Mental Health Over Christmas: Lauren

Lauren talks about how she copes over the Christmas holidays and what she does to help her mental health.

- Lauren Brooks

Although Christmas time can be a lot of fun, it can also be an incredibly tough time of the year too. Therefore, we want to bring this to light and ensure nobody feels alone.

1. What do you enjoy most about the winter holiday period?


Personally, for me, I really enjoy Christmas as it’s the time of year when you can get time off from school, university or work and spend some quality time with your family, which is great, especially for someone who’s very family orientated like I am. Also, I enjoy being nice and snug inside, especially during occasions when it is snowing or icy outside, there’s no better feeling than having your heating on full blast during winter!

2. What do you find most difficult during the holidays?

I think one of the most difficult things about Christmas time is that when I got really ill with my OCD and Depression, it was during the Christmas period about two years ago, so it is always at the back of my mind, thinking that it could happen again, and that Christmas could prove to be a trigger for it all to come back again. Also, I think I struggle without routine, as if I don’t have some sort of structure in place, then I find my Depression creeping back on me, so holidays are difficult for me to try and stick to a routine.

3. What do you do to help your mental health during the holidays?

One of the most vital parts, I think can really help is basic self-care, especially for Depression sufferers, as I often find that a pyjama day may be harmless for others, for me it can seriously lower my mood and affect it for the rest of the day, so its really important that I get dressed so I set myself up for the prospect of doing something. Also, setting myself a routine can help immensely, as if I’m constantly doing things then I’m not giving my mood a chance to sink. Additionally, I think exercise is a great help, as I tend to feel better especially when I’m in a bad mood after a bit of moving around.

4. What present would you give yourself over the holidays?

I would give myself a nice holiday! Just over the Christmas holidays whilst I’m off university or during Easter, so I could give myself a chance to relax and refresh my mind, for me, holidays are especially important for my own mental well being as they give me a chance to just let go of any pressures or stress at home.


If you would like to get involved in our Christmas blogging series, you can find all of the details here.

"Hi, I'm Lauren, I am a first year student studying Social Work. I suffer from Depression, OCD and anxiety, I am writing for Student Minds to try and help others."

Male Mental Health Month with Loughborough HeadsUp

Our student group Loughborough HeadsUp discuss their events for Male Mental Health Month.

-Hannah Timson

This November is National Men's Health Awareness Month and HeadsUp are focusing on communicating the importance and necessity of encouraging all men to be more open about their mental health. We want to fight the idea that men feel as though they must carry their mental health alone in silence and deconstruct the ideas of masculinity and the tough guy image of how we believe we should be acting.

Throughout the month we have been hosting a number of events and activities for everyone to come along and get involved in. These have ranged from a Meet and Greet with our committee where people were encouraged to come down to a sociable evening of pizza and games and discuss their ideas surrounding our work and future events; two Mindfulness Sessions in which an external speaker came into the Union to deliver short workshops on how to stay in control of your thoughts when stress becomes difficult to deal with, and a taster Kickboxing Session.

We also hosted a discussion panel surrounding this issue in which we put a series of hard hitting questions to a panel of strong and successful men who have themselves suffered with their mental health either in the past or the present. It was a highly interesting and informative event which incredible insightful and moving at points were shared.

Hi, my name is Hannah and I am currently in my final year studying English Literature at Loughborough University. I have suffered with panic attacks from a young age and was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Depression shortly after starting university. I set up my own blog as an outlet and started writing about my experiences in order to ensure that people knew that this wasn't a diagnosis to be ashamed of and to help others to come out and talk about their own struggles with someone they could trust. This year, I am working as Communications Officer for Loughborough Heads Up, the university's student led mental health awareness group who run campaigns around campus to raise awareness and work towards breaking the stigma surrounding Mental Health once and for all.

What does it mean to be a man?

Our student group Loughborough HeadsUp discuss the importance and necessity of encouraging all men to be more open about their mental health.

-Hannah Timson

"To be a man is to be honest and to be human" 

What does it mean to be a man? This is a question that I've always been puzzled by. Sweeping gendered stereotypes aside, is there really any difference between the answer to this and what it means to be a woman? Surely the real question here should be; What does it mean to be human? And the answers to that question could not possibly be condensed into this blog post. So instead I'll just give you a few:

Strength. Humility. Integrity. Love. Pain. Truth. Honesty.

Sounds fair? But the issue comes when you split these terms down into Gender. Society has conditioned both men and women to believe that they should act and behave in a certain way. This is why when the majority of men are questioned about the qualities of a man, they will reply with words associated with power, strength and action as opposed to emotion. Why is it considered "unmanly" by society to hide your true feelings behind this facade we have constructed surrounding men?

