Cape Breton University mental health campaign shares personal stories

Students and faculty at Cape Breton University are sharing personal stories of anxiety, depression and other mental health issues in order to encourage others to also seek help.

The MyDefinitioncampaign uses social media and a series ofposters aimed at helping students recognize when the stressof studying, writing exams and campus life hascrossed a line and isthreatening their health.

One poster for the campaign bears the image of fourth-year bachelor of psychology honours studentMark Vickers of Sydney Mines.

He told CBC RadioInformation Morning Cape Breton host Yvonne LeBlanc-Smiththat he knew there was something wrong in his life, but he didn't want to share his feelings because of stigma associated with psychological issues.

"Eventually, it hit a breaking point and I knew I had to seek help," he said. "I was suffering from anxiety and depression surrounding school work, mostly. I really wanted everything to be perfect, to be the absolute best and sometimes that can't be."

A friend stepped in

Vickers said his symptoms began interfering with his ability to function.

"I would procrastinate a lot," he said. "I would have a hard time sleeping. I'dbe awake at 2, 3 in the morning, just thinking about [school]work, thinking about everything that needed to be done.

"My body felt like it was in a constant state of anxiety from the moment I woke up [until] I went to bed, whenever that was."

Vickers said he also began skipping meals because he felt too anxious to eat.He saysa friend expressedconcern about the state he wasin, and shared her own experiences with the same issues.

"It was in the middle of the night, and I realized that this wasn't healthy and that I needed to do something," said Vickers."I sent an email to the counselling services right away."

'Something needed to be done'

He described his first visit to the campuscounselling service as "nerve-wracking, very terrifying."

Vickers said overtime, with the help of the counselling centre, he developed new ways of thinking about stressors and new coping strategies. He still checks in with a counsellor every couple of weeks.

My Definitioncampaign was brought to CBU by student AlyssaMacDonald, who is also a peer success coach for fellow students. At a leadership conference last year, she heard about a campaign at the University of New Brunswick started by a woman who had suffered mental health issues herself.

"Our student leaders were very much on board with this idea and they were very keen on bringing it to CBU," she said.

MacDonald said the local nature of the campaign appeals to her.

"I really like that it's our own students and staff, it's faces that you see around campus on a regular basis," she said.

"It's people that you can relate to, that you can relate to their stories and that it connects you with our own services on campus."