"I’m so excited and humbled to be attending Story Sessions! After being diagnosed with mixed anxiety and depressive disorder in November 2015, I have been open about my struggles and actively campaigning against stigma. I’m looking forward to sharing this amazing opportunity with other students like me, and help one another to positively and safely share our stories. From different views of mental health that I’ve seen as a campaigner, it is so important for everyone to talk about mental health. Some students are scared to seek help, and this needs to change. I hope to gain a new way of reaching a wider audience so judgements can eventually cease. No one should be afraid to talk about mental health."
Katie Ellen Sinfield - University of Leicester, 2nd Year Geology
“As I already write a personal mental health blog, I knew that attending Story Sessions would be an excellent opportunity to develop my skills in talking about mental health. I am particularly looking forward to meeting other students with similar experiences to me and getting to know a bit more about their own story. Talking openly about student mental health is one way to encourage others to seek help when they are struggling, something which not everybody finds easy to do. Yet, mental health problems amongst students are much more common than many people realise and often there is not enough support available. Hopefully by sharing our stories, we can help to change that.”
Lisa Woodley - York St John University, 1st Year Psychology
“I’m coming to Story Sessions so I can learn more about talking about my experiences with depression. Nobody deserves to suffer with mental illness, so if I can use my experiences to help even one person get through it then I’m going to seize that opportunity with both hands! I’m looking forward to meeting everybody and learning as much as I can! Mental Health is a huge factor influencing the university experience of a vast number of students through their own difficulties or those of friends, but it’s rarely acknowledged as such. The more we discuss it openly, the more people will have access to the help and support they need!”
Gareth Raynes - Aberystwyth University, PhD in Biological Sciences
“Hi, I’m Holly! I am coming to Story Sessions because I want to challenge myself by sharing my own personal experience of having a mental illness, so I can encourage my peers to do the same. I am looking forward to meeting new people from the session and having the opportunity to be around people who share the same passion as I do, which is to get students to talk openly about mental health. It is so important to get students to talk about their mental health for it will increase the awareness of mental health within universities and promote positive mental health in order to reduce stigma.”
Holly Moyse - University of Derby, 2nd Year Creative Expressive Therapies
For more information about Student Minds' work in the press, head to our Press Hub.
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