By Jade, BA(Hons) Creative and Professional Writing student.
Our student, Jade, has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety. She reflects on her experience of using UWE Bristol’s Wellbeing Service and shares what her university experience means to her. Read more about Jade’s story.
Jade’s story
My name’s Jade and I’m a third year Creative and Professional Writing student. Saying you need help is scary. For me, as long as I didn’t talk about it, it wasn’t real – I could just pretend I was fine. But I wasn’t fine at all.
I was anxious. I was trying to cope with lots of different things all going wrong at once. I was worried about the future. And I was exhausted by the negative voice in my head. I was struggling. It sounds silly to say it now, but I felt that admitting it meant I wasn’t cut out for my degree at UWE Bristol.
Pushing ourselves to complete a degree is a hard thing to do. Finding things difficult doesn’t mean it’s not for us. Though I was enjoying my Creative and Professional Writing degree, I often felt out of my depth.
It’s totally normal to feel overwhelmed learning about new things. It doesn’t mean you can’t do it. And it actually takes a good deal of courage to be able to talk about what’s going on for you. To say, ‘Hang on a minute… I’m not feeling great, can I maybe get a bit of help over here?’
“Struggling doesn’t mean you can’t do it. It just means it isn’t easy right now.”
My experience of UWE Bristol’s Wellbeing Service
I can honestly say I wish I’d spoken to the people at Wellbeing sooner. I’m in my final year now, but it was only last summer I gave them a call. I found out they’re not just there for first years. They’re there for you throughout your degree – for emotional and mental health support. Whatever is going on for you, there’ll be somebody who can support you through it.
I attended counselling sessions over Teams, but I could have chosen a phone call or in-person meeting instead. They were there for me, without judgement, when I was at my lowest. I shared my worries about finishing my degree, what was going on for me in my relationships and home life, and the low moods and overwhelming emotions I was experiencing.
It felt incredibly validating to have somebody acknowledge my feelings. We worked together to come up with strategies for how I could get myself out of unhelpful thought patterns and create healthy ways to cope.
“The validation I got from my counselling sessions helped me process what I was going through. It gave me positivity and confidence when I was feeling really rubbish and alone.”
What my experience means to me
I was fresh out of a break-up, scared about retaking my third year over, and I was processing some tough family stuff. My mental health was all over the place. But I felt less alone knowing I wasn’t by myself to sort through everything. I could get it all off my chest in a safe space, then feel lighter and able to focus on what was going right for me.
With ADHD, my thoughts can be tricky to work through in my head. Letting it out can feel like I’m a bit too much for people. I worry my family and friends will think, ‘oh what is it this time?’ And because I want to avoid bothering anyone, I bottle it up. They met me where I was at. I didn’t feel like I was too much.
It was okay I was overwhelmed and not able to calm myself down in that moment. Talking it through was like unbottling it all, and not having to cork that bottle for anybody afterwards. It was okay to be me. My condition means I get overwhelmed and find it hard to cope sometimes. Having that experience made me think about how my ADHD affects me and understand there are some things I can’t change.
“Talking to somebody impartial who understood me meant I didn’t feel guilty for sharing my worries.”
What I’ve learned through counselling
I’ve learned that being happy and productive every day isn’t real life—it’s certainly not university life. I’m going to mess things up sometimes. There will be days when I forget something important, I get stuck with my writing, or I burn three lots of toast in a row because I’m distracted. But there will be days when what I do is good enough.
I’ve found out degrees aren’t just about getting good grades or becoming independent. A big part of it is finding out who you are and learning to accept that person. For me, that means accepting and managing my ADHD, being kind to myself, and getting help when my mental health isn’t so great. It all feels easier knowing things going wrong can be part of the university experience.
“It’s reassuring knowing the Wellbeing service offers a range of mental health support for UWE Bristol students.”
My advice to other students
I’d recommend UWE Bristol’s Wellbeing Service if you feel overwhelmed at university. You can book counselling sessions to help with things like adjusting to student life, self-esteem, or coping with difficult things from your past.
There are also many other support options available. Wellbeing offers a 24/7 crisis support line and text line for immediate help, online self-help resources, and student-led wellbeing workshops you can attend on campus.
These resources offer guidance on things like balancing work and free time, homesickness, and building skills like mindfulness techniques or self-care. The Wellbeing Service can also help direct you to different services externally that may be useful to students.
Find out more about health and wellbeing at UWE Bristol.