More must be done for college student’s mental health says singer Bressie

More attention must be paid to the mental health education of third level students says singer Bressie.

During a talk last Friday in the Venue, the Voice of Ireland coach spoke about how he believes that while there has been a huge effort in recent years to educate teenagers on the importance of good mental health, college students are still being somewhat neglected.

Speaking to a full audience, Bressie, real name Niall Breslin said: “The fact that we have welfare officers in place and people putting on events like this is good but it’s not enough.”

The talk was organised as part of the Stamp Out Stigma campaign, a student health campaign that aims to creative positive awareness of mental health amongst students.

Bressie also shared the story of his own personal struggles with mental health, having encountered crippling anxiety all through his teenage years and depression in his early twenties.

“It’s a nausea that comes from the absolute core, from the very pit of your stomach and it reverberates throughout your entire body” said Bressie about experiencing anxiety.

He also shared the story of his first day in college in University College Dublin where he had a panic attack in a crowded lecture hall.

The incident led to the singer opting to self medicate with Xanax in order to get through lectures before ultimately dropping out after two weeks because he didn’t feel he could handle the pressure.

His struggles with mental health culminated in a break down he suffered whilst living in London just days before he was offered a job as a coach on The Voice of Ireland.

The Stamp Out Stigma campaign continues with a talk from Elma Walsh, mother of Donal Walsh, next Thursday in The Venue.

Gary Grimes

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