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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!

Travelling with Stress and Depression: 5 tips on making beautiful memories

in: Advice Depression Family and Friends Looking after yourself mental health Recovery Self Care self-help Stress stress awareness week student travelling

Zahra provides her top 5 tips on how to make the most of travelling when you're dealing with stress and depression.

- Zahra Rahman

Travelling is a great way to learn about new cultures, foods and people. It might not magically cure you of the negative feelings in your life, but it is a great experience and can help you take a break and gain some perspective. As a sufferer of depression, I have a few tips that may help you look on the brighter side of travelling and that will also, hopefully, give you the encouragement to travel if you haven’t before!

1) Plan ahead

A drastic change – even a positive one – taking place without any planning can be extremely daunting, so do as much research as you can before you go. Check the FCO website for any travel updates, research where the nearest pharmacy or doctor is, locate the beaches, pack your EHIC card and buy some travel insurance. Having an FCO travellers’ checklist to hand is a great way to help you before you set off.

2) Take your closest friend or family member – or both!

Travelling solo can be an amazing; you can learn a lot about yourself and have a completely different experience. However, if that’s just too big at this stage in your life then it’s fine to save that trip for another time. Having a close friend with you when travelling means you have someone to support you, as well as sharing your excitement and experience. They’ll probably even make things more exciting for you!

3) Build confidence

Being away from home is a great time to try out new things and venture outside of your comfort zone. You never know, that confidence you build abroad might even stay once you return home. That’s not to say that you should aim to come back from a trip as a completely different person; learn to love yourself for who you are and take steps to build a better version of you.

4) Don’t just go to the tourist parts

I have been to Turkey twice so far. The first time I went to Bodrum, which was a great holiday but obviously a tourist spot; restaurants served “English Breakfasts” and all the music in the bazaars were American pop songs.

The second time I did a road trip around all of Turkey, which was amazing. However, one thing hit me hard: I saw two boys aged between 5-8 years old, begging for money on the metro. The younger boy had a bandage over his eye and looked so, so tired. His older brother was dragging him along the carriage, scared of losing him.
This broke my heart, but also began to fix me. I realised that I may have some negatives in my life that stress me out, but I am not in the position of those children. These kids are struggling to stay alive.
Seeing tragedies sometimes hits your own reality hard, but gives your mental health a positive effect.

5) Take photos and videos: Be trigger happy on the camera!

Don’t worry, you don’t need to be a professional photographer or have a top end DSLR to do this. Whatever pictures and videos you take are just for you, to remember the amazing time you had, how you grew as a person and how that country was a part of it. Looking at your memories will pick you up on a bad day and will get you planning your next holiday. And you never know, one day you will be that solo traveller!

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

Hi! My name is Zahra Rahman and I am a Digital Media Student at the University of Brighton. I love laughing, travelling, food, Bollywood and getting involved with charities that help vulnerable people across the world. The one thing I say to myself when things get tough is, "This is happening for a good reason". Stay positive and keep smiling!

Useful Techniques to Manage Stress: Stress Awareness Day

in: Advice Exams Stress student university

Tazmin shares her experience of stress and some useful techniques to manage it, in support of National Stress Awareness Day.

- Tazmin

The first step to dealing with stress is to accept and acknowledge that you are feeling stressed; avoidance will only cause it to become more life-affecting.

As a society I feel we can accept stress as a part of our everyday lives. I believe that this attitude is completely flawed and must be changed.

Although university may be considered some of the best years of your young adult life, it can also cause a great deal of stress due to both external and internal factors.

We are constantly surrounded by and reminded of change; we are away from home, and are in a completely new environment. We have to deal with higher and more complex amounts of money. We are surrounded by new and different kinds of people in new social situations. Our work load and level may be greater than what we have dealt with before. It is natural, especially in the first year of university, to feel overwhelmed by all that is happening around you.

Stress is a part of our biology, just like it is with animals. It is vital for our survival; having both negatives and positives. Animals only know instinctive fear, that is, if a rabbit sees a fox it will run as fast as possible and hide in order to protect itself from what it feels – death.

