Life can be uniquely challenging at times, and anyone around you may be struggling with silent difficulties of their own. How we deal with hard times in our lives is individual to each of us.
We can all agree that the global pandemic has exacerbated a lot of feelings and brought tremendous challenges. We turn on the news and most of it is anxiety-inducing headlines. Incredibly, we have gone through all of this whilst working on a fast-paced master's degree. I think we are either very brave or a bit nuts…I'll go with the first!
Everyone will struggle at some point in their lives: anxiety, sadness, stress or depression. The list is long. No matter what you are feeling or when - you need to feel supported. Please never shy away from seeking support and getting help. What can feel like a very lonely path is, in fact, something that many have experienced. And just as you would seek aid for a nasty throat infection or painful back pain, mental health must be approached with the same level of importance.
We have a set of contacts and links for these times, and encourage you to seek help if you ever need a friendly ear or support.
Leicester Student Union suggests:
If you are in need of urgent NHS Mental Health Support you can call the 24-hour Central Access Point on 0116 295 3060. This is an NHS service rather like 111 but for mental health issues.
Call: 0808 800 3302
24/7 support for people experiencing a mental health or emotional crisis requiring immediate help.
Call: 116 123
24/7 support by phone, face-to-face, email and letter. Drop in at 1a Elmfield Avenue, Leicester LE2 1RB or email: jo@samaritans.org.
Written by Maria Løcke Mortensen