One-on-One with your Mental Health
By: Ryerson Smash
Tags: Support, Health, Mental Health, Awareness, Wellbeing

“Getting personal with my mental health”, well that’s a scary sentence for me. For others, it can be a refreshing reminder to take that step for personal growth and development.

Personally, I didn’t realise the mental health issues I was facing until I gave myself the chance to learn more about it. That’s why it’s crucial to take a break and focus on what is in your mind. We all have the ability to break down the disorganization in our minds and understand what’s going on.

The week from October 4th to 10th was Mental Health Awareness Week. Initiatives like this build our knowledge about mental health and help us identify any issues we may be facing. For me, Bell Let’s Talk Day during my first year of university is when I first researched about mental health. After this research, I came to realize that I needed to confront the preconceived stigma I had before I would be able to progress in my mental health journey. I took that time as a chance to educate myself, prioritize self-care, and acknowledge my well-being.

Working with SMASH for the past year has been a valuable experience for me as it’s given me a way to explore my mental health and help create the conversation around it within my community. I wanted to reach out to my fellow SMASH members to hear their personal perspectives of their journey being one-on-one with mental health.

Annemarie Cutruzzola, my fellow SMASH blog associate, shared a quote that inspires her every day — “Do something your future self will be grateful for”. Taking actions now may help prevent further crisis situations, and it will promote a healthier mental state in the future.

“Mental health and mental illness don’t look like one thing. It is multifaceted and complex, and we should be aware that it affects certain groups disproportionately. I think most importantly, mental health awareness means letting people know it’s ok to not be ok. There’s no need to be ashamed or to suffer in silence- the help you need is out there.” — Annemarie

I believe the first step in tackling mental health is removing any stigma you might have had about it. The stigma I had was that anxiety, stress, depression, etc. makes you weak. I was not ready to face those issues or understand what was going on in my mind. It was easy for me to resort to that stigma and label it negatively to make it disappear. However, eventually bottled-up emotions will explode — which is what I came to realize.

“I start by not being afraid to talk about mental health. If anyone were to ask me anything at all, I would answer them directly and honestly. I know that people avoid talking about it because they don’t want to be perceived as “attention-seeking” or “needy” but the reality is that everyone has experienced difficulties at one point or another.” — SMASH member

So please, talk it out! Don’t be afraid! These are two things I tell myself every time I feel myself bottling up again.

As university students, we have to get one-on-one with our university support and resources. I think we can all agree that we would like the university to be transparent and vocal regarding mental health, and what actions they are taking to support the student community.

“When it comes to mental health and the accessibility of resources, I think the best thing that universities can do is listen to their students. Mental health is a very personal issue, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Students who are advocating for their needs should be listened to and consulted by the university when creating mental health programs and resources. Universities should also make it clear that health, both mental and physical should absolutely take priority over academics.” — Annemarie Another SMASH member was able to access one of Ryerson’s resources and shared their experience. “I was able to access counseling at the Centre for Student Development and Counselling where I worked with a great therapist. I also did group therapy which was extremely beneficial because it taught me crisis de-escalation skills. I really think Ryerson should put more money towards hiring more counselors for the students so that there is more opportunity for students to do long-term therapy if they really need it.”

While there are resources on campus, there is an obvious room for growth and improvement. But it doesn’t hurt to try out what’s available to us and take that first step.

WHAT NOT TO DO: keep your mental health second. It’s times like these when both our physical and mental health is the most important to take care of and prioritize. What are the best steps to address the mental health issues you are facing? It is not a one-size-fits-all, everyone must find their own fit.

The number of resources and information flooding social media can be overwhelming. Take one step at a time and do your personal research. Some prefer trial and error, and some prefer chatting with friends and gaining personal perspectives. Remember to stay connected with yourself.

By: Tanvi Srivatsa