We as people have a similar response to things which threaten the balance in our lives. Sometimes people thrive under a stressful situation. I have known people who have left their dissertation rather late and the pressure of having to get it done means they do in a short amount of time and achieve very high grades. There are other people who do not respond so well to stress, in which it has negative effects on their wellbeing, their grades and happiness. These are two simple cases of the ‘fight or flight response’.

When stress starts to impact your life in many areas this is when it may become life-altering. Often times when someone is feeling high stress they very well may begin to avoid the things that are causing them stress and when they are finally faced with the reality of it, this can cause them to feel worse and maybe even cause a bout of ill mental health.

There are many effective techniques to help you deal and manage this. If you’re truly feeling the full weight of stress talk to your tutors, student support officer and other peers in regards to getting support from them. Do not bottle it up – it’s simply not worth it.

- Schedule: Form a schedule that works for you. Make sure it is a realistic one, ensuring you still have social time and time for yourself. It is so important to keep restoring balance in your new university lifestyle.

- Exercise: Find some form of outlet that is healthy for you, such as joining the gym, going for a run, practicing meditation, yoga –something active that releases endorphins and takes your mind off everything else.

- Sleep: Depending on how you are and what your social life is like, having a good sleeping pattern can only benefit your brain and your stress levels. If you’re constantly overtired, due to frantic sleeping patterns, this is not going to help. Take a step back, do social things in the day and try to get to sleep at the same hour and for 8 hours each night.

- Writing: As a writer, I find this really helps me get all my thoughts, worries and feelings out – we are reflective beings and writing only has positive effects. Write down your stresses and see what it reveals. Use it as a therapy.

- Goals: Set yourself realistic goals, weekly. Put this alongside your schedule but be realistic and don’t expect to write 5000 word essays each day.

- Relax: Find your own comfortable way to relax; mine used to be put all technology away and go for a nice long walk as the sunset.

Understand that stress, to a certain extent can be productive for us, but not all the time. It is a part of university life, but it doesn’t have to be a constant part of it. Take things at your own pace. Try not to let the university lifestyle cause you stress and panic. Everything is new and changing. Enjoy it because when you look back, you won’t remember the days you were stressed, you’ll remember the days you were happy.

Hey guys, it’s Tazmin. My journey suffering with severe depression and anxiety has been a difficult one; but I would not be who I am today had I not accepted my illness and worked to get better. I have just graduated from Sheffield Hallam University with a First in Film and Media Production, something which I thought I'd never do. I’ve had my blog Awareness for two years and it has been so rewarding for me; I want my writing to help, inspire and touch people. I now wish to support and encourage anyone who is suffering through university with this blog. Happy reading!
awarenessbytazmin.wordpress.com

Fresher’s Fever: behind the curtain of euphoria

in: comfort zone Family and Friends Finding support First Year (Freshers) Friendships Looking after yourself mental health student university

Emma writes about how being a Fresher isn't necessarily carefree and the best time of your life, and reassures readers that if you're struggling to settle into uni, you won't be the only one who feels this way.

- Emma Wilson

Insecurity.

Low self-esteem.

Perceived rejection.

These are the feelings that are seemingly hidden behind the mask of Fresher’s fever.

University can be the best time of your life. It is a chance to make long-lasting friendships, learn from professors who are experts in their subject area, and experience the big wide world outside of the family home.

But there is another side to starting university, one that isn’t glamourised in the news or spoken about during sixth-form. And that is dealing with the emotions, thoughts and feelings that arise when dealing with a new environment. This is most apparent in the first few weeks of university, when social events take place and friendships are being formed.

Amidst the haze and whirlwind of Fresher’s week and your first few months at university, it may get to the point where you start to wonder: am I fitting in? Why are those girls hanging out but haven’t invited me? Why do I feel lonely when last night I felt on top of the world? I didn’t go to clubbing last night, will I now be an outsider? Have I missed out?