We have also be releasing material surrounding the campaign on a daily basis. This has included a leaflet about Male Mental Health which has been circulated around campus; the daily release of a photo of a famous figure who has suffered with their own mental health, a list of their successes and a famous quote, and finally a campaign video featuring some of the most reputable names at Loughborough talking about the stigma behind Male Mental Health. We have been overwhelmed by the incredible reaction we have had to the video and you can find it here to see for yourself:
https://www.facebook.com/lboroheadsup/videos/1672258392841995/

One of the men we interviewed as part of the video was Loughborough Students Union President 17/18, George Etherington. We have been speaking to George throughout our campaign as it is something he feels incredibly strong about and is very close to his heart. This is what he had to say in another interview earlier in the campaign:

"We need to teach people to redefine their definition of masculinity. We need young boys to grow up knowing that it is ok to be exactly how they are and to feel how they feel, not needing to "man up"and not needing to "be a man about it" ... To me, putting on a brave front isn't bravery. To me, bravery is being open and honest. Be vulnerable, let people see your emotions. I can't think of anything braver than allowing someone to see you for you."

Mental Health affects everyone, regardless of race, religion, nationality, colour or gender. So why do men feel so ashamed, why have they developed this unconscious belief that it is manly to hide what is hurting you?

Suicide is now reported as being the biggest cause of death for men under 35, with 1 in 8 men in the UK are experiencing a common mental health disorder, yet it is a significantly lower number whom actually declare this to anyone.

We have been raised surrounded by this masculinised social construct that men should not cry; that they not meant to feel insecure or vulnerable; that emotion and worry are wrong and that the strong minded and unempathetic archetype of men portrayed in films and the media will lead to success. That it makes them weak. They are not ashamed or affected because of it because the majority sought the help that they needed.

You are not going to make it through life untouched by moments of misery or sadness or fear. But these unwanted emotions are what make us unequivocally human. It is ok to be vulnerable. It is ok to feel. And it is ok to reach out for a helping hand. It makes you brave, not weak to do so. We should never be ashamed to be human.

Hi, my name is Hannah and I am currently in my final year studying English Literature at Loughborough University. I have suffered with panic attacks from a young age and was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Depression shortly after starting university. I set up my own blog as an outlet and started writing about my experiences in order to ensure that people knew that this wasn't a diagnosis to be ashamed of and to help others to come out and talk about their own struggles with someone they could trust. This year, I am working as Communications Officer for Loughborough Heads Up, the university's student led mental health awareness group who run campaigns around campus to raise awareness and work towards breaking the stigma surrounding Mental Health once and for all.

My First Counselling Experience

Ella writes first-hand about her first counselling experience and the benefits she has encountered.

-Ella Garrett

Ever had someone read you like a book? One that is ‘well-thumbed’, loved and read over and over until you almost know it off by heart?  That is pretty much how I felt after my first counselling session last week.

I was nervous. I had no idea what to expect; if I was going to be thought of as ‘well enough’ to not require a chat with a professional and whether I would find opening up to a stranger easy. These concerns weren’t massively far off. One of the first questions I was asked was whether I was “successful” last year. This threw me. I have seen many people who are academically successful suffer mentally – I would go so far to even suggest that sometimes the more academically successful you are, the more you are likely to have a mental health problem.

After this hurdle I was increasingly nervous about what was to come. This first meeting was an initial assessment, so it ultimately resulted in me providing her with a summary, rather than a synopsis, of my life. She provided brief interjections, pressed me for more information on difficult topics to discuss and went down the typical ‘counsellor’ type routes of questioning. Did my parents neglect me too much or love me too much? Did I have a strong support network? What did I want from counselling? I had no hobbies, so had I tried yoga? 

Although I was slightly unimpressed with my lack of epiphany over the usual assessment questions, the session seemed to simultaneously provide clarity as well as completely scrambling my brain on things that I have held close to me my whole life. Where I had considered myself a ‘closed book’, hard to read, and mysterious about how I felt; this woman stomped all over that belief and summarised me very easily. Well, so much for that Bond style mystery! For starters, she immediately realised that I struggled with developing a balance in life, on many aspects, something that I had never connected myself. What previously had felt like doing a dot-to-dot without any knowledge of numbers soon linked up into creating a clear picture – not the best analogy but you get my drift. 

