October 10th is World mental Health Day and a while ago I wrote this very ranty blog about mental health. As World Mental Health Day is fast approaching I thought it might be appropriate to put it up now. Remember we still need to do campaigning on these issues so this world mental health day please do get out there and campaign for change (and no that does not just mean sticking a couple of posters up!!!)

Also I think that this Monday October 10th we should actually think about how we can have an impact on our own and also other people's mental health. This World Mental Health day theme is the connection between physical health and mental health day and the Mental Health Foundation is running an awesome campaign, go to www.mentalhealth.org.uk Also NUS has launched its Mental Health Campaigna d we need you to take part by going to This is what a mad person looks like section. Also last Monday Veronica and I got excited when the NEC passed a motion about joining the Mental Health Alliance http://www.mentalhealthalliance.org.uk/ and to hold a lobby about the mental health bill.

Many people think that I might talk about mental health a lot. Actually in fact I try not to but still people ask me about it. It seems that in the twenty first century still not many young people are able to feel that they can disclose about their mental health issues so as someone who has I get asked about it, again, again and again. By students, Officers and the media. I actually have 4 disabilities(anyone who can get all 4 wins a free t-shirt) but it is my mental ill health that still has the greatest impact on my life at the present time.

You see I was at the doctors last week and suddenly it reminded why I do this job, not that I really needed reminding. Ok maybe it was that it reinforced why I do this job, rather then reminded me. You see the reason that I got involved in NUS was for a very personal one. I suppose that is true for a lot of us who get involved in the student movement. I did not want what happened to me when I was at university to happen to anyone else. I didn’t want people to face the same oppression and discrimination that I have done and I wanted people like me, students with mental health issues, students with disabilities to be able to participate in life, to have the same rights as anyone else. But you see last week demonstrated how far we have still got to come in this country when it comes to mental health (hell I think that I might move to Australia where mental health is so high on the agenda it is great, in fact mental health is an election issue- how awesome would that be- if disability and mental health actually become a election issue!!!).

You see I have moved to London and I needed to be put back into the mental health services- and oh my god it has been hard. After having mental ill health for the last 6 years or so I think that I am actually in a position to know what works for me and what I need. I know that I need my medication and that I need to be in the services, that this is what supports me and what ensures that my mental health does not get so ill that I am unable to function- as has happened in the past. So you would think that as I have a proactive approach to my mental health and that I am trying to be forward thinking I would be supported, but oh no. Evidently I might not be critical enough at this moment in time. That I have to have a label. And oh my god this makes me so cross.

First of all was the fact that the doctor wanted me to label me. He kept on asking me what was actually wrong? I had mental ill health- yes but actually what was wrong? What was the label, the medical condition? I just looked at the doctor and was thinking where do you want me to start? Is the fact that I know I have mental ill health not enough? I have lived with this for the last few years- I know that I have bad mental ill health at times but why oh why should it be labelled? Surely that is the medicinal model of thinking (ok he was a GP) but also surely in the 21st century we should be moving away from this way of thinking and towards a more holistic proactive approach?

But then the doctor wanted to look at my arms to check out if there were any scars and so the questions started. Well my dear you can’t see any visible scars at the moment- yes doctor that is because I have been in therapy for the last year and therefore that has helped and supported me with my self harming. Actually I haven’t felt like doing it for a while until- well until I walked into this room. There was a huge part of me that wondered should I go home slash my arms and then go back to the doctors and say see is that critical enough for you? Are these scars obvious enough for you to warrant me to have support? Why would it only be at that point should I get support? Surely it should be about how to support me in not getting to that point? But evidently not. That is what is still so wrong in this country and demonstrates the fact that we have so far to go in this country when it comes to mental health and disability. We are not holistic enough. We are not pro active enough and this must change it if we want to ensure that students with disabilities get equal rights. But the only people that can change is you, yes you. We all have the ability to change attitudes. My visit to the doctor just reinforced why we still need to be campaigning, still need to be out their lobbying and still need to be out there challenging stigmas and fighting labels. Fighting people telling us what is the best for us- trying to make our decisions. That is why the NUS SWD Campaign is proud to working with the welfare campaign on our mental health campaign which was launched at the NUS Mental Health Day. We are proud to be running the ‘This is what a MAD person looks like Campaign’ because we need to change stereotypes, change attitudes like the doctor’s and make society make more proactive and holistic when it comes to mental health. We also need to be out there campaigning about the mental health bill because it terrifies me that this new legalisation would ensure that people like me or like so many of students out there could get their civil liberties taken away and be detained against their rights- because it would ‘protect society’. Do I really seem like a person you need protecting from?

And finally did I get put back into the services? Ye s indeed I did, well I will have an appointment in 6-9 months time to see if I can get put into the services- and yes you have read right- my appointment will be in 6-9 months time and no don’t even get me started on that one- I think I shall save that for a future blog.

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