Actually he is rarely on campus - too many stimuli that trigger his autism to cause him physical pain - but for this good cause Jay van Pooij is making an exception. He wants to start a community for students and employees with mental health problems. And to achieve this, Jay is happy to face his own demons and these days he's at TU/e increasingly often.

“I myself have autism, am transgender and have a history of addiction and sexual abuse,” he says openly. “It has taken a good long while, you know, before I could talk easily about all this; it took a lot of psychologists before I got to this point. Keeping things secret has a negative impact.”

Developing understanding

But what has helped him most is having contact with others in the same position as himself. “In self-help groups I have learned to develop understanding for others, and to understand how someone else experiences the things I do. That's something I've not learned anywhere else.” Another advantage is that tips can be shared. These may be very practical, such as how you can shut out stimuli (in Jay’s case by wearing special spectacles) or where you can get help for your problems. “You can learn all kinds of tricks for coping with autism.”

Jay rarely attends lectures in person, due to his autism. “With the crowds, the distractions and the changes in temperature, I pick up so much in the way of stimuli that it simply hurts.” He follows his courses using video lectures. Group work is a big challenge because for his fellow students it is often difficult to understand what is going on inside Jay.

Brick wall

During his last degree study, Psychology at the University of Amsterdam, Jay hit a brick wall in a group project. “I am very good at learning, was getting eights and nines, but I was also having a lot of problems. The people there didn't feel I needed help because I was getting such good grades. Fortunately TU/e is giving me help.”

He has already talked a great deal to student psychologists, community manager Erik de Jong, the well-being federation at TU/e and has joined the LGBTQ+ community Compass. “It is a great group of people, but Compass meetings are often held in bar-like places and with my autism I can't handle that. I start to hyperventilate, have a panic attack and pass out.”

Giving space

This is why Jay is looking further afield, for a community where he can hold his own; in which activities are organized and members can seek support from each other. “We also welcome employees and friends of,” says Jay. The main message he wants to convey is that you can be both professionally respected and at the same time open about psychological problems. “The aim is to give people space and the opportunity to show that while you are not perfect, you are professionally capable. My greatest fear is that I'll end up on youth disability benefit. I want to do something meaningful for society and I know that I have something to offer, but for anyone to succeed like this, you need understanding.”

On Tuesday March 3rd at 18.00 hrs the community-to-be's first meet-up will be held in Energy Forum. You can just walk in. Would you like to participate and mull over some ideas? If so, send a mail to Jay van Pooij.