After the session, and being booked in for another in 2 weeks’ time, I could only describe the scenario as very sobering. Things that I have never discussed with the closest of friends and family, due to either lack of trust or fear of judgement, were freely discussed in a 35-minute discussion. I felt like I basically gave up my whole personality to assessment in such a short time, which is what felt weird. It is undeniable that she made me feel better about certain things. She confirmed that parts of my life, past and present, were not how they should be, and that I wasn’t wrong or troubled for feeling a certain way. But just the concept of someone knowing everything about me is kind of terrifying.

I think it is definitely very easy to disregard counselling, turn to medication or ignore a problem and allow it to continue to be detrimental to your wellbeing. Medication was not effective for me and letting something gnaw away very quickly became too much. I know of friends who are scared to speak to someone, maybe the fears of trust and judgement that I mentioned fuels this for others too, but it’s just not the case. I already feel like I will make real progress here. I would recommend counselling to anyone who needs to talk openly about what’s going on in their mind.

If you or somebody you know is struggling with mental health at University, check out the Student Minds page on finding support for further information here.

Hi, I'm Ella. I'm currently in my third year at the University of York where I am studying English Literature and Philosophy. In my first year, I was diagnosed with Atypical Depression and have made it a personal mission ever since to encourage discussion and raise awareness around the subject - leading to my desire to write for Student Minds!

Flying with Anxiety: Four tips to prevent your phobia from disrupting your travel

Laura shares her tips on easing anxieties associated with flying, so that you can enjoy your travels.

- Laura Williamson

Flying is a common phobia, with 1 in 10 people in the UK experiencing it to some extent. For some, it can be the flight that causes the overwhelming majority of anxiety regarding the trip, even if they have a huge travel adventure organised. For others, flying is so scary that it stops them from travelling abroad entirely. So, as someone who loves travelling as much as fearing flying, here are some of my tips on how to make it (a little) easier:

1) Book the seat you want 

It’s worth making sure, if you can, that you have booked a plane seat that will cause least anxiety. For example, if turbulence has you white knuckling it the whole way, the seats in the middle of the plane, over the wings, usually experience the least turbulence and with back experiences the most. Some people prefer to be sat by the window where they can see where they’re going, but to others that’s a nightmare situation. It can be pricey but also invaluable if it’ll definitely put you at ease. Sometimes, if you tell the flight crew, they can move you if it’s possible.

2) Let the flight crew know 

This may seem embarrassing but, if you’re flying alone, letting plane staff know you’re anxious is worth it. They’re literally paid to keep you safe and happy, so a quick chat as you’re getting on the plane is no bother to them. Usually, they’ll make sure to keep an eye on you; it’s surprising how much a quick chat or “hey, how are you doing?” from someone who flies for a living can help alleviate your anxiety, especially if you have no one else to talk to.

Image Description: Plane flying off into the sunset

3) Understand why things happen the way they do 

Ever been sat on a plane and a weird noise or vibration has put you in a cold sweat? Planes are supposed to make weird noises, and pilots expect minor turbulence and these things can’t bring down a plane. Very few injuries are caused by turbulence, and generally only to flight crew who aren’t wearing seatbelts. Doing research before the flight may help you to understand why things happen the way they do, so there’s no panic about losing the ‘left phalange’.

4) Prepare in advance 

Sometimes the airport can cause more stress than the flight itself. Preparing well in advance can be the best way to alleviate this anxiety; you don’t want to be flustered that you have the wrong visa when you’re already stressed about the flight. The Foreign Office offers information and checklists of essential documents needed for every country. Once you’ve made sure you have your passport, the correct visa, and know what you can and can’t bring into the country, and then you can focus on chilling out for the flight. 

You can follow the FCO on Facebook and Twitter @FCOtravel and on Instagram under @ukforeignoffice for further information and travel safety advice.

Hey, I'm Laura and I'm a history student at the University of Edinburgh. I'm writing for Student Minds to contribute to the conversation surrounding mental health.

ENTRY TEST PREP - Resources for Preparation

I have mentioned here the textbooks and resources I used, along with ones I feel are most suitable for use in order to prepare for the AKU Entry Test. I have based my choices and preferences after carefully matching their content with the AKU test Syllabus.

First off, if you intend on start studying for AKU's Entrance Test you must know at least an overview of the syllabus of the Entry Test so that you are aware of the content, topics you have done and ones you haven't. Click here for the Test Syllabus.

