these courses. They have a duty to pro-vide the best possible facilities.” Do youfeel like that’s the case at the moment?“No.” It seems that the support networkfor students with depression is not assecure as it seems.
years of your life? selling helped: “I found it much easier
talking to someone who didn’t knowme. There are certain things that youwouldn’t want your friends or yourmother to know, but if you’re talking tosomeone anonymous in complete con-fidence, you can be as honest as you
Student depression is a misunderstood condition, says Liv Evans. want. I found getting everything off my
chest and knowing what was wrongcathartic, but I was looking for aninstant solution, and there wasn’t one.”
Picture this. It’s a Friday evening. A first year. I’ve never felt like I’ve fitted
need anybody else, they don’t like me’,
the illness took hold. “I went straight
Rebecca doesn’t think that she will feel
evening. It’s noisy, everyone’s talking,
everyone’s having fun. But there’s one
social life, he gave up all his recreation-
uni is such an elusive concept. I used to
al activities. “I was busy nearly every
thing. I felt that everything was getting
the older I get, the worse I’ll become. I
ral until people told me I needed help.”
fulfilled, and that’ll make me feel even
“Definitely. When I leave here I’ll prob-
the future. “But if you’d asked me this
far down as they were, but that’s at the
the same way. And that’s not true; I’m
mental distress whilst at university.
you’re depressed, recovery takes a long
cost £80, when I had a return ticket for
time and you can’t predict it. But am I
feeling as good as I was before? No. I’m
tating condition. “There’s this voice in
to a degree very difficult. “The pressure
ing. But I wouldn’t say that there’s a
me. I feel like it’s not even me anymore.
I don’t know what to do with myself. It
sort of feels like a panic attack, but it’s a
depression than others. “I think it can
lot more sustained. It will last for days.”
this can be fatal. Gareth explains: “At
Earth. It’s something that can be trig-
depression in October 2008. “There’s a
gered and it could happen to anyone.
me, perhaps I wouldn’t be alive today.
That’s how low you can get. You’re not
you feel like you can’t climb out of bed.
now, ‘do you want to die?’, of course I
don’t. It’s an altered state of mind.”
you’re going to cause a nuisance to peo-
you you’re the best person in the world,
port they can really offer. “I’m quite
cynical; I don’t see an objective coun-
sufferer will experience intense feelings
they’ve turned into the three worst.”
lack of interest in everyday life. It can
the worse you feel.” And so few contact
hours makes things worse? “Definitely.”
dent depression? “Definitely. There’s a
are a bit sick of it. I hate putting pres-
fun life. For a depressive it’s the exact
problems. I think that I have to learn to
respect and trust myself before I go to a
counsellor and trust them. I don’t know
tional difficulties, I could say, ‘it’s OK,
your life during your university career.
I’m doing really well at school and I will
be really successful in my career’, and
from his course after his diagnosis.
worse. The instinct of a depressive is to
university. “I haven’t moved out of my
lock themselves away. It feels like it’s
responsibility in these cases, particular-
*Names have been changed. M
Toronto Police Association (TPA) Toronto Police Services (TPS) AND IN THE MATTER OF AN ACCOMMODATION GRIEVANCE DATED DECEMBER 4, 2003 OF Tim Hill Kevin Whitaker, Sole Arbitrator Appearances for the TPA Beth Symes, Counsel Tim Hill, grievor Appearances for the TPS Glenn Christie, Counsel and others Hearings were held in Toronto commencing on January 31, 2006 and completed on May 16, 20
these courses. They have a duty to pro-vide the best possible facilities.” Do youfeel like that’s the case at the moment?“No.” It seems that the support networkfor students with depression is not assecure as it seems.