I鈥檝e been debating for a long time when and how to share my experience with mental health here at the Gradifying Blog. It鈥檚 not easy to write about, but I believe it will resonate with many of you. If there鈥檚 one message I want you to take away, it鈥檚 this: no matter how good or bad things feel, you are never alone.
I am from the Brazilian Northeast鈥攁 place where warmth is not just in the weather but in the people. It鈥檚 a land where the sun shines from 5 am to 6 pm all year long, where music fills the streets, and where people laugh sincerely even in the most challenging times. Stepping into my first semester as a PhD student in Canada was a shock in every possible sense. It was the dead of winter, and I was living 40 minutes from campus, taking 8:30 am courses and TA sessions, all while trying to dive into research and adapt to an entirely new culture and environment. By the third week, I was more exhausted than I鈥檇 ever been and crying myself to sleep every night. It was written all over my face.
One conversation became the turning point. It gave me the courage to open up to the people who mattered most: my support network. And yes, that included my supervisors. I remember preparing a bullet-point list of every expectation, frustration, and fear that had been weighing on me. I read it aloud through non-stop tears during one of our weekly meetings. It was uncomfortable, awkward, and鈥攊f I鈥檓 honest鈥攂orderline dramatic. But it was also relieving. That conversation changed everything.
By March 2024, I realized I couldn鈥檛 overcome my struggles on my own. I began therapy, choosing to work with professionals who spoke my native language, Portuguese鈥攁 language in which I felt safer sharing my most personal thoughts. A few months later, in July, I had my first appointment with a psychiatrist. Receiving a diagnosis was painful; it felt, at first, like I was failing at both work and myself. But naming what I was going through also opened the door to healing. Around that time, the team at the C么t茅 Sharp Student Wellness Centre became instrumental in helping me navigate the bureaucracy of medical prescriptions, while also monitoring and managing my symptoms. Since then, I鈥檝e discovered just how many resources and awareness efforts exist for students living with mental illness (check them here and ).
Looking back, I see that four pillars have been guiding me through this process:
1. Stay close to your support network
Even across distance, my family, friends, and peers, as well as my supervisors here, reminded me that I wasn鈥檛 fighting this alone. Find your anchors and hold on to them.
2. Communicate openly with your supervisors
It may feel daunting, but honesty builds trust and makes the weight of graduate school more bearable. Setting expectations early creates a healthier environment for everyone involved.
3. Seek medical treatment
Mental health is health. Therapy and medication are not weaknesses but acts of care. Just as you鈥檇 treat a physical illness, seeking professional help is essential for healing and growth.
4. Nurture hobbies outside academia
Research cannot (and should not) be your entire life, as I painstakingly have learned. Finding activities unrelated to your work helps restore energy and perspective. For me, sewing and embroidery became a way to quiet my mind, reconnect with creativity, and find joy beyond deadlines. Whether it鈥檚 sports, art, volunteering, or simply a walk outside, these moments remind us that we are more than our academic identities.