Now let's go over the books:

NOTE:
I found out after I had cleared my tests, that there are "AKU Exam Board" Textbooks available in the market, basically books that students in grades 11 and 12 studying in the AKU board use for their academics. Now, I haven't done a whole lot of research, but I do know that the "Entry Test Syllabus" is basically the curriculum of the AKU board academic system, so I feel safe to assume that these books ought to be ideal for studying the syllabus. So get a hold of these if you can. If you can not, I have shared some alternatives that I feel match the syllabus word for word and are incredible for syllabus coverage.
For more info on the AKU Exam Board, click here. (Link will open in a new window)

TEXTBOOKS:
Please note that there are three other boards apart from the AKU board that are studied across Pakistan, namely the Sindh Jamshoro Board, the Punjab Text Book Board and the Federal Board Islamabad. I have put up snapshots of the covers for convenience, but note that covers may differ based on the edition of the book.

1. BIOLOGY:
I checked all three boards for this and can safely say that all three boards are equally useful for coverage of the AKU Syllabus. I used the Sindh Jamshoro Board Biology Textbooks for Class 11 and 12 because these felt to be the most detailed. There is a downside to the Sindh Board though, because the book is entirely black and white with dull pictures and no colour so it may get boring at times.
If I were to prepare for the test again, I would still select Sindh Board for Biology simply because of how detailed it is.

http://www.mynoteslibrary.com/pdf/Class_XI_Biology_Book_Notes.pdf

http://freebooks.pk/biology-part-2-for-12th-class (This is the eBook of Punjab Board Bio)

Covers of Sindh Board Bio Books!

2. CHEMISTRY:
Federal Board Islamabad is the way to go in the case of Chemistry because its content matches the AKU Syllabus ENTIRELY! Each and every chapter and every learning objective is covered in Federal Board Chem and this is not the case in the other two boards.
I'll give you an example: The AKU Chemistry Syllabus has a subtopic under Organic Chemistry as "Detection of Element in Organic Compound". You will not find a topic or even content related to this topic in the other two boards whereas in Federal Board Chem, there is an entire separate Heading for exactly this! 
Trust me on this and get Federal Board Islamabad Chemistry Textbooks (Class 11 and 12) and you won't regret it!
 You may get these books from anywhere, I got a hold of them from Urdu Bazar at Karachi. They will make your preparation extremely efficient. Here's what the covers look like:

Here's some links you may find useful, I couldn't find any free eBook online so you will have to purchase the books. These links are to notes and resources derived from those books.https://urdubazaronline.pk/school%20books/Federal%20Board%20Books%20Urdu%20Bazar%20Karachi/Chemistry%20Grade%2012%20Federal%20Board%20(National%20Book%20Foundation)https://archive.org/details/CollegeChemistryGuideForClass12PDFFederalBoardhttps://www.office.com.pk/f-sc-2nd-year-chemistry-notes-federal-board-in-pdf/Update! I was able to find a pdf of the first 5 chapters of class 12 Chemistry. Here's the link:http://www.learningall.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/first-5-chapters-chemistry-xii.pdf3. PHYSICS:Punjab Board is for Physics what Federal Board is for Chemistry. Get a hold of Punjab Textbook Board's Physics Books for class 11 and 12 for a comfortable syllabus completion of your AKU entry test. It's got sound English, really helpful questions and worked examples, and it's coloured and very user friendly. Oh and here's the cherry on top, free eBooks for both years! Yay!Follow the links to PDF files of each book: (Links will open in a new window) Class 11 Physics, Punjab Board PDFClass 12 Physics, Punjab Board PDF(NOTE: If you have trouble opening the pdf files, contact me ASAP and I will fix up the links or email them to you directly)
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES I USED AND FOUND VERY HELPFUL:1. SABAQ.PKwww.sabaq.pkThis is a website I wish every student in Pakistan knew about. Open it up and you'll see just why. The procedure is the same, Sindh board for bio, Federal Board for Chem and Punjab board for Physics. You won't find the books here but you'll find the exact same topics in the form of video lectures. DO GIVE THIS A TRY. I used this website as a substitute for going to any tuition centre for prep, and believe me it did miracles. The lectures are in Urdu, are incredibly easy to understand and often accompany helpful solved questions.2. DOGAR BROTHERS' "MASTER THE AKU MCAT"https://www.dogar.com.pk/book/master-mcat-aga-khan-medical-college/I only used this book for practising questions and practising papers. There's a huge collection of questions and a lot of complete papers you can practise from and solve available in this book. BUT NOTE THIS, although claimed to be past papers of the AKU entry test, the questions here were not like ones that I encountered in the real Entrance Exam. The questions of the entry test were much more conceptual and required a lot more thinking, and not rote memorisation. Nevertheless, these are good for practise and self assessment. Could I have done without these? Maybe. I used the book 2-3 days before the paper to practise every chapter and that was pretty cool.3. SAT 2 BIOLOGY by Princeton and Kaplan:I borrowed these from a friend to study the Kingdoms bit of Biology only, because I didn't touch those chapters from the Sindh Board Bio book. They saved a lot of time and I was able to correctly attempt the Kingdoms related questions in the test as well, so it worked for me. This was the only time I used SAT 2 Books, some people used SAT 2 for all three sciences and to be honest I would've prefered to sit the SAT Subject tests before the AKU test for prior preparation coverage of topics explained beautifully in these books. So yeah, I would encourage you to sit the SAT Subject tests. (I didn't :p)And that's a wrap to this post. I hope you find these resources and books helpful. Feel free to hit me up for any confusions, errors, broken links or suggestions you may have on regarding this post. I will be sure to get back to you. For now, all the best and happy studying!

