Listen Up - Talking & Listening to others about Mental Health
This time of year at university can be a stressful one – assignments, dissertation deadlines and exams, plus the demands of balancing your academic work with jobs, money, health and relationships.
All of us, at one time or another can hit a crisis and so we could all do with support when things get tough. That’s why Daniel Crombleholme, your Vice President Community, is launching the Listen Up campaign, which encourages you to look out for your friends during this busy time.
Daniel explains: “Whilst at University I was a carer and the stress of this, handing in my dissertation and all of the other things associated with a third year of University meant that it really affected my mental health. I spent months not talking about my experiences because I was too scared, and somehow it felt like talking about it made it more real, instead of just inside my head.
“However, once I did start to talk to someone about my experiences, there was a huge wave of relief, and I’ve been talking about it ever since. Now I still struggle daily but not half as much, and simple steps like practising mindfulness meditation and doing things that relax me in times of stress, makes everything much easier. When things were bad I would have never been able to do a Master’s degree and be a student officer, and yet here I am!
“I think it’s really important we encourage people to talk, but it’s more important that if someone chooses to talk about their experiences, that we listen.”
LiverpoolSU is also working with CALM – the Campaign Against Living Miserably – an award-winning charity dedicated to preventing male suicide, the single biggest killer of men under the age of 45 in the UK. In 2015, 75% of all UK suicides were male.
CALM believe that there is a cultural barrier preventing men from seeking help as they are expected to be in control at all times, and failure to be seen as such equates to weakness and a loss of masculinity. They believe that if men felt able to ask for and find help when they need it then hundreds of male suicides could be prevented. CALM offer support to men in the UK, of any age, who are down or in crisis via their helpline, webchat and website.
Daniel says: “People who are having a difficult time often feel that they have no one they can safely talk to about their problems. So if you think somebody is struggling to cope, then the best thing you can do is ask and listen.”
Contacts:
CALM: 0800 58 58 58 / www.thecalmzone.net
LJMU Student Advice & Wellbeing: 0151 231 3110 / counselling@ljmu.ac.uk
