Happy Monday to all our readers! We hope you have the opportunity today to sit down with your loved ones. This time is a wonderful chance to consider the things you are grateful for and to celebrate the harvest season, because we can truly find joy in gratitude.
If you’d like to hear more about practicing gratitude from Brené Brown, click here.
The team here at SOVA is thankful for you and we are grateful to have you as part of our online community!
What are you thankful for? Please feel free to share with us below!
Chances are, you’ve probably been guilty of caring about how well your posts are doing if you’re on social media. There’s just something so satisfying about seeing the number of views, likes, and comments build up, especially in the first few minutes of a post going live.
There are several reasons why we feel like this when we get notifications. For one thing, it can validate us, feeling that whatever we posted is of good quality and any work we put in it paid off. That surge of validation may be even stronger if the likes we get are from people we admire, like, or rarely see engagement from. This can also make us feel like we’re being “accepted” and give us a sense of belonging with whoever and what types of people see and like the content we create and put up. Our brains may respond to these notifications the same way they do when we get rewarded or praised for something, which then in turn makes us feel happy.
Of course, there is a negative side to that though: we may rely on waiting for those certain likes or craving validation, which can then make us rely on posting more or using other people’s views and likes as a source for our positive feelings. For those with mental illnesses, or even just as a person with the human desire for belonging and being wanted by others, not getting that attention may make us feel like we’re disliked, unwanted, and neglected.
Along with increasing that need for validation and belonging, the rewarding feeling we get from seeing social media statistics also happens when we compare ourselves to other people’s posts. It may be a friend, family member, or even an influencer or celebrity with a large following, but it’s natural for us to want to compare our statistics with theirs, and possibly even feel competitive, using those who are popular as a reference or as a goal.
Instagram has addressed this in recent years by hiding likes on most posts. While you can still see the specific number of people who have liked your own content, you can only see that people have liked other ones, but not specifically who or how many.
The way we use and treat social media may change as Instagram and potentially other social media sites begin to hide other people’s social media stats. We may not feel like we need to meet the standards of other people because of how well their posts are doing, but may also put more pressure on ourselves to get as many notifications as possible since our own posts are the only ones we can see, and may end up competing with ourselves.
Do you find yourself caring a lot about your social media stats? Do you compare yourself to others on social media sites?
A common mindset among those who are diagnosed with mental illnesses is wondering if it’s something that they brought onto themselves. There may be guilt associated with it, like the person thinking they did something wrong or ashamed that they didn’t handle past situations well enough.
One study looked at this in more detail, focusing specifically on adolescents and their beliefs about mental health after being diagnosed with depression. Navigating how you’re feeling and your mental health as an adolescent can be really difficult: this is a stage where you start wondering if what you’re feeling and doing is similar to what your peers are also going through. At this age, you want to fit in and if you don’t, you might think there’s something wrong with you and then you’ll be rejected as a result. This could be why experiencing mental illness symptoms can be scary, especially when you feel like you’re the only one going through them.
Researchers found three common trends when asking adolescents aged 11-17 about their diagnosis and what they think about mental health. These were confusion about why they were depressed, feeling that they were depressed as a result of rejection, victimization, and stress, and that they blamed something inside of themselves for feeling this way.
Many of these adolescents seemed to experience and feel a lot of guilt when managing their feelings about depression. This guilt had come from things like feeling like letting people down and not being good enough, which contributed to their depressive symptoms, or things like feeling guilty that they were being dramatic about something their “teenage phase.”
Despite these feelings, however, it seemed that a lot of these adolescents wanted to understand other sources for why they were depressed – the study suggests that the self-blame and criticism adolescents place on themselves needs to be addressed, since it could be a barrier for them to seek treatment or further help.
Although it can feel like the feelings associated with depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses, are the result of something you’ve done wrong or that they’re something that no one else is experiencing, results like the ones in the study can remind you that you’re not alone. These are common beliefs when it comes to experiencing symptoms and being diagnosed, but even though these feelings are frequent, they aren’t necessarily true. It’s a difficult process to realize, but mental illness isn’t one’s fault and something they brought onto themselves, and trying to overcome that can make seeking treatment, finding help, and talking to others a little bit easier.
How did you feel when you first started experiencing symptoms? Did you feel like you needed to blame something or find a reason why you were feeling this way? Share your experiences below!
