Having a mental illness can be extremely alienating. It is not something that usually manifests physically and getting people to understand that your pain is, in fact, as real as a physical injury can be difficult. However, unlike physical injuries, your mental health can be a more intricate and delicate matter that doesn't always heal quite so smoothly.
Mental illness can take a toll on your life, on your relationships and on your education. Due to stigmatisation and a lack of education, mental illnesses can be difficult to recognise and talk about. Often times, people tend to ignore the symptoms of their anxiety and depression and wave it off as something passing, temporary.
In part, due to the lack of conversation, mental health illnesses are on the rise; according to research by the Institute of Public Policy Research, 19% of 16-24 year olds, in England, experience a mental health issue. So while they are not talked about, mental health issues are not a rare occurrence but rather becoming an increasingly common occurrence.
This blog post will focus on the 2 mental illnesses that particularly affect young people, depression and anxiety. University is a stressful time for most students, not only the stress that comes from the workload but also the anxiety that comes with having to meet new people and adjusting to a new environment. It can be difficult coping with the loneliness that comes with moving to a new place, while trying to balance a life with your education, new friendships and the financial strain that comes with being a student. Depression is a common mental illness, and as is anxiety, and so, there are many ways to deal with it and reach out for help.
The first step to being able to get help is being able to recognise that you need help. As mentioned earlier, often people neglect their mental health and wave away their brain's cry for help by regarding their issues as temporary. While it may be common, depression is a serious illness and needs to be regarded as such. Depression is more than just feeling sad for a few days. It can cause serious harm to a person's self-worth, it can cripple a person mentally. The NHS Website provides more detailed information on depression and how to seek help.
Anxiety as a mental illness is more than feeling a little nervous about a matter, it can be overwhelming, and it tends to make matters feel a lot worse than they are. It can make simple matters feel over complicated and bring on a lot of stress and anxious feelings. The NHS website provides more information to fully understand anxiety disorders and how they can affect your life.
Here I have linked some websites that the reader may find helpful in regard to their mental health.
- For Kingston University Students:
- https://www.kingston.ac.uk/health/wellbeing-services/#counselling
- To improve ways of dealing with depression, anxiety and stress: https://www.bemindfulonline.com/
- For LGBTQ Students: https://www.akt.org.uk & https://www.stonewall.org.uk/
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