If you find yourself struggling to cope then there are a range of support services at the UoC. Of course reaching out to family and friends is usually a good idea as well. Even though you might not want to worry them, just think how you would want to help them if they faced a similar situation.
This blog has lots of information and tips on looking after yourself and improving your wellbeing, just take a look at the tags for the various topics. And we have also produced a list of self-help resources. If you’ve got to a point where you think you need professional advice and support then here is some information about Health and Wellbeing.
Information about the Mental Health and Wellbeing Team
About the Mental Health Team:
We had 600+ students make contact with us in the 2019-20; wanting help for a whole range of difficulties. These included low mood and depression, anxiety, panic and stress, relationship difficulties (with family, friends, colleagues, housemates, partners, etc.), current or historical abuse (sexual, physical, emotional), bereavement, homesickness, self-harm, drinking too much alcohol, eating problems, sleep problems, and a range of other emotional difficulties.
The team has practitioners from a range of professional backgrounds, with a wide range of therapeutic training, interests and experience. This includes Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Person Centred Counselling, Integrative Counselling, Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), Mindfulness Based Counselling, Solution Focused Therapy, Advocacy and Motivational Interviewing. 94% of students who have used our service would recommend it to a friend
Lake Windermere near the Ambleside Campus
How to access the service
You can access our service if you are registered with a programme of study at the University of Cumbria by completing this self-referral form, which should only take you about 10 minutes. (If you are studying on a programme at a partner organisation of the University of Cumbria, you will need to access the support services at that organisation). Filling in the form with as much information about you and your present situation as you can, will give the team a good starting point to help you work through your difficulties. The details you put on the form will only be available to the Mental Health and Wellbeing Team (unless you ask us to share it with others, for example your GP, or it is required by law – please speak to us if you have any concerns about this).
We will then get in touch to arrange a therapeutic consultation with one of our practitioners. Your appointment will come via the email address that you provide in the online form, so do check this regularly. To ensure the message gets to you rather than getting filtered as spam, please remember to check your spam/junk mail folder as well.
Please respond to the message by accepting the appointment date and time (or requesting to reschedule, if you can’t make the one offered). Please note that we will usually close a file if the student does not respond or not show up for their appointment, and in that case you will need to re-refer yourself.
At our first (therapeutic consultation) meeting we will try to make you feel as comfortable as possible, so that you can let us know the situation you’re struggling with. We will advise you on the limitations of the service, including the limitations of confidentiality. It will be an opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have of the services we provide. We will then suggest things that you could do to help, provide information about resources and other services that might be appropriate, and decide what else might be needed from our service.
It might be that a single session is all that is needed for you to begin to resolve your situation. Or one of our wellbeing courses might be the most appropriate thing to do. Or referred to other services within the University, or referred to specialist services external to the University. Or it might be that further 1 to 1 work is needed.
Complementing our service, there is also a free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, online support service provided by Togetherall
Back in March as part of University Mental Health day we asked students to tell us their Mental Health and Wellbeing tips.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their thoughts. We had lots of really good ideas and wanted to share your wisdom with other students, in your words (in a few places we’ve added a comment or a link). Here is what you told us:
Student tips on wellbeing included getting out for some exercise and fresh air
Take time for yourself, even when you “don’t have time”
Set aside some time in your day to do something for yourself that makes you happy… take the time to recharge your batteries and clear you mind for the next day
Make time for things you love
Look after yourself and give yourself time
Watch you fave Netflix show
Make sure you always speak out if needed
Take a nice relaxing bath, (or shower if no bath available)
Selfcare Sundays
You are the number one priority! Put yourself first and worry about others later, self-care before anyone else
Listen to music and relax (here’s a breathing exercise to do just that, from my colleague Pat Redfern)
The company of friends, it’s good to talk
The most important thing is to talk to a family member or trusted friend about what’s worrying you. Let them hug you and give you a shoulder to cry on
Spend time with people you love! (You’d be surprised how much evidence there is that kindness is good for us!)
