Throughout my teenage years I struggled with having a positive perception of myself but what I was fighting with on the inside didn’t coalesce with my outside world. I had an extremely close family who […]
The Depression Diaries: Suicide and Me
In the UK and ROI in 2013 there were 6,708 suicides. According to Samaritans; since 2007, the start of the recession, the rates of suicide have risen to their highest for over 30 years. In […]
MENTAL HEALTH A-Z: M is for Mornings… and how to survive them
It will come as no surprise to you that I, along with 99% of the rest of the student community, struggle to get up early. And by early, I mean before 9am. Last semester, my […]
MENTAL HEALTH A-Z: L is for Language
Language can serve so many purposes, it can be used to fight, it can be used to resist, but it can also be used to oppress, and to bully. It’s not always clear that this […]
A Different Kind of Christmas: Mental Health
Christmas is ‘the most wonderful time of the year’. For many the thought of Christmas conjures up images of mince pies, mulled wine, sitting cosily around the fire; this is not the case for everyone. […]
Confessions of a Christmas Grinch: why I hate the holidays
Right don’t judge me, just hear me out… By the time Christmas comes around I’m already in a foul mood due to having my birthday two weeks prior (yes, I hate my birthday too), and […]
Is Instagram Perfection Dominating our Lives?
There is little doubt that the Instagram hype, rife in our generation, has created a digital environment of competition and comparison. The Gryphon discusses the detrimental effects that powerful social media applications like Instagram can […]
Mind How You Go: A How-To Guide For Travelling and Mental Health
Nerves and anxiety are a natural part of travelling – you are stepping into the unknown and our fight or flight instincts kick in. With so many societies offering trips abroad over the Christmas break […]
MENTAL HEALTH A-Z: F is for Fitness
We all know that it’s important to keep a well-balanced and healthy life, you don’t need me to preach it to you. But did you know that during exercise your brain releases the ‘happy’ chemical, […]
MENTAL HEALTH A-Z: E is for Eating Disorders; a sister’s tale.
My whole 4 years at university have been marked by one constant question: “How is she?” It has been one constant worry – would today be the day I got the phone call saying she […]
MENTAL HEALTH A-Z: D is for Dermatillomania
The word Dermatillomania derives from the Latin language; Derma meaning ‘skin’, tillo meaning ‘to pull’, and mania meaning ‘madness’ or, well, ‘mania’. Also known as Compulsive Skin Picking Disorder, this disorder comes under the Body […]
MENTAL HEALTH A-Z: D is for Depression
Although it’s one of the most common mental illnesses, the misconceptions about depression are still prevalent and helping to contribute to the overall stigma that surrounds it. Everyone feels down in themselves from time to […]