The Huge Unstable Elephant In The Room
The doors of the bathroom stalls in Porthania are filled with scribbles on changing papers. In one way it reminds you of an internet discussion board, but far more personal. Each letter, syllable, and word written by hand in a unique style mixes in with the overall discussion spiralling from topics such as passing exams, sexual advice, memes, and rivulets of venting to an audience of your peers. A scribble on a bathroom stall door becomes a shout into the void of such a diverse group that we -as students- are. No matter which stall you pick, the odds are that at least one comment found on the door will be about mental health issues.
I’m feeling drained.
Anyone try out Lexapro?
Can’t seem to finish my studies.
I feel helpless.
What’s the Goddamn point?
Mental health. Yikes. That’s a subject no one wants to discuss in broad daylight. And why? Mostly because it has become a topic in today’s society which is deemed only to be talked about in desperate moments of drunken stupor between faceless individuals and as a problem which to sweep the political floor with.
The truth is, nobody likes to talk about topics that are painful when they don’t affect you. But one day, they just might. Especially if you are a student.
We here at BTSB ran a questionnaire about mental health related to studies a while back and found the results to be a bit conflicting. The most telling finding revealed by said questionnaire was that when asked about the availability of mental health resources, those who had not searched them out had the impression that there was and abundance of these services. However, those who had tried to access mental health care had been faced with the awkwardly depressing reality of the minimal amount of help that is available at the time –not to mention how many hoops it takes to actually get in touch with those resources.
I recently interviewed a mental health specialist, Sari Aarnipuu, who has worked in different positions in the mental health field for a multitude of years. We discussed some obvious facts to the both of us; the system is broken, people are suffering, mental health is a crisis treated as an inconvenience…yada, yada, yada. What we both acknowledged was that its all good and well to discuss these issues and pitfalls of our current mental health system over tea and cookies in a private workroom between two people, who have become intimate with the issues of mental health and the almost unattainable help that is on offer for it. But the feeling of helplessness still remains. As long as the system wont change, what on earth can be done to help?
Introducing – Sari Aarnipuu
Sari Aarnipuu could be described as a veteran of the public mental health system. She has worked in different positions in the public mental health sphere, all from working as a mental health nurse, a registered nurse, working in youth psychiatrics, and even working with law enforcement, studying the behaviour of young delinquents. Currently, she is working as a neuropsychiatric coach, hoping to help people with mental health issues in an easy to approach way. As the current system of public mental health care in Finland requires a rather laborious jump through a set of regulatory hoops to access non medicinal treatment for mental health problems, there is a definite need for easy access low key help.
That mysterious thing called ‘well-being’
According to Aarnipuu, the reasons behind a person’s well-being constitute of experiences of being seen and heard, especially in childhood. This is one of the key ingredients in forming one’s self-esteem. Another important pillar in the house of well-being is that of a safe support network. Equally important are the capabilities to function properly and to grasp the workings of day-to day life, not to mention building good social skills and acknowledging the ways to keep things in check. Unfortunately, not all of us can have these things as everyone’s life is a different path made up from different roads and pitfalls.
Especially students seem to be at risk for mental health issues and the lack of mental well-being. It could have to do with being in limbo, sort of, stuck in between youth and beginning your “real life” in the workforce. It could be due to the constant pressure to graduate faster and to work more while studying. However, Aarnipuu notes that especially among students, many of who are for the fist time in their lives living on their own, there is a culture and a mentality of “doing it on your own”. This leaves people susceptible being left alone, off the grid, in a highly fractured and splintered way of life. Not to mention, part of being a student is, especially a young one, is the uncertainty of life, worrying about the future in only a way those destined to live it can.
The road to help is paved with good intentions…and bureaucracy
I discussed with Aarnipuu the functionality of the current mental health services available to students specifically. The only upper hand students have over the rest of the populations is that the student health care services do offer free psychologist consultations. However, these consultations are limited and scarce, and serve better the purpose of figuring out the right line of help needed. Outside of the student healthcare services, the track to getting help is essentially the same for all; most straightforwardly is begins with a meeting with a GP, which can lead to many roads; one is medication, one is seeing a specialist, and another is heading towards psychotherapy. The current consensus among healthcare professionals seems to be that the combination of medication and therapy is the most efficient way of tackling mental health issues, but in reality, this combination is not an option for everyone. Long term psychotherapy is largely not considered a part of the public healthcare sphere, as it is not generally covered by the public healthcare act. The brunt of the cost is most often left for the patient to pay for. This can be a problematic situation, which puts people in an unequal footing regarding access to therapy. If a patient fits certain criteria, and therapy is deigned to improve the patient’s working and studying capabilities, there is a possibility to apply for financial assistance from the Social Insurance Institute of Finland to cover part of the costs. Despite the Social Insurance Institute of Finland covering part of the cost of therapy, most patients are still lefts with hundreds of euros to pay monthly, which is simply not a possibility for many people, especially students. All of this is made worse by the slow speed of the process of getting help, which often leads to mental health problems getting worse before help is ever reached, and therefore, requiring further help and resources. Aarnipuu suggests that perhaps short-term therapy could be added into the realm of public healthcare, to nip problems in the bud, so to speak. This way problems could be addressed in a timely fashion and further consequences could be avoided.