Talking to people always helps
Keep very social with your friends so you’re never lonely
I walk my dog, and talk to family and friends about my worries
Talk about it, have a cup of tea and a nice chat (with biscuits)
Do things that make you happy and spend time with people that are supportive
Make sure you always have a date with a friend booked in the diary!
Having a good balance between finding time for yourself, and socialising with peers and friends
Be around people who care and they will help bounce you out of any bad feelings/moods
Just talk about it, people will listen and it’s a weight of your chest
Do not keep toxic people in your life, even if they are on your course
Mind your thinking, and learn to meditate
Take every day as it comes. If you’ve got things on your mind, switch off at night, write them down and put them aside, come back to them when the time is right. Don’t overthink every little thing, it will seem worse and spiral out of control
Practice mindfulness as a normal thing (Excellent idea! As well as lots of other benefits, mindfulness has been shown to help develop skills in stepping back from rumination (negative-overthinking) here’s a practice to get you started)
Think of a positive thing you’ve done today, even something small counts
Download the ‘headspace’ app. Take advantage of the sleep music and exercises
Accept yourself, there is only one of you
Small steps and a good balance
Start writing, rather than facing assignments as whole, less stressful, less full on
Get organised, and reward yourself with each step (this fits very nicely with suggestions in our procrastination blog)
Make sure you plan time well, so that you make time to step back and take time for yourself
Social life and studying should be evenly split
Take deep breath, get a cup of tea and make a plan, and start again
Get out in in the fresh air
Get some activities that are not to do with the university, like walking through the park or going to a place that calms you
Go for a walk whatever the weather!
Go for a nice walk
Walking with headphones
If you can take a break and get outside, even just 5 or 10 minutes away from a screen, getting some fresh air can clear a foggy mind
Spend time outdoors in nature
Go to the hills
Sleep well
Make sure you get enough sleep. Have a good regular amount of sleep
Give yourself time to relax and do a self-care routine, e.g. bath, read a book, pamper yourself
Have 20 minutes off your phone before bed every evening to help sleep. Try reading, drawing, knitting, sewing, talking to friend or yoga instead (yes definitely better than too much screen time)
Below is the first of our guest bloggers. It’s been written by a recent graduate of the University of Cumbria. It is an honest account of dealing with a range of mental and physical wellbeing issues. Due to the honesty of suicidal thoughts and psychosis, it might be a difficult read for some people. It might be a blog to bookmark and come back to at a later date when you feel more robust.
“Studying at university is a challenge, but doing this whilst battling mental health issues can really take its toll. I’ve struggled with my mental health since I was young but during uni I really did struggle at times. At university I experienced anxieties, insomnia, depression, suicidal thoughts and psychosis. Now this wasn’t anything new for me, but at uni I definitely had moments which weren’t good. But onto those later on.
So first year… I really enjoyed it to put it simply. I had moved around a lot prior to going to uni so I was used to meeting different people which I guess made settling in easier for me. Something I was personally worried about was staying in the same place every night which I had not done for some time prior to university. During the first few weeks I was really fortunate to make friends on my course and on others. With the University of Cumbria being such a small uni I got to know people in all years very quickly. I studied Sports Science in my first year. Some modules I enjoyed, others not so much. Revision was usually met with going over a PowerPoint and then watching an episode of The Simpsons or watching Leicester win the Premier League. Not the best revision techniques anyway. I managed to pass my modules but decided to switch onto the Sports Coaching and Development course as my skill set suited that course more. At the end of first year I landed a job with Camp America at a camp in Illinois near Chicago as a Tennis Coach and Camp Counsellor. It was a great experience but when I got back my insomnia was awful. A combination of jet lag and a sudden bout of just feeling low rolled into one. In lectures I could not concentrate at all. My mind was always somewhere else. I had to resit my psychology exam in January of my second year which I scraped through at the skin of my teeth (0.2%). This anticipation phase building up to the resit I really did struggle with, especially with uni on the line for it. The rest of second year and going into third year was a good phase for me throughout university. Grades were improving and I was just in a much better place. I think the relief of passing that resit was almost overwhelming. Over the summer at the end of second year I started writing my dissertation so I was super organised and ahead of everyone for the beginning of my final year. I wanted to keep the momentum going as towards the end of second year were the best grades I had got to date.