Let me tell you this. How you feel is how most people feel when starting university. Seriously. It is only in hindsight and having spoken to university friends that I have learned just how terrified everyone feels during those first few weeks or months. It is amazing what persona people can put on during the quest for acceptance amongst one’s peers.

It is also important to gain some perspective about meeting new people. If you're lucky, you'll get on with your new flatmate as soon as you realise your mutual love for the Great British Bake Off. But more often than not, it can take a while to find a group of people that match your interests.

It is important to remember this: friendships don’t form overnight – not those which will stand the test of time. These strong bonds develop over months or years. Just think about the friends you have from back home. Those who mean the most won’t leave your life. In fact, going to university or moving away is a real test of any friendship. Having graduated from university in 2013, I can see this now. I ended up becoming good friends with people from outside of my course; those I hadn’t even met until the second term, or even the second year of university. People come and go in our lives. It’s important to be surrounded by people who inspire you, who drive you forward – who make you feel good about who you are.

My final piece of advice is this: enjoy the start of your university adventure. It is an experience like no other. But try to remember who you are. It’s good to step outside your comfort zone, but don’t go beyond your limits – respect yourself, and others will respect you. Don’t worry about being called the “boring one” for not taking 10 shots of tequila. And don’t feel like you don’t deserve to join your flatmates on a trip to Nando’s just because you never received that text message – it’s nothing personal, things just get a little hectic. And if these doubts start to creep into your mind, don’t fret. Chances are, most people are feeling the same.

If you are finding the start of university tough, we have more information about tips for settling in, missing home, and ways of looking after yourself on the Student Minds website here and information about finding support here.

Hi everyone, I'm Emma. I graduated from King's College London in 2013 and completed an MSc in 2016. I struggled with different mental and physical health problems whilst at university and am keen to share some of the things that did, and didn't, help in my recovery. I now write, train and consult in the field of mental health and you can find me on Twitter (@MindfulEm).

Living at home during University

in: living at home mental health student university

People always talk about what it’s like to move away for University and live in accommodation, but what about those of us who decide to live at home?

- Briony

People decide to live at home for several reasons such as family, mental health and financial reasons. For me I love my hometown and being around family. I’m close with my siblings and didn’t want to miss my niece and nephew growing up. I also knew I would save money and could keep my job.

But mainly, I experienced a lot of anxiety throughout school, and didn’t want University to be similar. Living at home was personally the right decision for me, as I knew I would be in comfortable surroundings and could take myself away from the Uni environment if I felt stressed. Also, how great is it to be able to cuddle your pet when you feel down?! I wouldn’t have my cat living in student accommodation!

Admittedly, I was nervous. Most of my friends were moving away and I was worried I wouldn’t make any friends to go to Freshers with or hang out with in the future. Just before University, I made sure to join all the Facebook groups and get involved. The most important part for me was finding out that there was a ‘Living at Home’ Society. They held a meet and greet before Freshers and I found an awesome group of friends who were also on my course, and who are still my closest friends now! Previously I had felt like I was the only person staying at home but joining the society made me realise that there are lots of people choosing to do it.

There is a downfall of not living on campus though and it’s that we can’t fall out of bed and land in our lecture. Therefore, it’s a good idea to work out how you will get there and back. My original plan was to drive to Uni, but I later found out that I was in the “Postcode Exclusion Zone” and wouldn’t be allowed to park there. Please check out if there are restrictions, and if there are, work out the buses. For me there is no bus that goes directly to campus, so I found the nearest bus stop and did a practice run before first semester. If you can drive, maybe find out if there’s anyone nearby who you can car share with. I’ve seen people do this which means they make friends whilst saving money!

People have told me in the past that I can’t have “the full Uni experience” living at home, but they couldn’t be more wrong. Why should I feel pressured to move away when I like my life where it is and I like the closest Uni to my home? Your experience is what you make of it. I get to be around friends and family outside of Uni, but also get to be involved in Uni social life. It’s the best of both worlds!

So, to conclude: make the decision that is right for you. Not what your friends think, not what your family think…do what you think. Consider the pros and cons of living at home versus moving away, and don’t feel pressured.

