As Movember ends, our work in developing the support for male students' mental health begins.
We wanted to use Movember as a launch pad for our commitment in raising awareness of mental health issues amongst our male students and to develop the support we offer. This is not the end; this is just the beginning. Our objectives are to increase awareness, reduce stigma around mental health issues, encourage early intervention, enhance student experience, and improve academic performance.
Andy's Man Club on campus
To kick this off, we are absolutely delighted to confirm Andy’s Man Club will be live and open to our male students from Monday 9 December. Andy’s Man Club is a men’s suicide prevention charity, offering free-to-attend peer-to-peer support groups across the United Kingdom and online. They want to end the stigma surrounding men’s mental health and help men through the power of conversation.
The location will be in Dennis Sciama between 7.00pm to 9.00pm every Monday (closed during bank holidays).
If you missed the talk at the beginning of November, Andy’s Man Club will be delivering another presentation online on Friday 6 December.
Finally, we have some powerful videos from some of our male students who talk about their own personal struggles with mental health issues and how they are working through it. If you or a friend are struggling with your mental health, please speak to someone; whether it is a friend, a family member, your tutor or a support service. You are not alone!
Male Mental Health Stories | Kieran
Self-hatred was probably a big issue.
I would get skip meals.
I would procrastinate a lot more, I would just wake up and not really want to do much and then to judge myself later in the day.
It wasn't a case of skipping lectures but once I got back in, I wouldn't do a lot of reading, wouldn't do any work, just sort of sat.
My friends watched me go really, really downhill and all that.
And one of my mates saved my life when I had attempted to end my life.
I didn't actually reach out for support at the uni.
It was my brother.
He emailed and the uni put me in touch with Res Life and the Student Health Team and the Bereavement Centre,
and I was quite dismissive of the support that the uni was providing.
I was also quite dismissive.
I was quite angry at my brother for emailing.
I was a bit sulky, 'just a waste of f-ing time' and all that.
Some people, you know, respond to different supports in different ways.
For example, I don't really think therapy does that much to help me.
I know it helps one of my friends who is in contact with them and is doing him the world of good.
If you go for two sessions, you're not really going to do much.
But if you go for regular meetings, it's going to do a lot more.
I don't think within the external world, there's really a lack of awareness.
It's with men themselves needing to get help.
Like, it's your own personal issues and though it may not feel like it, you've got friends, family, the uni care.
There are people there who can help you and will help you.
And just don't leave it too late like I nearly did.
Male Mental Health Stories | Thiery
I was really depressed.
I had a lot of anxiety as well.
COVID had just happened.
It was mostly with me, just not going to class.
Just not attending classes.
The isolationist mentality ended up putting me in a situation where I was really, really depressed.
I'm actually a really sociable person, so not being able to engage, I think really affected me.
You know, when exam season comes up and you've not been attending classes, you do get shell shock.
So I deferred my course because I think at the time I was just really, really afraid to sit exams knowing I would have failed.
I realised I had to change, I had to just pivot.
And I couldn't keep on doing this because who's to say I would not have just deferred the law course again the next year.
I got in touch with some people in support services here at the university.
They signposted me to some amazing, amazing services and actually led me to take up a job as a student ambassador of the uni.
I think the combination, the fact that it gave me a community really helped.
I'm from Cameroon in West Africa, so culturally, especially amongst males, it's much harder for us to seek advice or seek help.
There is a stigma because it's not really seen as a thing.
For me, the steps I have taken till now have mostly been internalising and realising that this is an issue that I need to resolve.
You know, it could it could seem overwhelming.
It seemed to me that there were too many steps to take to get out of the hole.
I would advise you generally just to take the first step today.
That could be reaching out to someone, looking up online just resources.
My biggest advice would just be start something today.
It doesn't have to be too big, but you know, every little step counts.
Male Mental Health Stories | Ben G & Ben H
I feel it's not bad days, it's a bad three months.
Everything will just get overwhelming, almost, and it's how to reset yourself.
Just got into a new relationship.
I was flying high.
I'd just started second year.
I was loving squash, and then I got hit with the news.
My dad's got cancer while I was at university and sadly passed away in the April.
And I just tried to distance myself from it, tried to keep myself as busy as possible, not taking time to rest and actually realise that something's not right.
I was often described as quite a happy go lucky.
Always, Always exuberant.
After my dad passed, I noticed myself getting angry, shouting in the kitchen with my friends and throwing glasses across the room.
I'm going, 'hang on, where's this come from?' One of my closest mates, he's been with the student support services.
And at first I was reluctant to reach out.
And he said to me, 'look, please, just for my sake, do this, because that helped me so much.'
And I remember we sat down, had a notebook and I just spurted my whole life story.
And that was more helpful than I think I appreciate in just, what, an hour.
Just saying everything or as much you can in an hour.
A phrase that you probably hear all the time, but the first step is just always the hardest.
Starting the journey, exactly.
It's about starting.
Whether it's your parents, whether it's your mate, and just saying, 'hey, how are you doing?' 'Well, I'm not doing particularly great.
Do you mind if we can have a chat?' You hear it all the time.
'You alright?', 'You Alright?' It's so easy to say that back, but actually to just say, 'actually, nah, woke up feeling a bit rubbish today.'
But if someone asks you as well, 'how are you doing?' You're allowed to say that you're not okay but that you don't want to talk about it as well.
It's up to you who you share your story with.
When I'm on my own going through this journey, he feels so isolated and little bit lonely.
And that really didn't help me.
Just knowing that they know what you're going through.
Yeah, it just helped me get through my days and make the journeys that I needed to.