All the Mental Health Problems I Have According to TikTok

Words by Lucy Beetson Have you ever found yourself scrolling through TikTok, thinking you’ll only watch one video, and before you know it, you’ve spent hours on the app? Or maybe you’ve noticed that your For You page is constantly showing you content that seems eerily accurate to your interests and personality. Trust me, you’re not alone. As a fellow TikTok addict, I know just … Continue reading All the Mental Health Problems I Have According to TikTok

The Rise and Fall of Kanye West

An opinion piece by Maddie Balcombe Kanye West: one of the most well-known names in our celebrity landscape today, and simultaneously one of the most controversial. From humiliating Taylor Swift during her first VMA win back in 2009, to making outrageous claims about societal issues (such as when he suggested that African-American slavery was a choice), his audacious actions have often divided opinion between music … Continue reading The Rise and Fall of Kanye West

Our Favourite Books Related to Mental Health

By Laura Mae All The Bright Places- Jennifer Niven All The Bright Places is a heartwarming Young Adult novel about unlikely friendships, love, and dealing with individual hardships. The book is written in alternating points of view of the two main characters; Violet Markey, one of the most popular girls in school, and Theodore Finch, a social outcast. The two are paired together for a … Continue reading Our Favourite Books Related to Mental Health

97% Of Us: What We All Have In Common

I am now so bored with social media that I have resorted to refreshing my news app as a way to expend the energy I conserve for being too interested in other peopleÔÇÖs lives. Usually, this just leaves me feeling smugly well-informed of current affairs whilst Netflix plays in the background and my coffee goes cold on my desk. This week felt different.  We all … Continue reading 97% Of Us: What We All Have In Common

Culture in the Classroom

What should be taught in schools, and how will these subjects benefit future generations? Words by: Ella Harper, Emma Williams, Maja Metera, Sarah Rawle, Aruni Deraniyagala Welsh History in Welsh Schools, Ella Harper As a Welsh history student, I have recently been thinking about the lack of Welsh history taught in secondary schools in this country. Throughout my years studying history, from year 7 all … Continue reading Culture in the Classroom

Supporting Others in the Pandemic: The Cardiff Students Volunteering Through COVID-19

By Eva Rodericks In a time of extreme difficulty for many, whether that be financially, emotionally or physically, Cardiff students have been doing their bit to support the national effort and fight against the effects of the pandemic.  Essential Goods Collection for The Trussell Trust Following the tireless campaigning by Manchester United and England football star Marcus Rashford, the government has taken a U-turn on … Continue reading Supporting Others in the Pandemic: The Cardiff Students Volunteering Through COVID-19

A couple wearing masks are in tehe centre of the pages with flowers between them. They are surrounded by images of a girl in a bathrobe reading, a pink dildo, a heart shaped box of chocolates, roses, a cocktail and a gay couple on a video call

How to Look After Your Mental Health This Valentine’s Day

Illustrations by Rahima Bhatti, @rahima.creative on Instagram Valentine’s Day is a difficult day for a lot of people. The pressure to be happy and in love can really take a toll on your mental health. Today we wanted to give you some advice for ways to look after yourself, and put you first this Valentine’s Day. Catarina Vicente’s Advice As everything else this year, ValentineÔÇÖs … Continue reading How to Look After Your Mental Health This Valentine’s Day

Invisible Illnesses VI: My Experience with Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviour

By Katie Waits *TW ÔÇô Discussions of Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviours (BFRBs), dermatillomania, and trichotillomania* ÔÇ£Can you all please turn your cameras on?ÔÇØ  ThatÔÇÖs such a familiar request nowadays. Some days, IÔÇÖll be happy to switch my camera on in a seminar. Other times, I dread those words. It usually means an hour of fidgeting, sitting at an awkward distance from the camera, constantly tilting and … Continue reading Invisible Illnesses VI: My Experience with Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviour

Mental Health Campaigning in the 1980s

By Caitlin Parr *TW ÔÇô Discussions of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, postnatal depression, self-harm, psychosis, schizophrenia and stigma surrounding mental health* When I reminisce on growing up in the noughties and 2010s there is no prominent memory of mental health being discussed in depth. There were no wellbeing hours in school; few conversations on what to do or who to reach out to if you … Continue reading Mental Health Campaigning in the 1980s