Coping with Stress

Erin shares how she copes with stress using a technique called "PAGE"

- Erin

Stress – it is a term that we use very lightly. But do we as individuals really know how to come to terms with stress, so that it doesn’t affect our day-to-day lives?

Living with multiple mental illnesses, stress is something I have to continue to fight with on a daily basis. Not just stress from external environmental factors, but also the stress that I am faced with through my mind and thoughts.

Stress is an example of our body’s way of coping with “Fight, Flight or Freeze”. It is a survival mechanism that is embedded into our bodies to allow us to handle tough situations. However, when you are trying to overcome simple tasks, this stress can also inhibit you from thinking rationally. For me, If I don’t come to terms with my stress and use the tools I have learnt to relax my mind, my stress turns into anxiety and for me, this can very often turn into a downwards spiral.

When you are in a stressful situation, there is no point in overthinking the stress, although this can be easier said than done. You need to practise techniques that allow you to calm your thoughts. The more you overthink the thoughts of the stress, the less you will be able to face the problems head on and overcome them with reasoning.

One mechanism that I have learnt through continuous and deep therapy over the last couple of years, is “PAGE”. It is a simple strategy that you can use at any time and in any situation.

One simple way I use this exercise is during rush hour. Packed against people on the underground, squashed face-to-face in a confined space makes me very anxious. My mind starts to tell me that I can’t do it and to escape at the earliest moment. I feel myself struggle to breathe and I can feel my heart rate beginning into increase - this is body reacting to the “flight, fight or freeze” response, and eventually I will find myself in a panic.

However, (1) Pausing my mind, (2) Acknowledging my breathing, (3) Gathering my thoughts, and (4) noticing my Edges reminds me that I am okay and that I can cope with any situation I am faced with.

It seems so simple, but only with practice has my mind become in the routine of listening to this exercise and actually using it to it’s full potential.

Now, I am not a psychologist, nor a doctor. This is just something I have learnt from the many books I have read and the many therapists I have worked with. You can choose to use it or not, but for me it is very beneficial and allows me act in a collected manner when stressed.

The PAGE exercise;

To start with, when practising PAGE, I did it in a quiet environment, using it two or three times a day. However, once your mind gets into the routine of following the exercise you can then bring it into any day-to-day context, as frequently as you wish.

PAGE stands for: Pause, Acknowledge, Gather, and Edges.

First, pause, sit in a comfortable position and breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. On your out-breath, say to yourself “PAUSE”. Fall into your body and feel the muscles become loose and relaxed. As you do this, focus your attention on the movement of your stomach, and ACKNOWLDEGE the breaths, in and out. Let the thoughts in your mind flow, do not engage with them and do not talk back to them. Just acknowledge that they are there and leave them to come and go. Continue paying attention to your body’s movements as you breathe in and out.

As you do this GATHER your thoughts. Rationalise them and let yourself know that you are fine. You are living, you are breathing and you are going to be okay. Now bring your attention to where you are sitting. Notice the EDGES of your hands on your legs, the edges of your legs against the chair, the soles of your feet on the ground (apply this to the position you are currently in) and breathe.

When you feel you are more collected and calm, you can go about your normal tasks that you need to carry out. Although, now you can do it in a calm and collected manner with your mind being more steady and your thoughts being more rational.

Hi, my name is Erin, I am currently in my final year studying Design Management at UAL in London. I have suffered from my mental health from the age of 10 years old. My diagnoses are still ongoing but suspected of; Depression, Anxiety, Autism, Bipolar and Borderline personality disorder. I began writing for Student Minds in order to share my own experiences of my journey with mental health. The aim is to increase awareness and to decrease the stigma attached to mental illnesses as a whole.