My final year
of uni began and I was nervous but certainly motivated to do as well as I
could. November came and this was when things were to take a turn for the
worse. I noticed I was starting to have a sore stomach. Now I just thought this
was stress/tiredness as my sleeping was pretty poor even by my standards.
Fast forward to January/February and this was when the vomiting with blood started. In the build up to this I had been drinking quite a lot on just not making sensible decisions. I remember one night saying to one of my mates ‘I’m sorry but I’d rather be getting high than either watching myself or my family die’. Anything to distance what I was feeling would be great at this point. I’d be getting inebriated to numb it all, all those nights I started thinking of suicide. Being physically and mentally unwell really exhausted me. Once vomiting with blood began, this was when I remember genuinely thinking ‘Something is wrong here’.
I went the
Doctors the next day and they weren’t too sure what it was. So I had a lot of
blood tests but again, no definitive diagnosis. After about 6 weeks of being
sick most days, I eventually ended up in A&E on multiple occasions. Obviously
with being sick this much my housemates knew about it, and my closest friends
as well. Everyone else I was just hiding away so people didn’t see what state I
was in. On an A&E visit, I had been in a lecture that morning and left
halfway through as the pain I was in was just horrid. Within an hour I was
being sick again and having a panic attack. I shouted my housemate and said I
needed to go to hospital. He rang my mate for me and he came along with my
other housemate. All 3 of them were amazing during this period! After having
some bloods taken they again didn’t know what was up with me and deemed me not
unwell enough to stay in hospital so I was discharged. They gave me some
codeine pills to help with the pain. Little did I know at this point these pills
were about to change my life for the next 4 months or so. I went into the
doctors for an emergency appointment after hospital and then the Doctor thought
he knew what was wrong with me. He said about something called ‘Gilberts
Syndrome’. I had no idea what this was and when I heard the word Syndrome I
panicked immediately. He reassured me very quickly though. This is an illness
basically when your Bilirubin levels in your blood are very high which affects
your liver. I had this since I was born as well, it’s just something that
became more visible during this period. Now I had been abusing alcohol and cigarettes,
so I told the doctor this and he wanted me to have an ultrasound on my liver. I
had this a few weeks after and the results were that half of it was absolutely
knackered, unsurprisingly really.
I started taking the codeine as they just really helped the physical and mental pain I was in during this time. Before I knew it they helped with sleep, removed nightmares or at least made them not as vivid. I had been used to having loads of nightmares which burnt within me like a forest fire. I started taking multiple pills a day just for the sake of it. Before I knew it I was getting high again off them and not really feeling with it with almost anything. I’d never had a good relationship with sleep but these pills improved that. However my aunt passed away in April, I went back to Stoke for the funeral and came off the pills so I would be all there mentally for the time I was seeing family again as they had no idea what was really going on apart from mentioning I had been having a sore stomach to a couple of them. I really struggled with this visit, to a point when I was in my brother’s bedroom and actually counted out how much codeine I had and whether it was worth ending it all. Now I have had suicidal thoughts since I was 16 but only thought about planning it once before which was when I was 17. But this time felt different. Really raw and heavy. I felt like depression was in control and I was just along for the ride trying to hang on whilst getting absolutely battered. I don’t know what made me not take them, maybe graduation in a few months? I don’t really remember to be honest. Anyway, I survived these days and went back to uni feeling quite scared. I could tell people on my course who saw me knew I was in a bad way, they looked and treated me differently. But I just played it off as they didn’t even know why I went back to Stoke. I was having suicidal thoughts every hour of every day for months which is exhausting on its own, on top of being physically unwell this made things unbearable. For my dissertation poster presentation I actually took them again so I was high during this as I was in ridiculous pain during the morning. I had got a reputation for falling asleep during conversations with people due to these pills, they were a nightmare but amazing at the same time. The pills almost became like my dark twisted fantasy. Giving them up was difficult though because they really did rid me of the blues, they opiated the hazy head I had. I’d find myself thinking ‘I’d love for you to stay. But that’s simply insane’ in reference to the codeine.
