Hi! My name is Tanya, , I am a 1st year Nursing Associate student, and I am standing to be one of your mental health awareness reps
About me
I am an experienced and proactive mental health support worker with 7 years of experience in working with young people and adults in a residential setting and working with children in secured environments. Experience in guiding young adults from various different backgrounds and helping them to overcome their personal obstacles to achieve their goals and unlocking their potential. i am also a compassionate and supportive trained mental health support worker with an ability to relate to clients and their families to facilitate a collaborative environment that fosters opportunities for independence and social acceptance.
My campaign!
I believe We all have a mental health."
This is why it is so important to raise awareness that mental health is not a taboo or something we should not feel comfortable to talk about openly , having an African background this is what I grew up being taught that we don’t talk about such. . We are all human and all of us experience emotions. Sometimes these emotions may be unpleasant, or we are not sure how to best manage them. Other times, we may be suffering silently with a mental illness which could be undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. It is these challenges which indicate that raising awareness for mental health and open discussion is important for all of us. Together, we can work to overcome stigmatisation of mental health illnesses and also address our misconceptions of what good coping strategies look like. Importantly, there is always some to talk too if you are experiencing difficulty.
My aims!!
As a first year student I have interacted with some of my classmates and this is what they said they were and are worried about ;
- Balancing workload with other commitments
- Assignment deadlines
- Too much coursework
- Not being able to get a job after graduation
- Not having enough money
- Childcare
If I am to be elected I hope to:
- Have Support workshops/discussion sessions – I hope to help you understand how to spot signs that a friend may be struggling (with depression, anxiety, eating disorders, PTSD, etc.), help you understand what they may be going through, and educate you on how to best provide them with the support they need and give my advice based on my experience as a mental health Support worker .
- Run online support groups be it via teams or social media for if/when you feel ready, to be able to share experiences, stories, journeys, ask questions about your mental health issues – I hope this can remove the stigma of shame, and grow a sense of solidarity, because there should be no shame in struggling.
- Encourage expression of emotions – by having campaigns (and anonymity will always be a choice) that display expressions of your emotions, in any form of expression you’re most comfortable with (painting, writing, music, photography, anything). Bottling up emotions can be harmful, so I hope to encourage expressing them. I hope this will also give others an insight into the struggles you’re facing.
- I hope to work with the student union to both encourage acknowledging and discussing mental health issues, as well as understanding what someone may be going through when struggling with a mental health issue. All our activities will be fun and creative and at the same time promote empathy and dialogue.
- Support for specific groups – different groups (LGBT, women, BAME, postgraduates, etc.) may experience different types of mental health struggles with specific worries. I hope to work with all, to make sure that everyone feels supported and looked after.