The Cambridge (Survival) Guide - Cambridge University Students ...

43Myth: Mental healthproblems are rare.Fact: 1 in 4 people will experiencemental health conditions.The DRC supports individuals with anydisability, medical matter or injury, includingthose with:• specific learning difficulties (includingdyslexia)• physical impairments and injuries(including broken limbs and WorkRelated Upper Limb Disorder (WRULD)• sensory impairments• mental health issues• eating disorders• chronic illnesses• Asperger syndrome and autismThe DRC can provide confidentialinformation and support, study skills tuitionand mentoring, assessment for dyslexia, theloan of specialist equipment, and assistancewith funding applications. The DRC can alsowork with you, your college, and departmentto help ensure that you have effectivesupport during your time in Cambridge. TheDRC is one of your first ports of call shouldyou impairment mean you need reasonableadjustments for an exam, or for college life.Mental Wealth CampaignMental Wealth is not a support service, butthe work it does is key for destigmatisingmental health issues. With the efforts ofstudents, we want to create an environmentwhere we can learn to control our mentalhealth through talking to each other andfinding the right resources to help usthrough.This is a particularly important issue inCambridge University because of theconstant pressure put on students toperform both academically and socially. Alltoo often we ourselves can let this get ontop of us, or know people who do. It is forthis reason that it is so important to createan environment where we can talk openlyabout these feelings.We have three aims that we think will helpcreate this atmosphere:1) To raise awareness of the prevalence ofmental health issues.2) To normalise and de-stigmatise mentalhealth itself.3) To advertise the many services that arealready helping students in Cambridge.Practically, we want to do this by:1) Creating a pathway of services inCambridge University and beyond, sothat there is a clear idea of what to do ifyou or a friend find themselves sufferingfrom mental health issues.2) Creating a petition to demonstrate theprevalence of mental health issues.3) Putting on talks and debates aboutissues surrounding mental health.4) Carrying out a leaflet and postercampaign for the available pathways totake for mental health issues.5) Campaigning for JCRs to include amental health talk in their collegefresher’s week schedule.We welcome more ideas on how to get thiscampaign going, so get involved and let usknow your thoughts!E-mail for more info on how to getinvolved: mentalwealth@cusu.cam.ac.ukOr check the CUSU website for moreinfo: http://www.cusu.cam.ac.uk/welfare/mentalwealth/