This week, our campus celebrity is none other than our very own Health and Fitness Editor, Rebecca Steele. Rebecca has spearheaded the HCX Mental & Physical Health Awareness Campaign and we wanted to get her views on how it is all going…
Year: 3rd
Course: BA International Relations
Tell us about HCXs Mental & Physical Health Awareness Campaign
HCX’s Mental and Physical Health Awareness Campaign is all about bringing attention to illnesses that may be invisible when looking at a person. It is very easy to recognise that someone may be in pain if they have broken their arm, and it is very noticeable if they have broken it. However, not all illnesses are this way. The Campaign is all about breaking the stigma around the notion that if you don’t have obvious physical symptoms of an illness then you aren’t suffering in some way. By publishing articles written by Exeter’s own students about their personal experiences of ‘invisible’ mental or physical problems as well as ways in which our girls have helped raised awareness in their community, we hope that students will stop and think a bit more about such ‘invisible’ illnesses and how it can affect a person’s experience at university. It is important to remember that not everyone’s university experience is the same.
What inspired you to run the campaign?
I was inspired to run the campaign after talking to some of my friends about mental health problems. Having received various reactions ranging from reports of inappropriate comments, admissions of own personal experiences with problems and worries about telling others, I realised that it was important to try and erase the stigma surrounding mental health. Having suffered from anxiety amongst other things, I have first hand experience of what it is like to feel in a constant daily battle with yourself. Although I received incredible support from both my family, boyfriend and friends at home and at university, I have noticed how drastically it can impact upon your studies and friendships. Fears of people finding out, not understanding and judging were a massive concern for me as well as for several other people I know. I hoped that by creating this campaign both those close to me and others in Exeter can learn a bit more about ‘invisible’ illnesses, what it is like to live with one, how to help that person and most importantly, try to understand how it is not a choice.
What advice would you give to students who are suffering in silence?
I would say that opening up to someone is the best thing you can do. Whether you start with a housemate, family member, a doctor or a therapist, seeking help and comfort can really make a difference. Whilst it may not solve the problem, it does really help. I know opening up and actually speaking about it can be difficult but you have to have faith that the person you open up to you can trust. Bottling things up does not help and talking to someone about how you feel can help get rid of any sense of loneliness.
Do you think there has been a positive response to the articles released/have you had any feedback from readers?
Yes definitely! Having released my own article first, as I thought it was important to lead the way in the campaign and encourage others to speak out as I had done, I was amazed by the response I got. Viewed over 200 times within less than 24 hours, I received really positive reactions to my article. It actually led to numerous people contacting me wishing to participate in the campaign and many messaging me letting me know how helpful they found it. Whilst it is only for a month or so, I really hope the campaign will have a long lasting effect upon people and make them think a little bit more. With the articles being read all over the country as well as abroad, this campaign has reached hundreds of people worldwide and is hopefully the start of something very positive and erasing the stigma around ‘invisible’ illnesses.
Thanks Rebecca, it has been great to catch up and you have inspired so many writers to bravely share their own stories which is just amazing. Hopefully you have started a tradition with this campaign and definitely is not something that will be forgotten!