Totally low-key mental health hacks
So, the system is broken. It’s a wounded animal dragging its bleeding body toward safety, trying its best to survive under the circumstances. And that is a big mess that needs to be fixed, but in the meantime, there are people who need help. There are limited options to work within the system, and one of those just includes banging your head against the imaginary wall that is the public mental healthcare system, until you get through. However, in the meantime, there are some things you can try to manage things while you’re on your own. Admittedly, the field of mental health issues varies greatly, and all conditions cannot be lumped into one big ball of “mental stuff”. Some conditions require the treatment of medical professionals, and as far as I am concerned, all conditions should be discussed with professionals, but recognizing that this is always not an option, with the help of Sari Aarnipuu, I put together this list of some totally low-key mental-health hacks to help with dealing with issues such as anxiety and symptoms of depression.
1. LEARN HOW TO BREATHE
Don’t give me that look. I know you’ve heard this advice before. Just breathe, deep breaths, count them too. I get it, it sounds useless in the moment. However, breathing can be more difficult than it sounds. Most cases of anxiety correlate with superficial and rapid breathing, which is a physical reaction to the mind’s distress, and in itself enables the vicious circle of anxiety. Learning to breathe deep can be troublesome, but a good trick is to acquire a big plastic bottle and a piece of plastic tube and build yourself a DIY anxiety killer. The bottle should be filled half way with water and the tube inserted inside, like displayed in the picture below. The point is to breathe deeply into the bottle approximately ten times twice a day for two weeks to try and train your muscles into breathing deeply.
2. TREASURE-MAPPING
Treasure-mapping is a trick that is especially good for those of us who love arts and crafts. This method requires a bit of patience and a good stock of life time magazines. The idea is to sift through magazines, only paying attention to the pictures splayed out on the pages. You choose the pictures that catch your eye or attention, and without further thought, you cut them out. Once you’ve cut out a sufficient number of pictures to your liking, the next step is to paste them onto a piece of cardboard or paper and go through the images you’ve chosen with thought and contemplate why you were drawn to them. You can do this alone or with a partner. Actually, it is highly recommended to engage in this exercise with a partner, since the point is to say things out loud. If you’re working with a partner, you can have your partner ponder on why you’ve chosen the images you have. This trick works as a nifty way to work on some self-reflection.
3. THE JOURNAL OF JOY
As gut wrenchingly sappy as the title sounds, writing down things that make you happy, or bring you joy, can be helpful. When you’re depressed or suffering from a lot of anxiety, the whole world might seem exceptionally bleak, and it may be very hard to notice the good things in life. So, sometimes we need to put in a little extra effort. The things to write down don’t have to be some life-changing moments of euphoria, they can be simple ordinary every-day things like, having a good cup of coffee, or seeing a cute duck, whatever floats your boat, really.
4. COMFY BLANKET
We’ve all had days that make us want to crawl under the covers and stay there until things magically turn all rainbows and unicorns. However, as it is with all things enveloped in the cloud of anxiety and depression, some heavier actions might be needed –namely a weighted blanket. A weighted blanket is designed so that it offers comfort and pressure to the person using it. This sensation of weight and security can help with falling asleep or calming down anxiety. A weighted blanket can in best cases offer viable and concrete release for some of the symptoms of anxiety and depression.
5. SPILL
As cliché as it might sound, talking really can help. So, tell someone, anyone, that you’re not feeling well. It might seem daunting, or even embarrassing, but there is no need for shame. Sharing your predicament can be a huge relief, so if there’s anyone you trust and feel comfortable enough with to share your worries, you might just want to give it a try. And if there’s no one in your life you feel you can open up to, there’s always the option of calling a hotline. The following link leads to a helpful resource, where you can find help and support without a referral!