Invisible Illnesses V: Living With a Depressed Parent

For most of my college life and the start of my university years, my dad stopped talking to me. At first, it took me a while to comprehend what was happening. It was like a switch had been flicked in our family dynamic, and before I knew it, I had spent four years living in a house of silence. Initially I was really angry, but … Continue reading Invisible Illnesses V: Living With a Depressed Parent

We need to talk about eating disorders

Photo by Charles Deluvio on Unsplash Words by Laila Hodd Trigger warning: this article discusses the topic of eating disorders. For those of us that struggle with our relationship with food, University is difficult at the best of times. Recently however, with the ÔÇÿCircuit BreakÔÇÖ lockdown here in Wales and the second lockdown in England preventing English students from returning home, as well as more … Continue reading We need to talk about eating disorders

Stop the Spread but Stay in Touch

By Abi Edwards It is hardly surprising that the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown measures have had a negative impact on mental health, particularly for young people. With restrictions on socializing, seeing family, friends and partners, and making new friends at university, the impact of lockdown has caused many feelings of isolation, particularly for students.┬á According to a survey by the charity┬áMind, over half of adults … Continue reading Stop the Spread but Stay in Touch

Invisible Illnesses III: Learning More About My Mental Health Than I Learnt From My BSc

Words by Caitlin Parr Illustration by Amelia Field University can be an immensely challenging time for any student. Whether youÔÇÖre naturally very confident or were at the top of your class in school, University is sure to present challenges and anxieties that are totally new and have the potential to disrupt your time there. Unfortunately the majority of University students, 1 in 4, will struggle … Continue reading Invisible Illnesses III: Learning More About My Mental Health Than I Learnt From My BSc

Invisible Illnesses II: Living with an Unseen Disability

Words by Rhianna Hurren-Myers Illustration by Amelia Field / @amelialfield The Story It was around 1am on the busiest night IÔÇÖd ever seen at CardiffÔÇÖs StudentÔÇÖs Union. Somewhere between the bar and the main stage, I had failed to notice that I had lost the friends I had come out with. Instead, I was preoccupied clumsily tugging on the door of a disabled toilet.  ÔÇ£YouÔÇÖre … Continue reading Invisible Illnesses II: Living with an Unseen Disability

Invisible Illnesses I: Living in the Shadow of Dementia

Words by Sasha Nugara Illustration by Amelia Field / @amelialfield Dementia is such a complex disorder and despite it not being labelled as a mental illness, the effects it has on mental health are undeniable. Whilst my dadÔÇÖs disease has forced him into a never-ending bout of depression, it has dropped my entire family into a whirlpool of sleepless nights and constant worry.  Although many people … Continue reading Invisible Illnesses I: Living in the Shadow of Dementia

Baking Our Lockdown Days Away

It seemed rather fitting, in what will be my last online article as Food and Drink Editor, to return to the staple food activity of baking, a pastime which for many has been resurrected during this pandemic. Perhaps itÔÇÖs the fond memories of baking with grandparents, or the messy flour fights in friendsÔÇÖ kitchens, maybe even the needlessly ambitious food tech bakes in school, but … Continue reading Baking Our Lockdown Days Away

Quarantine Culture: Routine For Quarantine

By Victoria Bond I think everybody felt the same sense of dread regarding the Coronavirus lockdown. We all knew it was coming but didnÔÇÖt want to admit it to ourselves. It wasnÔÇÖt until Boris Johnson said, with jurisdiction ÔÇÿyou must stay homeÔÇÖ that the question finally hit me- what exactly am I going to do during lockdown? In all honesty, I havenÔÇÖt found quarantine too … Continue reading Quarantine Culture: Routine For Quarantine

The Female Fitness Revolution

By Ella Rowe-Hall Today, female fitness seems to be becoming greatly prominent within society. More and more women are getting fit and playing sports, and celebrities and fitness fanatics seem to be continuously brandishing their own fitness journeys across our social media screens. But what is this so-called female fitness revolution, and why now? After the introduction of womenÔÇÖs birth control in 1961 and the … Continue reading The Female Fitness Revolution

Diagnosis is Victory: A No-BS Guide to Cardiff’s Mental Healthcare

By Mike O’Brien Trigger Warning: This content contains information and reference to mental illness and suicide. If you or someone you know is affected by mental health issues or the content discussed, please call the Samaritan’s 24 hour hotline on 116 123. The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) offers support to men between 17:00 and 00:00 on 0800 58 58 58. An introduction ThisÔÇÖll be … Continue reading Diagnosis is Victory: A No-BS Guide to Cardiff’s Mental Healthcare