And if you’ve just started University living at home, you are not alone! Find out if there is a ‘Living at Home’ Society, and if not, why not form one? Post on Facebook groups for your University and see if you can form a chat with others. You will make friends throughout the year, in societies and on your course, and you will have the “full Uni experience!"

Hey! I am Briony and I am a second year Psychology undergraduate at University of the West of England (UWE). I wanted to write for Student Minds because I have had a strong interest in mental health since I was 13 and aspire to be a Counselling Psychologist. On the side, I write a beauty, alternative fashion, travel and mental health blog at www.sincerelybrionybea.blogspot.co.uk.

Never Giving Up

in: Anxiety Family and Friends living at home OCD student

Living away from home isn't always easy, especially for those of us who suffer from mental health difficulties. But there are other ways to complete your degree whilst living at home...

- Katie

Hi, I’ll start this off by introducing myself: I’m Katie, a history student at Queen Mary University of London. Oh, and I suffer from GAD (Generalised Anxiety Disorder). As fate would have it, my mental health started deteriorating just before I started my first year at university (I know. Great planning, brain). Let’s just say first year wasn’t exactly a walk in the park for me, but I got help and I got better at dealing with my difficulties.

Of course, mental health issues don’t just disappear: instead, you learn what makes you feel better and what makes you feel worse. By the end of first year, I had realised that what really made me happy was my family. We have always been an extremely close family. Throughout my first year I was coming home every single weekend. Home is where I felt safe.

When first year was finally over and I spent my long summer at home, I found myself dreading the idea of having to start second year and being away from home again. So many of my friends love being at University, having their independence and being able to go out when they want, to eat what they want, and to do what they want – but that’s not me. I even thought about dropping out, but I love my degree. I didn’t want my mental health to dictate my life for me.

So I decided that, for my second year, I would have the best of both worlds (don’t start singing the Hannah Montana theme tune). I would live at home, and complete my history degree, and begin commuting. I live in Norfolk, and it’s a four hour round-trip to and from university, which is one hell of a commute, but I knew that this was the right decision for me. Of course the thought of all that travelling and having to rely on public transport was scary, but as soon as I made that decision, it was like a huge weight had been lifted.

I’m not going to lie: it is a long journey. But I can read, or listen to music or do coursework whilst I travel, and I know that at the end of each day, I’m going back to my home, to my family (and my adorable puppy), and the commute is a small price to pay for all of this.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that mental health issues suck. No one wants them and they have a tendency to flare up at the worst of times, but we can’t let these issues dictate how we live our lives. University is a big deal and so many people experience it differently. Just because I live at home and don’t go out partying every night doesn’t mean I’m not a ‘proper student’. No matter how bad things get, it will always get better and there will always be a way for everyone to do what they want to do. I wanted to complete my degree but I wanted to live at home, and I got used to the commute. For anyone thinking about commuting: just give it a go. You might just find that it is the solution to your university dilemmas, like it was for me. Good luck to anyone who might be reading this, and however you’re feeling right now – anxious, apprehensive, excited – I hope that you keep fighting and never give up.

Hello, I’m Katie, a history student in her second year at Queen Mary University of London. Going to university while living with diagnoses of GAD (Generalised Anxiety Disorder) and OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) can be difficult; I am writing for Student Minds to share my experiences.

4 reasons why I’m talking about Mental Health

in: Borderline Personality Disorder mental health student university

After years of silence, Rosie talks about why she has decided to be open about her mental health.

- Rosie

1. Silence creates shame

For many years, I remained silent about my mental health problems. I felt like I constantly carried a ‘dirty little secret’ and I lived in fear of it being discovered. In a way, I felt like I had something really ‘disgusting’ about me and this secrecy multiplied the shame I felt. Think of hiding mental health problems like covering wounds with bandages- they often need to be in the open air, or they fester. The shame I have felt is not deserved. I have a right to be treated with respect, understanding, and kindness and to live an open life.

