Blog: Finding support for your mental health at uni
Hi, I’m Caitlin, a Student Content Shaper and second-year History student who is excited to be back and immersed in uni life again. I love university and the freedom and tools it gives me to be my authentic self. However, uni isn’t always smooth sailing and I, like many, have needed some extra help to feel more like myself again.
Luckily there is a lot of help available for uni students, as it’s recognised that many students struggle for many different reasons. While it’s great the help is out there, it can quickly become overwhelming knowing what will be right for you. This blog aims to give some guidance on what’s available to meet your needs, because there’s never any shame in asking for help. Asking for help is an amazing first step – the power of talking!
Help within the university
The university itself is an amazing place to start for some extra help. Each academic School has their own Wellbeing Officers that can point you in the direction of further help and assist with extensions if they are needed. Your Wellbeing Officers are your first port of call. Alongside Wellbeing Officers, the university works with the wider Wellbeing Support network to offer five-week counselling sessions to talk through anything. No issue is too big or too small.
I personally have been through the counselling programme twice before and having a trained specialist to talk to and get therapeutic advice from has been one of the most useful things I’ve experienced.
Registering for help can be daunting but places like ‘Pause@UoB’ and the mental health focused ‘Grounded’ café in Selly Oak give a relaxed environment for students to have some time to reflect and informally talk... whilst snacking on some cake!
The Time to Talk? page on the intranet has a full list of services but here are some of the key ones with direct links:
External help
So, UoB is a great place to receive mental health help, with many options according to what support is best for you. However, external help is sometimes needed, for example, a consultation from your GP (doctor), medication, or longer-term therapy. This is another reason why it’s important to register with a GP near your term-time address so they are there when you need them. It can be a scary process, but the university can assist you.
Your GP or the university may also direct or refer you to external mental health organisations based in Birmingham. Birmingham Healthy Minds is a good example of these organisations and some of the longer-term therapy that is available.
What's right for me?
As you can see there's plenty of help available. It’s important to remember that getting help is something to be proud of and not ashamed of. Mental health is a difficult and uncomfortable thing to deal with and doing something to ease this is a sign of progress. No one should face it alone and no one has to.
Our ‘Time to Talk?’ intranet page has a detailed list of the free mental health and wellbeing support available to all students at UoB including if you need urgent support. Whatever you're going through, big or small, reach out and talk to someone today.