‘I chose to keep quiet and couldn’t admit that I wasn’t managing’
By: News Archive
A student from the University of East Anglia (UEA) has spoken out about her battle with mental health in the hope that it encourages her peers to seek help if they are struggling with their wellbeing, as exam season approaches.
Bronte Munro, who is a third year BSc Biomedical Student, and originally from London, has high-functioning Anxiety and Depression which she has battled with since her teens. She has chosen to share her personal experiences about regretting not accessing help sooner and how exercise has transformed her mental wellbeing.
This comes during Mental Health Awareness Week (14-20 May), which this year focusses on stress.
While in her second year at University, Bronte who is 22, hit crisis point with her mental health while studying for exams, she said: “It was a hard time for me. When lectures stopped and it was down to me to manage my revision time, I suddenly didn’t have any structure. I found it hard to motivate myself to even make it into University and I ended up staying at home on my own a lot. I slowly went into a downward spiral.
“My conditions are two extremes, my anxiety would ask me ‘why aren’t you good enough?’ while my depression would tell me ‘give up, what’s the point?’- it was a constant internal battle.
“I chose to keep quiet and couldn’t admit that I wasn’t managing, until I hit rock-bottom. I wasn’t sleeping or eating properly, my friendships suffered, and I had no other option but to ask for help.”
After completing her exams she was exhausted from the mental strain of managing her escalating conditions alongside studying a full-time for a degree. Bronte also has Dyslexia which affects her ability to concentrate and process information.
She decided to contact UEA Student Support Services where she received Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), counselling and was advised about the University’s exercise referral scheme. The scheme helps students receiving support from UEA for their mental health, and who would benefit from physical activity, to gain free access to Sportspark facilities.
It was announced last month that UEA has received around £12,000 of funding from UK Active, through British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS), which will expand the scheme and also pay for a number of new mental health initiatives.
“I went to my first fitness Pilates class in December last year and there was a huge range of people there, different sizes, shapes and ages and everyone had mixed abilities. The classes aren’t focused on what you look like, they’re more about fitness and how you feel, which is great.
“I have bought gym memberships in the past and they just haven’t worked for me, even making it there was too stressful for me to handle. If you have body and weight issues then a gym can be a scary and embarrassing place, especially if you’re unfit and not used to doing exercise.
“I’m not going to say that the classes instantly made me better, because that just wasn’t the case. But after going to a few sessions, I saw a gradual lift in my mood and was better able to cope with daily life.
“I’ve been inspired to make other changes too, I now eat healthier, practice yoga at home when I get the chance, and have tried a couple of relaxation apps which help on my down days.”
Bronte also does “mindfulness walks” where she walks the 15 minutes from her shared house to University, concentrating on her surroundings throughout.
“With the support I’ve received, I’ve been so much better equipped to deal with coursework deadlines and writing my dissertation.”
She now wants to speak directly to other students, saying: “I’ve been where you are and refused to take advantage of the help which was available to me, until I was in a really bad place. I wouldn’t want anyone else to go through what I did.”
Although there have been national campaigns to breakdown mental health stigma, Bronte believes there is still work to be done. She said: “Sadly 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year, so it’s a lot more common than people may think. You wouldn’t stigmatise a physical health condition such as diabetes or asthma, so why should mental health be any different?”
Bronte handed her dissertation in last week and is now looking towards life after she graduates in July. She hopes to go into further research into health and disease, by studying a PhD.
“I understand that my mental health conditions may not disappear, as I accept it is a part me, but I’ve realised it shouldn’t define you and getting help made me realise that I am in control of them, not the other way around.”
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