Mental Health & Mental Illness

If you or someone you know is currently at risk of suicide, harming themselves or someone else please seek immediate help:

Mental Health

• Involves a ballance within all aspects of one's life including social, physical, economic, mental and spiritual.
• Everyone has mental health. Your level of positive and negative mental health can change day by day depending on how you feel.
• Just because you are experiencing poor mental health does not necessarily mean you have a mental illness. Likewise, just because you have positive mental health it does not mean you do not have a mental illness. 
• If you have negative mental health for an extended period of time and it is impairing your functioning, you should seek professional help.

Stress & Anxiety

Stress 

• Everyone will experience stress at least once in their lifetime. Stress is your body's response to numerous physical, environmental, emotional and chemical stimuli.
• Stress can be beneficial when it is short term. Acute stress occurs often as a "fight or flight" response and motivates us to respond to our surroundings. 
• Long-term stress can be more problematic as it can decrease the effectiveness of your immune system and cause many different health issues. 
• Short-term and/or long-term stress alone is not enough to diagnose a mental illness.
• Speak with a professional if your stress levels are impacting your daily functioning for an extended period of time.

Anxiety

• Many people experience times of anxiousness or worry. Anxiety can be caused by a specific fear or may have no clear cause at all. 
• Anxiety usually occurs as a result of short-term or long-term stress (e.g., students often experience anxiety around exam periods and project deadlines). 
• Just because someone is experiencing moments of anxiety, it does not necessarily mean they have an anxiety disorder.
• You should seek professional help if your anxiety is impairing your daily functioning for an extended period of time.

Common Anxiety vs. Anxiety Disorder

• Common anxiety is experienced by almost everyone short-term and is typically occurs with cause. Often short-term anxiety does not cause a threat to our daily functioning. 
• Anxiety disorders include long-term, consistent anxiety that typically occurs for no major reason. This anxiety typically causes individuals to become distressed, and interferes with their activities of daily living (e.g., personal relationships, work, school, sleep schedule, appetite). An individual must meet very specific criteria to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.

Time Management 

Students have busy schedules which may add to student stressors. It is important to develop strong time management skills. Here are some of our tips:

• Make a achievable and prioritized list
  • You may become defeated when you do not cross off all of your tasks. Instead of writing down everything you need to do, try prioritizing your work and making smaller lists each day. 
  • Celebrate your small and big victories. It's okay if getting out of bed is your biggest victory some days
• Complete your hardest work when you feel the most rested
  • Discover what time of the day you work most effectively and work on your more difficult projects during this time
• Know your limits
  • It is important to complete your daily tasks but it is also important to prioritize your own self-care
  • Take breaks for yourself, develop a sleep schedule, eat healthy foods and exercise to maximize your energy and overall wellbeing  
• Maximize your time wisely
  • Try studying and working on assignments in chunks between class times, work, and waiting for a bus to maximize your studying time
  • Visit the academic skills website for time management tips

See also How to Cope

Mental Illness 

• Mental illness is a broad term used to describe several disorders such as major depressive disorder (depression), generalized anxiety disorder, borderline personality disorder, and bipolar disorder. It is important to note that although everyone has mental health, not everyone has a mental illness. 
• Mental illness may cause difficulties in an individual's daily functioning (including work, school, personal relationships, self-esteem, and more). Symptoms vary depending on the individual and their illness.
• It is not known exactly why mental illnesses occur; however, it is believed they occur due to numerous physical, social and environmental factors. Mental illness is very common and widespread. In fact, one in five Canadians has a mental illness.
• To learn more about the different types of mental illnesses visit More Feet on the Ground or visit Canadian Mental Health Assiacation's (CMHA) website. 

Stigma 

Stigma encompasses negative attitudes and discrimination towards a person or group of people experiencing a mental illness. This can cause individuals to be hesitant to seek help for their illness, have poor self-esteem, feel embarrassed, shamed or segregated by others. Stigma can contribute to student stressors. Working together can help shatter the stigma surrounding mental health and mental illness in order to make our campus more inclusive. Help reduce stigma by:

• Educating yourself and others
• Taking a stand against injustice
• Supporting those in need
• Using proper language 

How to Cope

• Keep a mood journal
• Talk to someone you trust or a professional
• Engage in physical activity
• Take a warm bath
• Breathe deeply
• Plan breaks and time for you
• Practice mindfulness
• Do the things you enjoy 
• Apply sleep hygiene 

Seek professional help if: 

• You have been experiencing these symptoms for an extended period of time
• These symptoms have been disrupting your daily activities and things that you enjoy
• You are having thoughts or plans of suicide, harming yourself or someone else

Mental Health Resources

Services for Trent Students:

• Trent Counselling Services
  • (705) 748-1386
  • Blackburn Hall Suite 113
• I.M. Well 
  • 1-877-234-5327 (available 24/7)
  • Download in app store
• Trent Student Health Services
  • (705) 748-1481
  • Blackburn Hall Suite 111
• Therapy Assistance Online (TAO)

Community Services:

Crisis: 

• National Suicide Crisis Helpline
  • Call or Text 988
• Emergency Services
  • 911
  • Ask for police, fire and ambulance for a mental health crisis 
• Good2Talk
  • ​1-866-925-5454
• Peterborough Regional Health Centre 
  • 24/7 Emergency Department
  • 1 Hospital Dr. Peterborough, ON
• Trent Campus Security 
  • (705) 748-1333