I feel homesick

Coming away from home for the first time can feel quite scary and is a big transition to make. You may have started University life with eagerness and excitement about being in a new environment but it's suddenly hitting you how much you're missing the familiarity of life at home and the people you have left behind.

You won't be the only one! Lots of students can struggle with such a massive adjustment and any feelings of homesickness at any point in your uni life is completely normal.

Please click on the following link to pick up ideas on things you can do to help yourself if you are feeling homesick.

Read our homesickness leaflet

I think I’m drinking too much

Student life can be fun and exhilarating as well as stressful at times.  Socialising often occurs at the Student Union and other venues where alcohol is available.  New students eager to form new friendships may use alcohol to relax and overcome their inhibitions.  If it is consumed in moderation (within agreed health limits) it can help people relax and unwind after a hard day.  If not it can lead to health problems, unplanned pregnancies, accidents and relationship breakdowns.

If you are concerned about your drinking levels and worried you might be drinking too much, read our Alcohol Leaflet  

Worried about a friend

Are you worried about a friend for some reason? Perhaps he or she has told you there is a problem? Or have you seen dramatic changes in your friend's appearance or behaviour? Are you worried about the amount of alcohol or drugs they are taking? Perhaps you have noticed big changes in their mood?

If you are worried about the emotional or mental health of someone you know please click here. What you read will offer practical guidelines for students as to what you can do in this situation and how you can get help, both for the person concerned and yourself. There are also some suggestions as to how to get help in a real emergency.

Drug issues

The information around drugs and drug use changes frequently and we suggest you check out Talk to Frank or Turning Point

Counsellors can also work with you to look at some of the underlying issues which might be contributing to drug use and support you through any changes you decide to make.

I’m not eating well

Eating problems can often be associated with internal, emotional problems. Obsessive thoughts about, and the behaviour associated with, food are used to deal with emotional distress which cannot be expressed in any other satisfactory way. The emotional distress is often to do with a negative perception of self, a feeling of being unable to change "bad" things about yourself: food is used as an inappropriate way of taking control.

This may show itself in compulsive eating; depriving yourself of food and possibly anorexia and/or bulimia.

If you are concerned about your eating patterns and want some help, please read our Eating Leaflet  

Someone close to me has died

The death of someone who is significant to you is one of the hardest things you will experience in your life. Whether it is expected or a shock, the enormity of loss is something that impacts on you in a very profound way.

Grief takes a long time to work through. There are no hard and fast guidelines for this. It is how it is for you. It's an entirely individual experience. No one can tell you how you will or should feel. Everyone grieves in their own special way. While you are grieving or, indeed if you are worried because you are finding it hard to grieve, getting the right support for yourself can be invaluable. Please read our Bereavement Leaflet   for further information.

I’m self-harming

Most of us act at some time in a way that is harmful to our body whether it be by drinking, smoking or other excesses. Sometimes you may choose to inflict injury on yourself in a more deliberate way such as cutting, burning, stabbing, scratching, hair pulling and bruising. Such action is rarely an attempt at suicide or an expression of madness; however, it is a sign there are problems that need addressing.

It is usually a way of indicating that difficulties exist and is also an attempt to cope with the problems. Please read our self harm leaflet to find out more if you are self harming or if you know someone who is.

I feel suicidal

The problems that lead to suicidal thinking are very complex. Often they are problems of great severity which carry with them deep feelings of shame, loneliness and hopelessness.

If you are contemplating suicide or worried about a friend who seems to be considering suicide talk to a university counsellor or someone with whom you feel 'safe' with. Talking is a way to express some of the distress and pain you are suffering and often brings emotional relief and, in turn will give you less desire to act on any suicidal thoughts.

Please see our Suicidal Thoughts Leaflet  for further sources of support

I’m not sleeping well

Sleep is a necessity. Without it we eventually become ill. Even minor levels of deprivation make us irritable and may reduce concentration and reaction times. However, everyone has different needs for sleep, some being perfectly healthy on as little as four hours sleep a night.

If you are not sleeping well it is important to look at what might be triggering your insomnia and/or irregular sleep patterns. It may be to do with the stress you are under or with more physical problems such as lack of exercise. Please read our Insomnia Leaflet to get a better understanding of why you are not sleeping well and tips to help yourself sleep more soundly!

Relationship problems

Relationships - whether family or intimate relationships with a partner - can be a great source of love, pleasure, support and excitement. However they can also be a source of grief and anguish if they go wrong. University is a place where difficulties in relationships can emerge strongly, perhaps it's the first time your relationship(s) are having to be faced with geographical distance? Or because of the intensity of living on campus together?

If you are struggling with a relationship at the moment, whether it being family, friend, boyfriend or girlfriend, please see our Relationship Leaflet  for help and information

My parents are getting divorced

Parents divorce for many reasons. Usually divorce happens when couples feel they can no longer live together due to fighting and anger or because the love they had when they married has changed.

Divorce can also be because one parent falls in love with someone else or even due to a serious problem like drinking or abuse.

Sometimes it is because they have just decided to live apart. If your parents are divorcing, you may feel stressed out, angry, helpless, frustrated or sad.

You may also feel relieved, especially if there has been a lot of tension or fighting at home. These feelings are typical and talking about them with a friend, family member or counsellor can really help.