Oxford Brookes University is proud to be part of the annual celebration of Mental Health Awareness Week, providing an opportunity to promote, celebrate and raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing.
Mental Health Awareness Week
The theme this year is anxiety, a normal and necessary emotion that keeps us safe but can become a mental health problem if it gets out of control.
Anxiety can be brought on by a number of things - big life events, exams, job interviews, finances. Anxiety becomes a problem when it is ongoing, intense or out of proportion to the situation and affects the life you live. The effects of anxiety differ from person to person but can have debilitating effects on your body and mind, such as difficulty concentrating, ongoing feeling of dread, problems sleeping, nausea and dizziness. Those experiencing anxiety may become withdrawn and avoid certain places or situations. Some people may appear fine on the outside and are able to hide their anxiety.
The Mental Health Foundation state:
Anxiety is one of the most common mental health problems we can face. In a recent mental health survey we carried out around stress, anxiety and hopelessness over personal finances, a quarter of adults said they felt so anxious that it stopped them from doing the things they want to do some or all of the time. Six in ten adults feel this way, at least some of the time. On a positive note, anxiety can be made easier to manage.
There is a whole range of help and support available for people suffering with anxiety and the first step to seeking help may be to speak to a GP who can diagnose and signpost appropriate support and treatments.
Further resources and information can be found on our employee health and wellbeing webpages, the student support and wellbeing webpages and on the Mental Health Foundation Website.
