MOTS was launched by Kieran and Jaylan who both struggled with mental health in school.
Whilst in school, Kieran experienced panic disorder and generalised anxiety which resulted in him skipping lessons and not being able to sit in assemblies (due to the panic caused by crowded spaces).
Jaylan was a victim of cyber bullying which led to her feeling depressed and hopeless. Both Kieran and Jaylan’s friends did not know how to offer their support at the time, while the school never provided practical advice or signpost them to professional help.
Kieran’s Story
Anxiety played a big part in my life while in school. I experienced panic disorder and generalised anxiety, which started in year 7, and from that moment on my mental health did not improve till I was 16.
When I was in school, I felt isolated and feared being judged if I reached out for help. Services were not mentioned or promoted by the teaching staff, so I didn’t know who to turn to. Over time, the anxiety got worse, so bad I could not attend some lessons and assemblies, which led to me failing multiple exams during my GCSEs.
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During a typical school day, I would have multiple panic attacks, including sweating, trembling and struggled with concentration.
My friends tried to help, but sometimes didn’t know what to say when I was experiencing a panic attack or feeling anxious.
Finally, I was seen by a counsellor at secondary school; after many weeks of waiting, I received advice on my symptoms and took away great self-help tips, which I use during panic attack episodes.
I met Jaylan in college, which is when my anxiety was still causing me some issues. We instantly connected, and become close relatively quick. Jaylan shared her experience in school, which I completely understood, therefore shared my journey with anxiety and how little support was given to me.
I launched Mind of the Student with Jaylan to shed light on the lack of mental health provision and education in schools, aiming to change this by delivering workshops to secondary school students on spotting the signs of depression and anxiety, self-help tips on ways to alleviate symptoms and sign-posting to mental health services within the school and externally such as to CAMHS and other local organisations.
Our tried and tested model allows us to reach every student in school. We believe every young person deserves the right to mental health education and awareness, which will enable them to make the most out of school, and support young people transitioning into adulthood.
Jaylan’s Story
My own personal mental health
journey started when I was in secondary school.
I think school can be a difficult time for a lot of young
people, you are under a lot of pressure to fit in and do well in your exams, and also expected to manage a lot of your emotions by yourself.
I always struggled with my mental health when I was in school, I was going through a lot at home, I constantly felt stressed and anxious, and I didn’t know how to deal with the emotions I was feeling.
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When I tried to speak to my friends, I felt like no one really understood how I was feeling, and it was a really lonely and isolating period of my life. I felt like there as a lot of stigmas attached to mental health and that no one really knew how to deal with these difficult conversations.
I even tried to reach out to my teachers but didn’t feel like it went anywhere or that they were as supportive a I needed, and somewhere along the line I started to give up wasn’t really interested in school anymore.
The turning point in my journey came when I realised that the overcoming silence and stigma surrounding mental health needed to be broken down. I joined the drama group in my schools and held weekly groups where we could speak about our emotions. For me it felt like it was time to create a space and environment where I felt comfortable speaking about my struggles without the fear or judgement attached.
I met a really amazing friend when I was in college, his name was Kieran, and it was really there that we both shared a similar experience with our mental health journey in school. We both felt like there was a change that needed to be made in schools so that young people like us felt supported with the emotions they were feeling but could also feel like they could help themselves.
Through sharing our own experiences, we created a platform for others to do the same, I hope to dismantle the barriers that once kept myself isolated.
I do really believe that through Mind of the Student, we can empower young individuals to speak up, seek help, and find comfort in knowing they are not alone in their struggles.
