Emotional Well-Being at Wyke

Drugs Drugs have a negative effect on mental health and well-being. Drugs cause many negative effects both mentally and physically, for example: MDMA can cause paranoia, confusion, anxiety and can even cause psychosis (hallucinations and delusions). This can be very scary and you should see your GP if you are experiencing these symptoms. There is also a negative effect to your physical health which can include problems with your liver, kidney and heart. Ketamine can be fatal and can increase your heart rate and blood pressure. It can cause you to feel agitated and delirious. It can also cause damage to your liver and serious bladder problems which could result in needing surgical repair. It is really important to talk to people you trust if you are worried about drug use or your mental health, talk to your parents/carers or a trusted adult. There are many support services which you can access to discuss your worries and concerns relating to drug and alcohol use. These i...

The NHS describes an eating disorder as ‘when you have an unhealthy attitude to food, which can take over your life and make you ill’ (NHS 2019) You can find out more here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/eating-disorders/ Symptoms of an eating disorder can include, but are not limited to; Losing appetite Eating when not hungry Obsessing about your body Dramatic weightless or gain Secretive about food Being afraid of gaining weight Eating very little Deliberately making yourself sick Exercising too much If you are worried that you may have an eating disorder there is support available to you. You should talk to your GP and they can refer you to an eating disorder team of specialists. There are also eating disorder charities which you can contact for information, support and guidance, they include; Beat: https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/ Seed: https://seedeatingdisorders.org.uk/ Young Minds: https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/feelings-and-symptoms/eating-prob...

LGBTIQ+ and Mental Health People who identify within the LGBTIQ+ community can be at a higher risk of developing mental health problems. MIND LGBTIQ+ Mental Health advises that the reasons for this are complex and not fully understood, however, there is a link to discrimination, bullying, homophobia, biphobia or transphobia See here: https://www.mind.org.uk/about-us/our-policy-work/equality-human-rights/mental-health-and-being-lgbtiqplus/ MIND runs an online peer support group called Elefriends for LGBTIQ+ people and offers non-judgemental advice and guidance. Click here for more information: https://www.elefriends.org.uk/ You will find lots of information, advice and guidance on many topics within this blog, including, depression, anxiety, self-care and emotional well-being tools. They are relevant to everyone, regardless of the issues which may be affecting you. There are a number of other support services which LGBTIQ+ people can access including; Yorkshire Mesmac, weblink...

World Mental Health Day 2019 World mental health day takes place on Thursday 10th October 2019. Let’s take the time to talk and listen about mental health issues. Watch the following Mental Health Campaign video narrated by the royal family:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVt4xVpIOJs&app=desktop Prioritise you’re own mental health by completing your own Mind Plan, click on the link: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/ to access the Every Mind Matters website and take the quiz to gain access to a free Mind Plan which provides expert advice and practical tips. Use the following Top tips to staying well: Talk to others about how you are feeling Eat healthily Exercise, go for a walk Drink plenty of water Do an activity you enjoy Get plenty of rest Take a social media break Spend time with friends and family Accept you for you Be kind to yourself and others

Social Media V’s Reality Young people today live in an age where everyone and everything is judged and scrutinised by social media. But what we see on social media is rarely a reality. Filters, edits and apps create fantasy photos and images which become distorted and no longer look like the person in the original photo. An example of this can be seen in the following link from a Dove campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpM499XhMJQ&app=desktop Another example of photo-shopping and women's responses can be found at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRlpIkH3b5I Through social media our perception of beauty then becomes distorted and we begin to scrutinise ourselves and find faults with how we look. The following link is from another Dove campaign where an artist sketches a person from their description of themselves and from the description of another: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpaOjMXyJGk&app=desktop Although the campaigns feature women...

Do I have an Anxiety disorder or am I just nervous? We all go through stages in our lives where we feel nervous, we might even say we feel anxious, but knowing the difference between nerves and an Anxiety disorder will help you to understand what you are feeling and to identify the support you need. Nerves It is common to feel stressed or worried about starting a new school or college or attending a job interview. You may experience feelings of butterflies in your stomach or you may feel tense, this is a normal reaction. You might not sleep the night before an exam and you might not feel like eating your lunch before an interview or a presentation. You may feel apprehensive about walking into a new classroom for the first time, again, this is normal, what you are feeling are nerves. Nervousness is a natural response to a stressful event. It’s temporary and resolves once the stress has passed. Anxiety disorders are more complex, they affect your body and your mind and they l...

Hello and Welcome Back Hello and welcome back to Wyke 6th form college, we are super excited for the year ahead and hope you guys are too! Please take some time to visit the Wyke Emotional Well-being blog regularly where you will find lots of information regarding issues which may affect you or someone you know. Blog topics include Stress, Anxiety, Exam Stress, Suicide awareness and support. If you are a returning student, please visit the blog again to remind yourself of all the top tips which you can use during your time at Wyke and beyond. As always, if there are any topics you would like information on, please contact marketing at: marketing@wyke.ac.uk.