“I have two presentations next week and then a paper to finish. I mean I haven’t even started.”
“Tell me about it, I have a test and a presentation and I also have a trip during the weekend.”
“I think I will not sleep today.”
“Me neither.”
I witnessed the above conversation a couple of weeks ago and I am afraid the dialogue is not unique among CEU students. We all know that CEU is a difficult university in terms of workload and coping with this challenge is also part of the CEU experience. Recently, the media has been full of articles about the rising problem of mental health issues in academia all over the world, so I decided to make an interview with Dr. Vera Varady, who works at CEU’s Psychological Counseling service, to find out more about the situation at CEU.
I met with Dr. Varady in the usual Psychological Counseling service room at the end of floor 4B in Nador u. 15. We began our discussion with the beginnings. She told me that the service started 16 years ago and was initiated by Dr. Sandor Gabor who works at the CEU Medical Center. Dr. Sandor felt that certain students who visited him were physically well, but might need assistance with maintaining their good mental health. At the service, there are two psychologists on duty and you can visit and choose any of them. In the past you could visit Dr. Dora Perczel, now Dr. Berne Weiss offers consultations, apart from Dr. Varady. Also, the Counseling service is in close cooperation with the Medical Center, with Dr. Sandor Gabor and Dr. Monika Horvath. We can say that two medical doctors and two psychologists, as a group, look after the well-being of the CEU Community. Dr. Varady has worked at CEU for 15 years, therefore, I knew that I was talking to the right person. She shared with me her opinion not only on present-day issues, but also on some general trends she has witnessed during the years she spent here among CEU students.
Unfortunately, she confirmed my assumption that in line with global trends, the number of students who visit Psychological Counseling at CEU has significantly risen, especially in the last five years. Dr. Varady also highlighted that she has noticed not only a rise in volume, but an increase in the depth and seriousness of student problems. The “peak season” for the Counseling service is November and December.
I asked Dr. Varady to list some of the issues that are common among CEU students. She mentioned two typical groups: the first group of students (usually from Western countries) already have some experience with psychological counseling and would like to continue with the sessions; the second group consists of people who have no previous experience with psychological counseling, they usually just would like to have a conversation with someone. Typical physical symptoms that might accompany mental health issues include eating and sleeping disorders, anxiety, depression and in general a lack of well-being. However, a large number of students come with less concrete, vague complaints and it is precisely the aim of the consultation to discover and identify the real problem behind the symptoms. Generally, students visiting the service are not ill mentally, they often just need someone to talk to and share their problems with.
Dr. Varady also mentioned that she frequently encounters the problem of students unintentionally creating additional burdens for themselves, which might exacerbate their issues. Everyone has to face the “objective” burden of the workload and the stress that comes with it. But often people are generating additional “subjective” burdens for themselves. Examples of such situations are when getting an A- instead of an A becomes the end of the world, or the success of a presentation becomes a “to be or not to be” issue. Students often forget that the CEU student body is extremely heterogeneous, i.e. people are coming from different educational backgrounds. Consequently, it happens that the progress they make – in comparison to others – becomes invisible, i.e. they fail to value their own progress. In Dr. Varady’s opinion there is also a certain amount of collective pressure: when one student experiences anxiety and fear it affects other people in the student’s close environment. In CEU’s case it is an additional problem that many students are far away from their families and their friends and they might find it hard to find “safe spaces” in which they can be open about their life. Also, some students know that their families are very proud of them for getting into CEU and this discourages them to talk about the hardships they encounter.
Dr. Varady also mentioned that there is a clear difference between the problems MA and PhD students are experiencing at CEU. MA programs are shorter and more intensive, but this also means that they are more structured and most MA students find ways of coping with academia and with life. PhD students are in a different situation. They also have a structured first year, followed by a sensitive and vulnerable period when they are preparing for the prospectus defense. But after, many of them experience a kind of vacuum that should be filled with independent work and research, which some find challenging. They feel the insatiable urge to work all the time, and when they fail to do so, it is often followed by feelings of guilt. This situation can lead– in my opinion – to one of the most typical sources of mental health issues in academia: lack or bad balance of one’s private and professional life. Dr. Varady told me that her heart sinks every time she hears a student saying: “I have no life.” She always tries to encourage them to try to see the world that surrounds them and the people in it: try not to lose perspective; try not to be lost in the labyrinth of academic achievements, but maintain a connection to the world outside university walls; try to find something that makes you happy, and then consciously pursue it – a movie, a walk along the Danube, singing a song, anything... Make an effort and do incorporate these little things into your life. The keyword is resilience. She added that it would be good to have at least 6 hours of sleep regularly and 3 meals every day. Sports might also help to let off steam, but if it just becomes an additional source of guilt and you end your day thinking: “I didn’t go to the gym today – again” then maybe it is better not to put so much emphasis on it.
I also asked Dr. Varady if there are some tips as to when it is advisable to visit Psychological Counseling, but she said it is hard to answer this question because every case is unique. It is important to try to reflect on ourselves, to think about it whether we feel good in our skin or not. Unfortunately, Dr. Varady told me that they at the Counseling service somehow feel and know that those who have the deepest and most serious problems are not coming to them.
There is no fixed pattern for visiting the Psychological Counseling service. Some students come only once, to a one-session therapy. These people usually just need the confirmation that there is a place where they can go if they will have some problems in the future. Some students visit a couple of times during an academic year, but not on a regular basis. Some students have short therapies, which might include 3-4 meetings on a bi-weekly basis. Dr. Varady highlighted that their main principle is that if a “new” student asks for consultation then they try to schedule a meeting as soon as possible in order to evaluate how serious the situation is.
My purpose of writing this piece is not to paint a negative and dark picture of CEU students’ mental health and encourage everyone to rush for counseling. CEU is also full of fun and laughter and sunshine. My aim is rather to raise awareness of an exacerbating global trend in academia, which unfortunately is present within the walls of CEU as well. If I look around me, I see many of these problems among fellow students and in my own life and wonder how aware we are and how consciously we deal with them. I do believe burying one’s head in the sand is never a good idea, and openly discussing problems is the better path to take.
To end my thoughts on a more upbeat tone, let me share with you my favorite moment from my discussion with Dr. Varady. She told me how happy she was a couple of years ago when one of the students mentioned to her that during the crazy days right before thesis submission, the atmosphere at the Residence Center was fantastic, it was full with students who, instead of freaking others out, helped, encouraged and supported each other. Competition and stress will always be present in academia, there is no way of eliminating it – but cooperation and care will be present only if we bring them into existence.
Alexandra Medzibrodszky, History, Hungary
Psychological Counseling at CEU:
Photo: nadinemuller.com
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