Monthly Archives: November 2016

Mental Health: Watch Out!

It’s that time of the semester where every paper assignment and exam seems to be due at the same time and every student is stressing out over finishing and preparing everything. Furthermore, the weather is getting really gloomy, the sun never seems to come out, and it keeps on raining. A combination of bad weather, stress over that upcoming paper, and finding out you have a midterm right around the corner is beginning to bring down a lot of people’s morale and moods that it is starting to affect their mental health.  

Mental health is an important aspect of our lives; it can have an enormous effect on our actions and emotions. In this case where students are beginning to feel down in the dumps due to papers, exams, and the weather, mental health is at a low point where people are starting to find it difficult to get through their day without feeling unmotivated and sad. I can see the results of this dilemma when I go to my lectures and find that half of my class is absent or when I talk to a classmate and they seem exhausted and sluggish. In the worst case scenario, when one’s mental health reaches an all-time low, dangerous consequences such as depression may occur. depressionEmma’s story about her conflict with depression and how it influenced her anxiety about people’s perception truly outlines how frightening depression can be and how the effects can impact one’s life deeply.

 

The dire effects of a poor mental health are the reason why I want to emphasize that we need to stay optimistic during these tough times and to look for help when we feel like we’re therapybacked up against a wall. I am thankful that UBC campus has so many services that looks out for its students and staffs by providing them with aid such as the UBC Counselling Services or the AMS Speakeasy that allows them to vent their problems and seek professional help, because I am no exception to the heavy stress during this period.

I’d like to end off with a quote I mentioned previously from Dr. Moberely Luger that I believe can be very encouraging during these tough times:

Things may seem difficult, but it’s going to be okay.”