2. I want to live openly

Talking about my mental health feels very exposing. It puts me in a vulnerable position because I open myself up to rejection, stereotyping and shaming that are all too real reactions. But acceptance and compassion are real too. I’m glad that after every time I’m silenced or shamed I carried on speaking because when I have found people who listen, it has made me realise that my shame isn’t deserved. It can take time to find people who you feel safe enough to talk to but when I did, it gave me a sense of belonging.

3. It makes others feel less alone

Every time someone shares their story and it resonates with me, I am inspired to continue to share mine. I believe ‘me too’ is one of the most powerful sentences we have because it tells people that they are not alone in what they go through- this can be a huge relief! Since I started sharing my experiences on my blog and Twitter, Talking About BPD, I have had thousands of tweets from people saying they can relate to me and one another. This sense of community, built through shared experiences, enables people to feel more compassion towards themselves because they see themselves reflected in others. It’s often easier to feel compassion towards others than ourselves, but if we can see ourselves in others we might become more able to extend that compassion towards ourselves too.

4. It breaks down stereotypes

When I talk openly about my mental health people are often shocked because they don’t expect me to have mental health problems. I tell them that there is no personality type for a mental illness! Yet, the ‘face of mental illness’ in the media is not accurate and does not reflect the fact that mental health conditions can affect anyone. My main diagnosis is Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and when I share my story, I show that I’m a sister, a friend, a primary school teacher, a masters student, a spoken word writer- and I have BPD. Anyone might have BPD, you cannot tell by looking. People with BPD are some of the friendliest, most caring, fun and creative people you could ever meet!

I would love you to join the conversation with me, Rosie, over at Talking About BPD, on Twitter @TalkingAboutBPD or at http://talkingaboutbpd.blogspot.co.uk/. It would be great if you wanted to share your story with the growing number of voices talking about their experiences.

Hi I'm Rosie from Talking About BPD, a blog sharing my journey from silence to talking about mental health. I'm a primary school teacher and a Medical Humanities student aiming to open up conversations about mental health. I would love you to join the conversation with me on Twitter @TalkingAboutBPD.

Post-University Depression

in: Anxiety Depression Graduation Leaving Uni mental health student

"Almost nothing can prepare you for the change from university to the real world. Post-university depression is a real thing and it is time we start talking about it."

Tazmin

Let’s talk about something that a lot of people will be feeling right now, but what some people may not take seriously – post-university depression.

I remember my first year of university in a seminar where we watched a few scenes from ‘The Graduate’. I then went onto watch the whole film myself and since finishing university, I relate to and understand this film on a whole new level. There is no denying that university can cause an increase in poor mental health however, leaving university is no exception to this. It just spins the web further into ‘What an earth is going on?’ ‘Where am I?’ ‘Who am I?’ and I guess it gets to a point where we just need to laugh it off and power through.

University can be the best years of our young adult life. We are independent, but not. We are getting ‘free-ish’ money, an interest free overdraft, we’re probably drunk all the time and we make new friends every day. We are on an adventure of self-discovery but we are human and a lot of us do not truly realise the greatness of what we have until it’s gone.

Us post student-adults need some kind of halfway house equivalent that’s not our parents’ house, to help us get our heads together on this absolute nonsense known as ‘the real world’. It’s all the same; we all cry about having no money, struggle to find a job of some kind and then probably go travelling.

I’ve got to say to you adult-adults, there’s a lot of pressure on us student-adults to wake up and be adults and I’ve got to tell you, that’s not how the cookie crumbles. We are 22 and most of us haven’t the foggiest of what to do and how to do it. I was surer of myself before I started university than after I came out of it. The pressure that we can feel can make the journey of self-discovery incredibly unbearable. We’re not terrible people, we’re not lazy, we’re just a little bit lost and that needs to be seen as okay.

I’m not going to lie, there are some people who just have their act together. Before they have even finished university they’ve sorted a job, a house and a little money but this doesn’t mean they still don’t feel a little bit dazed and blinded by the real world.

