Editorial; This conversation is important

[dropcap]I[/dropcap] ’ve met each of the individual writers of these stories. All of them are good people, affected by disproportionate problems in comparison to their beauty. I can’t understand how they’ve coped, how they’ve had the bravery to write about things so personal.

But their bravery is what caused me to publish them, and to make sure that their voices are heard. These are real people, affected by real problems. That’s been difficult to accept – as much as you hear about these issues, it’s often from an outside perspective.

This happens. All of this happens. People get depressed, people get raped, people are ignored by the services they most need. I don’t believe that just because people become uncomfortable, we shouldn’t discuss the issues raised.

All of them are good people, affected by disproportionate problems in comparison to their beauty

Previously I did; previously, I thought that ‘I was raped’ seemed like clickbait, and I wanted to include trigger warnings on every page without fail. But as much as I want to protect people from thought, only awareness can protect people from action.

I may seem insensitive saying this. But the reality is in many ways I don’t care. I’m publishing these articles because it’s a conversation that it is imperative we have. I wouldn’t be able to discuss my own issues, without that conversation – and believe me, I have many.

Only awareness can protect people from action

I’ve been affected by at least two of the issues in this paper; I have been severely depressed, and I’ve also taken temporary withdrawal. On top of that, I have a myriad of other conditions and terrible life experiences. I’m anxious, stressed and an insomniac – I’m essentially a walking nerve cluster.

But without articles and testimonies like these, I wouldn’t be able to talk about this. Hell, I wouldn’t even have been able to accept that I have mental health issues and residual complexes from past life experiences. The reason that I can talk about me is down to the fact that others felt brave enough to talk about themselves.

Without articles and testimonies like these, I wouldn’t be able to talk about this

My experiences with student support have frankly been much better than those highlighted in this paper. They’ve always been helpful to me, and my department have been so supportive that they’ve essentially become a walking stick. I’ve been able to get the help I needed.

But then, others haven’t. At some point in your childhood, you ask yourself the question – if good happens, should we report the bad? The only news pieces we see are sad, dark, and often horrible. Occasionally we get a fluff piece about a lovely little guinea pig called Dave that goes sky diving, but that’s a single light in a sea of darkness.

If good happens, should we report the bad?

Ultimately, we publish the dark because it’s more important. The news pieces we couldn’t abide as children define our lives as adults. In the same way, just because I have had a good experience, it doesn’t mean that bad doesn’t exist. We’re not children anymore – we have to accept that bad things happen.

But I do feel one piece of guilt. As much as these articles discuss the failures of the system of care at Warwick, there is still a care system. However flawed it may be, however bad it can be, it is there. If you have any of these issues, I urge you, I beg you, seek help.

We publish the dark because it’s more important

You may not be able to find the help you need – but then again, you may, and that’s what’s more important. I don’t want these articles to stop people from moving on with their lives in the best way possible. Because that’s the opposite of the reason these articles are published. They’re here to start the conversation and to encourage others to move forward and live, to make things better. Perhaps Warwick will enhance their mental health services in the wake of these articles. Perhaps not.

Either way, ultimately and irrationally, I’m an optimist. To my friends, family, and even to myself, I pretend to be a cynical prick, but in reality I am filled with hope. I want to thank the writers of these articles, and my fellow editors, for supporting these issues and helping the world move forward, even just a little.

They’re here to start the conversation and to encourage others to move forward and live

We’re a small newspaper on a small campus. But we’ll shout as much as humanly possible to get these conversations moving, and to get these issues heard. And the sentimental side of me hopes that perhaps the world will become a little better because of it.

Message from Welfare Officer, Luke Pilot:

Student Support at University of Warwick is an incredibly important service for our students. The team of Mental Health Coordinators (which has recently gained two more), the Wellbeing Advisor and the temporary Occupational Therapist are always in high demand, given the size of our student population. They are always looking for more ways to do things differently, to broaden the range of support services on offer and they work damn hard. The University Counselling Service, while it does have a long waiting time, has the shortest waiting time of all university-based counselling services. While counselling is not the ideal support for everyone, it does help a significant number of students every year.

This range of services is coming under increasing pressure due to the rise in mental wellbeing issues but also a better understanding of mental health. I urge all students, if you are concerned about your wellbeing or that of a friend, please get in touch with one of these services. You can also contact the Student Union Advice Centre or for something a little less formal, try speaking to Nightline or try some peer support at the Chaplaincy’s weekly ‘Cafe Fribble’ event.

Student support services often have the quality of their services questioned, but we should also be questioning the University’s strategy for mental health. We should be calling on the University to increase their investment in these departments and to invest in different services to ensure all students’ needs are supported.