Green Ribbon

See Change, the National Stigma Reduction Partnership has launched the annual Green Ribbon Campaign, to promote open discussion of mental health during May 2015.

Throughout May, hundreds of local and national events will take place as part of the Green Ribbon national calendar. This social movement to encourage a national conversation about mental health is led by 90 partner organisations, hundreds of volunteers and an unprecedented 60 campaign ambassadors (two of whom are on campus, Chloe and Fiona) with real-life experience of mental health problems ready to share their own stories to help others and end stigma.

Are you ok?

Teresa Corbett, student

One night last month I was walking along the river in Galway, coming home from dinner with a friend. I was completely hypnotised by the gushing water and something about it got me thinking about what it would be like to fall in, how cold it must be, and how quickly you’d be swept into the sea and washed away. Morbid, I know, and maybe it was the wine I had with dinner, but there’s something about the Corrib that transfixes me like that.

I rounded the corner at Jury’s Inn and as I walk along the bridge, a young girl came towards me. At first she just looked tipsy but as I walked towards her I noticed that she also looked quite distressed. We made eye-contact, I kept walking. She walked past. Two complete strangers just walking over the bridge. But something in me was jarred by the look she gave me and I stopped and looked back. She had stopped. She looked at me again and in my embarrassment at having being caught looking, I turned and walked again. But then I wondered, why had she stopped?

Exam Support

It’s that time of year again! Whether you’re struggling to cope with study, anxious about exams or simply in need of a little relaxation, there’s a lot on offer on campus over the next few weeks.

Health Promotion are running an exam destress programme with therapies such as massage, reflexology and mindfulness (to name but a few!) on offer. Full details available here - http://www.nuigalway.ie/student_services/health_promotion/documents/exam_destress_april_15flier.pdf. These sessions are open to both staff and students.

A story that will be understood

Chloe Lappin, student leader 

Since my early teens, I knew that something was wrong. I knew that upon waking up each morning life was becoming an increasing burden.  I would try to counter the pain, by turning numb. If I switched to auto pilot, I could at least appear to be a ‘normal’ teenager. However, at 15 years of age my world had suddenly become colourless. Something had changed; it was as if I had lost something precious that I could never get back. I played the role of a typical, awkward teenage girl, and managed to convince myself that I was suffering from the usual teenage angst. I clung to this theory in the hope that I would one day grow out of it.

Pleasantly surprised

Agnes, staff member

I have some of the previous posts and found them so interesting. Mark you certainly have a way with words and I do hope others reading this blog sit up and take note there is a place for people to vent their worries, anxieties and perplexities here at NUIG. Why not share it on this blog or get in touch and find someone to listen to your worries.

It's ok to talk

Anon., staff member

Welcome to my first ever blog, I hope you can take something from my story. It is a very difficult story, but one with plenty of hope and a good enough ending. I am the mother of a young man with a quite a serious mental illness. It all happened when he was only 16yrs of age. Let me introduce him, he is tall, dark and very handsome. He has the most beautiful human nature and a beautiful mind. He is the eldest child in our family and highly intelligent. My son starting acting out and misbehaving at 16years of age and I assumed it was normal teenage behaviour. However as the months progressed he began to change into a very different person. He became addicted to cannabis and unfortunately suffered serious consequences ending in a lengthy stay in a psychiatric hospital. This story is about survival and how one can recover from a horrific and traumatic life event through talking.

A gentle push

Fionnuala, staff member

I have been through a crazy time. I have counted at least 20 people at work that I have broken down in front of, without a moment's notice, suddenly and inexplicably crying, not being able to pull myself together, as my whole world disintegrated around me. At least half of these people I hardly knew, except for a brief nod or hello at work. And they had simply asked me how I was. However, they had asked, and they had spoken, out loud. It was the tone of voice that broke through to me, I think, and made me speak, out loud, too. Even if I made no sense to them, or to myself, as I could not explain very well what was happening to me, I did make sounds and let out some emotion. I also admitted that something was wrong.