I look like sadness, but I am not. I take hunger, thirst, and drive for seeking. I am invisible and untouchable, but I am a killer quite able! I affect thousands of lives, but I am seen as a tale of the wives. What am I? 

The Riddle of Mental Illness
According to the 2015 survey of the National Union of Students, eight out of ten students stated that they experience mental health issues. Despite this, 54% of those students reported that they did not seek any professional or medical support. Respondents explained that they decided not to seek help because they are unsure of where to get help or if they will be helped at all.

Aoife Inman, a student from the University of Manchester, explains that while mental illnesses are extremely common to students, it’s not something that one wants to talk about so openly. “University was pitched to me as ‘the best years of your life’ and there is definitely an anxiety among young people to live up to that expectation. For those of us who struggle with mental illness at university you can feel constant disappointment for not fitting the student stereotype,” he says.

Nicola Gee of Leicester University agrees with this statement. “I had put myself under a lot of pressure to achieve, and they would get annoyed with myself for feeling low and stressed. I had this constant feeling of being a failure, like nothing I did was ever good enough,” she says. Nicola had been struggling to open up about her illness because of the fear of being mocked and judged. “I thought if I went to the doctors and said I was stressed, they’d laugh at me. And if I asked my personal tutor for help, I’d be told: just deal with it, like everyone else.”

Seeking Help
Fortunately, Nicola decided to tap into a local organization for help. Now, her friends and tutor are currently working on to decrease Nicola’s stressors and help her improve her mental health. This just shows that intervention from competent groups or individuals can help students improve their mental health and cope with their struggles.

If you are currently experiencing mental illnesses and unsure of where to go, there are plenty of places where you can seek help. You can visit the school counselor, your student government, or a student organization for starters. These groups can help you by listening to your woes, referring you to an accredited psychiatrist, or relaying your condition to your family. If you feel like consulting an organization outside of your school, you can try seeking help at online student helplines like Nightline or IMAlive.

It’s difficult to deal with thoughts of self-harm and suicide alone, so it’s best to surround yourself with a support group who are ready to listen and care for you on your road to recovery. Support groups can be your family, friends, or anyone whom you trust.

References: 

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/dec/14/majority-of-students-experience-mental-health-issues-says-nus-survey
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/aug/29/the-rise-in-student-mental-health-problems-i-thought-my-tutor-would-say-deal-with-it
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/apr/04/students-mental-health-where-to-get-help

Contributed by: Allison Julianne Macasaet
She is a freelance writer on the side, a student of international relations on the other. Interests include fantasy books, international relations, and lifestyle.