My story: "I felt suicidal but I didn't tell a lot of people"

Depression is affecting more and more students and at the time it can feel like you’re all alone but you’re not; many people are going through similar feelings. Chris had really bad depression and sometimes even felt suicidal, read his story here…

Chris had finished a foundation course in multimedia studies when he first started feeling depressed. He was taking bridging modules over the summer so that he could go on to convert his foundation course into a BA degree. Up until then, Chris had always done well academically but he became really depressed and dropped out. After finding out he had severe dyslexia, Chris has turned his life around and is now taking a degree in art and media.

“I was flunking all my exams; normally I am quite good but I was really struggling. I was living with people I didn’t like as well and that is when it all kicked off. I had expectations of myself but I wasn’t meeting them, and after I failed my last exam I dropped out.

“I was put on medication but it didn’t help. I didn’t see a counsellor – I wasn’t aware of any support. After six months I felt suicidal but I didn’t tell a lot of people. At that point I thought I had to do something about it.

“My main passion, hypnotherapy, saved my life. I have been into it since I was a kid and was practising with people in bars. At one point I thought, if I can stop people smoking I’ll do it to myself. Now I feel over the moon – I have overcome difficulties so I now help other people as a certified hypnotist. I am doing a degree and everything is brilliant.”