The “model minority stereotype” of Asian Americans perceives them to be hardworking, and academically, economically, and socially successful when compared to all other racial minority groups. Because of this, Asian Americans are assumed to be at less risk of mental health problems. Then how do we explain that Asian American college students are 1.6 times more likely to seriously consider suicide than white students? And why is suicide the number one cause of death in Asian American teens?
Asian Americans are three times less likely to disclose mental health problems and utilize mental health resources when compared to white people, which gives us the false impression that they suffer less from mental health issues. The reality is that Asian Americans have factors that make them especially prone to mental health problems, especially when it comes to family.
Because the Asian culture emphasizes family cohesion and interdependence, family conflict is a factor in causing high levels of distress, and conflict becomes more common as one attempts to adjust to an American society. The Asian family dynamic also often exposes Asian Americans to negative parenting, and their desire to satisfy parental expectations yet rebel against this culture creates a “fractured identity” that leads to unsafe coping mechanisms such as self-harm. Family dynamic also instills a higher sense of perfectionism, which has been associated with higher concerns of parental criticism and hopelessness. In addition to these, Asian Americans are prone to perceived discrimination, a problem thought to only affect African Americans and Latinos. Perceived discrimination has been found to be associated with suicidal ideation and attempts among Asian Americans.
So, what can we do about this? Connor Maxwell and Lisa Kwon at the Center for American Progress propose four steps that lawmakers should take to increase access to mental health services for Asian Americans.
Conduct research on disaggregated Asian Americans. All Asian Americans are not alike, but research often lumps Koreans, Japanese, Filipinos, Chinese, etc. together. Some studies of disaggregated Asians show that Korean Americans are twice as likely as Chinese Americans to experience depressive symptoms, and Japanese and Korean American men are at higher risk of suicide than other Asian American men. Separating these groups out helps us to understand the needs of this population better so we can better address them.
Make mental health services more affordable. Many Asian Americans suffer from poverty, especially considering that the top several countries that immigrate to the US are from Asia. In 2017, one-third of Asian Americans with depression could not get care due to cost.
Reduce language barriers and stigma toward mental health services. More than one-third of Asian Americans have limited English proficiency. Lawmakers can increase the number of interpreters in health care settings to make mental health services accessible to patients regardless of language proficiency.
Promote cultural competency and diversity among mental health professionals. 13% of Asian Americans report experiencing discrimination at a health clinic. The lack of Asian American knowledge and representation in the mental health workforce likely contributes to the disparate environment. Having more training in cultural competency and increasing cultural diversity among mental health professionals are some steps toward making the mental health care setting friendlier to Asian Americans.
What are your thoughts about the prevalence of mental health among Asian Americans? Do you know of any Asian Americans with mental illness, or for whom you are concerned for their mental health? What other steps can we take, big or small, to increase access to mental health services for Asian Americans? Share any of your experiences or thoughts below!
Whether it’s celebrating on the first day of Autumn, the entire month of October, or just on Halloween, it’s not just the time for posting photos of changing leaf colors and apple picking, but for pumpkin carving, costumes, and yes, spooky activities.
Everyone has different feelings about whether they like to get frightened or not, and all are completely justified. While some refuse to watch a show with just the slightest hint of a jump scare, others will jump at the opportunity to enter a pitch black maze, excited to see what the unknown has in store for them.
But why do some of us like that feeling? Why do we like to be startled, and for the briefest of moments, feel unsafe and have our world shaken up? Margee Kerr, a sociologist at Pitt, explored this, explaining how voluntarily engaging in high arousal negative experiences (known as VANEs), like going on a roller coaster or watching a scare movie, can be positive. This is especially true when the activity comes across as dangerous, but is almost always in a safe environment.
For the study, the researchers went to ScareHouse (be warned, the website itself can be a little terrifying for some), advertised as Pittsburgh’s “scariest haunted house.” She not only talked with those who worked and designed the haunted house to see how it worked, but gave surveys to those who had already purchased tickets to get information about their feelings before and after. The majority of the participants, about half, said that their mood had improved, especially those who were tired or stressed. Some of the participants wore sensors and had less brain activity when completing tasks after, which was described as being similar to a “zen state,” the kind of calm feeling that happens during mediation, for example. Think of it like ripping off a Band-Aid: you’re afraid of the pain before it happens, once it does, it hurts for the briefest of seconds, but afterwards, you feel better and almost relaxed.
The article goes on to explain on how getting scared and the positive feelings that come afterwards are similar to the goals inexposure therapy, a kind of treatment for different types of mental illnesses where the person is shown the things they don’t like, but in a safe environment. This is done in order to reduce that fear. Kerr suggests that for those with social anxiety, for example, going to a haunted house with a ridiculous situation like a subway car full of zombies makes an everyday, packed subway, less terrifying.
