Hannah B.
UVic Student Mental Health Blogger
Hello everyone,
My name is Hannah and my pronouns are they/them. I am a second year PhD student in the Department of Anthropology, researching how we as humans evolved language as a unique form of communication and the genetic basis of language. I am originally from the UK (northwest of England) but am privileged currently to be an uninvited guest on the unceded territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən people, and I acknowledge and respect the Songhees, Esquimalt, and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.
When I am not studying or being a teaching assistant, I like playing tabletop games, watching rugby league, or enjoying horror films with my other half. I am also a big foodie and couldn’t live without cheese! Since coming to Victoria I have been trying to get more active and I have recently got back into swimming which I find really fun.
UVic is the fourth university I have attended, and this means I am well versed in the mental health challenges associated with university life. I also have personal familiarity of mental ill health, and I want to share my experiences and the knowledge I have gained to help others. Like many of the contributors to this blog, I also want to reduce the unnecessary stigma around mental health and create an environment where we can talk openly about it. My future aim is to become a professor and I want to be part of creating an equitable and safe learning environment in higher education, and this includes being able to talk about mental health. In addition, I am a queer student with an invisible disability, and I hope my past knowledge and intersectionality can be relatable and useful to lots of other people.
Let’s keep talking about mental health together <3
Don’t be afraid to talk about suicide
*Content warning: Post contains discussion of suicide, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts******Resources:In an emergency situation call 911 (or your local emergency number) right away or go to your local emergency department.International Suicide Hotlines can be found...
Project Spotlight: B.A.C.K.
Mental illness does not discriminate the people it effects, so why do we see racial disparities in the mental health system? Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) individuals are less likely to have access to mental health services, less likely to receive the...
Addiction: Talking about the taboo
*Content warning: Post contains discussion of addiction and substance abuse*Addiction is a simple term for a complicated set of behaviors. It can be defined as a lack of control over an action, to the point where it can be harmful to you. As well as effecting the...
Project Spotlight: Growth and Solidarity, Anti-Asian racism support
COVID-19 has changed the world around us in many ways, some for the positive but also some highly negative. One damaging aspect that has been highlighted and amplified by the pandemic is the level of anti-Asian racism experienced worldwide. From 2020-2021, across 15...
Imposter syndrome: these feelings are among us
“How did I get here, I don’t know what I am doing” As a PhD student this is a frequent thought that runs through my head, like a nagging idea that I have tricked my way to grad school. Everyone around me seems so much more knowledgeable and on top of it than I feel....