At this time
was when I envied almost all things. Anytime I saw an animal, I envied it.
Seeing a bird singing at that time almost brought me to tears, because it
seemed happy and I felt like pure darkness. Anything from a horse, to a dog, I
felt jealous. In the end I started therapy and have since been put on
anti-depressants (Sertraline) and I am now in a much better place.
When I look
back on uni despite all this, it was the best decision of my life. The people I
met and were there for me. The lecturers were so supportive with me.
Educationally and personally as well. I looked at them as mentors. The memories
made I will treasure and look back on really fondly. I still keep in contact
with the closest friends I made at university. The degree helped me get a job
where I work now as a Graduate Intern for a company called ‘Hello Future’. I
was not academic and despite being ill I achieved a 2:1. I went up two grade
boundaries in 12 months which now I can’t believe still. But when I wasn’t
being sick I was studying. That summer between 2nd and 3rd
year was crucial to me getting a degree and I would encourage any student in
this period to get ahead of their final year. It makes such a difference!
So I wanted to
write a paragraph on coping strategies, interventions and everything in regards
to this theme. What worked for me? What helped me get through things on a day
to day basis? Setting a structure and sticking to it was really important.
Making sure I get out of bed, shower, and brush my teeth and stay hydrated/eat
properly. Sleep was always very alien to me so this was a time of day I
struggled with. Listening to calm music always helped just calm me down. From
this, when I was physically able to, running and walking helped so much. Every
day I would run several miles, easily too. Now I had a perception that pills
and alcohol improved things but they really didn’t. It bottled it up, didn’t
deal with how I was really feeling and resulted in things being worse. I have
had counselling twice. Once which didn’t last long enough and another which
took place over about 8-10 weeks. The issue with this occasion was that at this
stage I was out of my bout of depression, so it didn’t really work as
affectively as it possible could have. Both times I have had therapy I really
got on with the therapist. They are trained individuals and you can have really
positive conversations with these people. Everything is kept private which I
really utilised. Having someone to talk to really helped me, whether it was
talking about mental health or just talking in general.
Final message –
The key advice I would have to anyone struggling is to talk. Now I know this is
cliché but it really does work. Take a few deep breaths, and enjoy life. Remove
yourself from situations that have a negative impact on you. Take it a day at a
time and don’t worry about what’s ahead. You have to live life in the now
otherwise you won’t live at all. Obviously you need to plan some things, but
don’t get caught up in it.
Remember to
talk, whether its mental health related or just spending time with friends or
family. It is good to have some alone time no doubt, but when you’re struggling,
being by yourself can cause risks. I still struggle every day, but I have
started to build my tool box of coping strategies. There’s a long way to go,
but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and you can too if you look
hard enough.
Remember to laugh, lots of laughter is great, the type of laughing when your stomach hurts, happy tears rolling down your eyes. Laughter is a sign of happiness, and happiness is amazing. It’s so amazing it doesn’t even have to be yours. Seeing people you love and care for being happy and laughing can genuinely make you feel better. Surround yourself around those who make you feel happiness and it’ll help you make it through a day at a time. Love yourself like someone you love.”
Remember if you are struggling with your mental health whilst studying at the University of Cumbria, you can always refer yourself to the Mental Health and Wellbeing Team. Click on this link to find out more. Or for alternative places of support, look at our main menu for “Urgent Support“.
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