I would say that the post-university blues make you feel as though you have gone back. At university it feels as though you are getting some kind of independence; you’re finding out who you are, what you like, what you don’t and the kind of person you want to become. But then you may go back home and realise this just is not who you are anymore and you may be constantly pressured to just become an adult and have everything together.

But adulthood and maturity comes with experience and a lot of mistakes.

There are 40 year olds who don’t have a clue what they want to do with their lives, and that is ok, so it should be the same for us post-university students.

As someone who had a teary breakdown this morning to their sister, don’t let the pressure of the real world determine what you think you should do. Take a deep breath. Take your time. Because no matter who is advising you what to do, no matter what identity turmoil you may be in, it is your life. Remember that. You’re the one who’s going to have to live it. So do what you think is right.
Don’t rush yourself. The university chapter of your life may have ended. You’re just adjusting to the change.

None of us knew what to expect in the real world, but let me tell you a secret, no one ever does; even the most ‘adulty-adults’ don’t really have a clue. The world is different every day. No matter how old you are, no matter what you’ve seen or done, we’re all just trying to find out who we are and what we want.

Don’t fear the unknown. Try and enjoy it. The world is at your feet.

Hitting “rock-bottom” and how to get back up

in: Depression Education mental health Opening up to friends social anxiety student

Michael shares his story of experiencing mental health issues.

- Michael Rigby

I guess my mental health concern came throughout childhood. I was just another one of those kids who would be treated differently due to being overweight. My first problem came when I was in my last year of secondary school. The stress of my exams was just one factor that caused a lot of stress in my life at the time. My focus was also on losing as much weight as I could and I achieved that. However, I ended up making myself very ill. The real issue that really effected me during this time was that I completely messed up my exams. The exams that were supposed to open doors to the future. My stress and anxiety levels had created me to be very weak and I just couldn't concentrate.

Two years of college, enrolled onto a course that wasn't my first choice. I wasn't satisfied with the position that I had got myself in. However, I felt my choices were limited. I felt that I had failed myself and that I was still being punished. I use to sit there in the classroom thinking about the time I messed up my exams and what caused me to lead to that extreme. I would often interact with others on the same course and I did make friends. However, this wasn't what I worked hard for. I felt my potential was never shown to others. My mind was always in a different place and people wouldn't even recognise that I was suffering, “suffering in silence”. I completed the two-years with ease and achieved top grades. However, that was still not good enough for me.

The Two-Years Of Quitting- The worst two years of my life came within my time at college. My mind would always take over me in any situation. Whether it was learning to drive, socialising with friends or whilst at the gym. I just wasn't interested in anything I loved to do. I quit driving because I couldn't concentrate and I felt it was unsafe to keep learning. My friends would ask me to do something and I would make up an excuse. The gym, this is a place where I always enjoyed going, I quit my membership. These were just three things I quit during that time. I ended up staying in my bedroom staring at the ceiling whilst getting stressed about anything. I still didn't want to talk about it.

It's Time To Talk- My time to talk came in the last few months of college. My parents were worried about me so they had contacted my college tutor for help. I was given an appointment to see the college counsellor, I told her everything. I went from feeling I had a weight on my back too feeling calm for a while. I realised it was good to talk about things. She understood everything and put her time into helping me. In some ways counselling did help me. However, I also found that I was strong enough to get back up from, “hitting rock-bottom”. Sometimes, I would still get confused because I'm very good at helping others rather than myself. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that. My first step to getting back up, was signing up for the gym again. And I've been attending ever since. My advice on the way to get back up is to take a “step by step” regime. Gradually restart your passions that you always loved or start new interests. It's your choice and don't let anybody stop you.

I'm currently a University student in London. Over the past year I took some time out for a gap-year and a break from education. I feel it's the best decision I've ever made. It's vital that everyone, “takes a moment”. Give yourself time to rebuild and create a solid mind for the future. Take my advise, KEEP ON GOING! DON’T GIVE UP!

Hi, I'm Michael Rigby and I study Sports Business and Broadcasting at UCFB Wembley. I have experienced a mental illness such as; depression/social anxiety since the age of 14.

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