board?

Here are 5 suggestions to make your campaign successful: 1. Set up a mental health society: if there isn’t one already! If you don’t want, or can’t get, official union ratification as a society, don’t worry - you can still have a dedicated working group.

2. Contact student media to spread the word: write articles for the student newspaper, write a blog for the union website, speak about the campaign on the student radio station - publicity is key in raising awareness.

3. Get an expert in to talk to students: this could be a mental health professional, an academic from the Psychology department, or someone from a mental health charity - or all three!

4. Make it fun: hold enjoyable events to raise awareness, such as a comedy night or a live music night, and allow people to get creative making posters to put up around campus.

5. Make use of social media: sounds obvious, but it is worth emphasising how useful it can be to help amass a following. Running a concerted campaign across multiple platforms will reach out to the most people - people who can then be mobilised to come and vote for your motion!

For more ideas for campaigning on campus, check out studentminds.org.uk

Politics: Here’s a draft motion which you can adapt for your students’ union.

Motion to campaign for better mental healthcare services at our university This Union notes: 1.That, according to NUS research, 20% of students consider themselves to have a mental health problem; 2.That 13% of students have suicidal thoughts; 3.That 64% of students do not use any formal support services for their mental distress.

This Union believes: 1.That good mental healthcare services are a right; 2.That poor mental health negatively impacts on many aspects of student life, including academic performance.

This Union resolves: 1.To run a campaign to raise awareness of mental health and the insufficient services on campus; 2.To lobby the college to provide better mental healthcare.

This Union mandates:

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1.The President, Campaigns Officer and Welfare Officer to organise an awareness campaign with interested students; 2.The President, Campaigns Officer and Welfare Officer to work with interested students to take this issue to the relevant college officials.

Where to find help

Don’t suffer in silence. If you’re struggling with how you feel, these organisations can help.

Young Minds - Youngminds.org.uk

FRANK - Talktofrank.com / 0800 77 66 00

YoungMinds is the UK’s leading charity committed to improving the emotional wellbeing & mental health of children and young people.

YoungMinds Vs is a mass movement of young people campaigning about bullying, access to counselling, early sexualisation and school & university stress. This zine was inspired by YoungMinds Vs Stress at University.

Confidential information & advice for anyone concerned about their own or someone else’s drug or solvent misuse.

Student Minds - Studentminds.org.uk Student Minds is the UK’s student mental health charity, giving students the skills, knowledge and confidence to talk about their mental health & look out for their peers.

Nightline – Nightline.ac.uk Nightline is a student listening service which is open at night & run by students for students.

Get Connected - Getconnected.org.uk / 0808 808 4994 Free, confidential telephone & email helpline finding young people the best help whatever the problem.

HeadMeds - Headmeds.org.uk Straight talk on mental health medication.

Look up your medication to find out about side effects & things you might not feel comfortable asking your GP about.

Samaritans - Samaritans.org / 116 123 Samaritans volunteers listen in confidence to anyone in any type of emotional distress, without judging or telling people what to do.

STONEWALL - Stonewall.org.uk Use Stonewall’s area database to find local lesbian, gay, and bisexual community groups, other generic services, & gay friendly solicitors.

B-EAT youth helpline Fyp@b-eat.co.uk / 0845 634 7650 Information, help and support for anyone affected by eating disorders.

TheSite.org – Thesite.org.uk A online guide to life for 16 to 25 yearolds. It provides non-judgmental support & information on everything from sex & exam stress to debt and drugs.

Youth Access - Youthaccess.org.uk Youth Access is a national membership organisation for youth information, advice & counselling agencies. Provides information on youth agencies to people aged 11-25.

Edited by Jasmine Wyeth, Grace Veenman, James Reay, Harrie Williamson and YoungMinds Photographs by Francisco Osorio are from University Life, licensed under CC BY 2.0 Statistics Source: NUS, 2013 Designed by James Reay Jamesreaydesign.co.uk