The Edinburgh Edition: Where to go and who to talk to

Hello!

As some of you will be aware, it is currently Edinburgh University's Mental Health and Wellbeing week so I have decided to do a couple of posts in light of that!

Asking for help when you have a mental illness is incredibly tough, we start asking ourselves whether our case is serious enough for anyone to take seriously, whether we want to talk about it at all, and who would we even talk to anyway? From the bottom of my heart, I encourage anyone to ask for help, however big or small the problem might seem. I have also found that Edinburgh has loads to offer in terms of support for mental health and my anxiety has definitely felt less lonely since I've taken the plunge. I guess the fact that I've had the confidence to start this blog at all is an indicator of just how far I've come with a bit of support under my belt!

So, where to start? I would recommend starting with your Personal Tutor.

Contrary to popular belief (and the Edimeme comparison to receiving advice from a cabbage!), your personal tutor is there for a reason. To help you. *gasp* Believe it or not, behind the alarming list of qualifications and academic brilliance, there is a human being. Your tutors have feelings, stresses, lives, and families just like you. They don't just live at university obsessing over mind numbingly dull scholarly articles! I admit, when I first went to my personal tutor, I was sat there miserably questioning how this man could possibly ever understand what I was feeling. But he did. He had the power to email all of my tutors to let them know that I was in a bad place. He was also able to email Disability Services to help me with exam arrangements. He put a confidential note on my university profile saying that I was eligible for Special Circumstances in my mid-term assignments if my grades weren't quite at my usual high standard this time, and reassured me that I would be able to obtain an extension in my assignments if everything was proving too much. I honestly don't know where I'd be without Hugo; he's like my second mum! So, if you're stuck with where to start, start with your personal tutor. I promise they will be able to help you get through your studies.

Where next? If your mental health is really affecting your day to day life, go to your GP.

I struggled with this one as I'd never formally been diagnosed but I needn't have worried! In fact, I laugh about it now. I went about a month ago now as I'd completely crashed. I was having panic attacks, vomiting, struggling to eat, crying all the time, and feeling dizzy... and I genuinely thought the GP was going to turn around and say "Nah, you've never been diagnosed, off you pop!". Needless to say, they took my condition seriously and put me on some medication to help with the physical symptoms and set me up with regular check ups. I don't want to talk about this too much just now as I'm planning to talk about it in more depth sometime soon. The doctors can seem scary, and it is! It really is! But, you can do it. It's not weak, I promise.

Disability Services...

Yes, the photo is of me running a cake sale BUT the main focus is the library! (Honestly, you try to take a photo outside the library without feeling like a total spoon!). Disability Services is on the third floor of central library. Now, lots of people have had varying experiences with this service. Personally, mine was good but if you've had a total nightmare with these guys, fear not, I'll give some other options soon! Disability services can get you special consideration and extra time in your exams. It also offers counselling services. My reason for using disability services is because I am a rather dizzy child and have a condition which causes me to faint sometimes so I have to have special requirements in my exams, and all my tutors have to be informed *yawn*. Whatever you've heard about it, do give it a try. I'm sure they'll have something which can work for you.

Next, and an amazing option, is the University Chaplaincy.

Where do I start with the chaplaincy? I walked in one day in floods of tears on a day when I'd thrown up my breakfast and had about 3 panic attacks and it was only 11 am. I sobbed to the receptionist that I had no idea why I was there and I didn't even know if they could help. Immediately, she invited me into her office, put the blind down on her reception window, made me a cup of tea and set about calming me down. It was then that I realised that the chaplaincy was going to be right for me. They offer a one on one chaplain meeting service which is basically an informal form of counselling where you can sit and chat about life over a mug of tea with one of the trained university chaplains. I was given a meeting within 48 hours of seeing the receptionist and they promise that it is genuinely that fast every single time. And did I mention that it's free?

They also offer a relaxed work space where you can make tea or coffee for a 20p donation and do your work in a much more chilled out space than the library, somewhere I can find to be quite stressful. They have a "Contemplation Room" where you can go to just be by yourself for 10 minutes if it's all getting too much (a great place to practice one of your 5 prayers if I have any Muslim readers), or even take a 15 minute nap!

On top of this, they also offer lunch time group relaxation sessions including yoga, tai chi, and mindfulness. My favourite is the Thursday lunchtime Mindfulness Meditation session that runs from 1:10 to 2:00. It's a time that I can take just for myself to destress. I'd highly recommend it. I cannot praise the chaplaincy service highly enough and I really hope they get a few new faces through their doors after this post!

An alternative work/chill out space is the National Museum of Scotland.

Perhaps an odd choice but I have found that the National Museum has a great vibe to it if you need a place to work, chill, meet with friends, think... The cakes in the balcony cafe are very tasty for a start! Also, I don't know a better place in Edinburgh to people watch. You get the whole of life's rich tapestry coming through those doors from tiny children amazed by dinosaurs to the awkward first dates to elderly couples seeking a bit of culture; I find it fascinating just watching. It's also massive so it'll take a while to get bored. I also think the huge amount of light coming into the entrance hall is a big factor contributing to my opinion that the museum is truly one of my favourite places. Give it a go!

How about a walk through some green space?

Ah, the Meadows. I find that it's one of the best places to go if I need to clear my head. We're so lucky to have such a big green space in the middle of a city so why don't we use it enough? I think the pictures speak for themselves so why not take yourself for a little stroll. NOTE: Please don't go wandering through the meadows after 9pm, it's just not safe and there are too many horror stories to mention. Stay safe, and get out early.

Edinburgh is honestly my favourite city in the world and although my anxiety is really tough a lot of the time, I find it comforting to know that I have so many options to help me through! If you need some more options, here are some phone numbers.

Counselling Service: 0131 6504170

Health Centre: 0131 6502777

The Advice Place: 0131 6509225

Chaplaincy: 0131 6502595

Nightline: 0131 5574444

The Samaritans: 0845 7909090

Please do share this around, I wish I'd had this when I was feeling low so come on, help each other out!

Have a great day,

Lots of Love,

Sarah xxx

Todays track: Had to be 'Come on Eileen' by Dexys Midnight Runners as anyone who goes to this university will know that it's pretty much our soundtrack by now!