​Here we have information about mental health issues that can be particularly problematic for students. Remember, if you think that you or someone you know might be having mental health problems, it's important to talk to someone about it, whether it's a friend, family member, personal tutor or your GP. Information on places where you can get help and advice can be found here. There are also things you can do to help look after your mental health, we have listed some examples on our 'Caring for it' page.



 

​Depression:

The word 'depression' is often used to describe everyday feelings of low mood, which can affect everyone from time to time. Feeling sad or miserable is a normal reaction to experiences that are upsetting, stressful or difficult, and those feelings will usually pass.

But if you are affected by depression, you are not just sad or upset. Depression is an illness that many people suffer from, and can result in feelings of extreme sadness that can interfere with daily life, and have a huge impact on a person's university experience.

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People experience depression differently, but these are the most common symptoms:
• Tiredness and loss of energy
• Feelings of sadness and emptiness
• Loss of self-confidence and self-esteem
• Difficulty concentrating
• Not being able to enjoy things that are usually pleasurable or interesting
• Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
• Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness
• Problems sleeping
• Avoiding other people, sometimes even your close friends
• Finding it hard to function at work/university
• Problems eating
• Physical aches and pains
• Thinking about suicide and death
• Self-harm

If you experience any of these symptoms it may help to talk to someone about it, particularly if it is affecting your ability to study and preventing you from enjoying your time at university. If you are concerned about the stigma attached to mental health problems, it can be difficult to ask for help, but it is important to remember that you are not alone and it is not a sign of weakness. The prevalence of mental health problems is more common than you may think, particularly in the student population.

There are lots of people who can offer you help and support whether it be through the NHS or private and voluntary organisations. Although it can be difficult to trust someone enough to talk to them, it is important to get help early on. The University Counselling services can offer support to students, or if you decide to speak to your GP, they will be able to refer and advise you about local services available that can help you. The most important thing is to get help if you are having problems and to not suffer in silence. We have listed several organisations that can help on our 'Where to get help' page.



Anxiety:



Anxiety is something that everyone experiences from time to time, and as a student, with all the pressure of assignment deadlines, doing presentations, finances, exams, and so on, it can be quite a common experience for students.

A small amount of anxiety can sometimes be useful because it can help you be more alert and enhance your performance, and then it dissipates and you return to your everyday life. However, if your anxiety levels stay high for a long time, or if they become extreme in certain situations, then you may have an anxiety problem or phobia, which can make things that a lot of people don’t seem to think twice about, a real challenge. Anxiety, when it becomes a problem, can interfere with your social life, your ability to complete work, and many other areas of your life. Sometimes when feelings of anxiety become overwhelming, you can have a panic attack, which is an intense experience of the body’s usual response to fear or stress. It is at the point when anxiety begins to prevent you from functioning in your day to day life and causes you distress, that it becomes important to get some support so that it doesn’t become debilitating.

The common physical symptoms of anxiety are:
• Increased heart rate
• Increased muscle tension
• Feeling shaky and dizzy
• Tingling in the hands and feet
• Hyperventilation and difficulty breathing
• Feeling sick or needing the toilet
• Tension headaches
• Hot flushes
• Increased perspiration
• Dry mouth

Some of the common psychological symptoms (the thoughts or altered perceptions) of anxiety are:
• Feeling like you need to escape
• Feeling on edge
• Difficulties concentrating and being easily distracted
• Irritability
• A sense of dread
• Thinking that you may lose control or go mad
• Thinking that you might die or have a heart attack
• Feeling detached from your environment and the people in it

Experiencing these symptoms can be frightening, which can often make the situation even more difficult. However, there are lots of ways to deal with anxiety, and there’s lots of support available if you feel that anxiety is a problem for you. Talking to your personal tutor, or going to the University Counselling Service can be good ways to get support in tackling your anxiety. However, if you feel you need more support, then seeing your GP or contacting an organisation from our ‘Where to get help’ page may be also be useful.