This isn’t the only way to help anxiety, so if you don’t like getting scared, don’t think that it’s the only solution. However, if you do, a scary movie playing in the background as you work on a paper may make that assignment slightly less scary.
Do you like getting scared? If so, how do you think you can adapt it so you can use it when you’re feeling anxious or stressed? What are your favorite Halloween activities?
`When the leaves start changing and the air feels crisp, you know Halloween is right around the corner! Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and what I like most about it is that everyone is free to dress up as whomever or whatever they please and have a blast with friends! Ghosts, witches, zombies, and vampires are Halloween classics, but you know what’s scarier than all those combined? Using the holiday as a means to perpetuate mental health stigmas.
Depictions in popular media like scary movies oftentimes show stereotyped and exaggerated characters. While these characters are fictionalized, we often see a surge in costumes that perpetuate problematic tropes during Halloween. Costumes such as straight jackets, “mental patient”, “psycho”, and “asylum” are all hurtfulcaricatures of people who suffer from mental illness.
Mental health is commonly stigmatized topic and many people refuse to seek help because they are afraid of what people may think of them. Not only is it cruel to label a group of individuals as violent or dangerous, it’s incredibly inaccurate. People who have mental illness can be high functioning individuals with thriving social and professional lives!
Having a mental illness can be very scary. By wearing costumes that perpetuate these stigmas, individuals who are already afraid of a diagnosis may choose to hide their illness and refuse to seek the help they need. Mental illness is not violent, frightening, or funny and should be taken seriously.
It’s good to remind ourselves around Halloween time that depictions of psychological disorders in movies or shows is often not realistic and to encourage others around us to speak up if they see costumes that may be hurtful! Ultimately, mental health diagnoses are not costumes, and while Halloween costumes may be removable, those who suffer from mental illness cannot remove their diagnoses.
Feel free to share your respectful Halloween costume ideas below and let us know what you’re most excited about this fall!
Note: this post has nothing to do with William Faulkner or Shakespeare, though if you’re adding to your collection of facts for trivia night, check out the above links.
This post considers sounds — how we react to them, how they could be harming us, and how they might help us.
You might be a fan of music and its healing qualities. What about the sounds of someone chewing? How about the sounds of someone typing on a laptop? Does it even phase you? Even if you’re unaware, there’s most likely someone near you who has taken notice of these sounds.
Are you familiar with ASMR? It stands for autonomous sensory meridian response. A mouthful, right? ASMR might be considered sounds that help for relaxation, though (limited) research focuses on tingling sensations at the back of the neck. Think of a fish tank and the sounds of the bubbling water; or clicks and brush sounds (see: Bob Ross painting). It’s important to note that experiencing ASMR can come from a variety of auditory and visual stimulation.
Have you ever considered that sounds might be affecting you in unseen ways? Perhaps you already know this. Much like musical tastes, ASMR affects us in different ways and doesn’t affect some people at all.
On a future post, we’ll look at how sounds might be harming us.
Chances are, we’re well into your favorite time of year. Most people say that autumn is their favorite season (though other sources say people prefer spring, but both seasons are very popular), and included that, comes Halloween. There are tons of reasons to enjoy the holiday, no matter who you are. It could be all the candy, getting the chance to be creative and making costumes, or binging scary movies and finding out which ones genuinely frighten you. Even if you no longer trick-or-treat, you may also find joy in seeing kids dress up and helping give out candy.
And if we’re going to get really (candy) corn-y, your brain also does its own version of trick-or-treating. You may have heard that your mind can play “tricks” on you. This is usually done in the context of negative thinking: your brain focuses on just the bad, and makes you believe that that’s all there is. Those with symptoms of mental illnesses are likely to experience this a lot more often, and all of that negative feeling and thinking can lead to depressive episodes or anxiety attacks. It’s like your brain has created this filter that blocks out any good and only sees the bad, and usually blames you for it.
But it’s not like your brain can’t treat itself. Practicing small things like gratitude, being nostalgic, or coming up with things to look forward to can all be ways to add more positive thinking in your life. They’re reminders that good has happened before, or that you are in some control of good that can happen in the future.
Now, you can’t knock on your brain’s door and have a choice between “trick” or “treat.” It’s even more difficult to get the “treat,” or positive thought, as a result, either, especially when your brain’s tricks can be more effective. There are still ways to get that treat though. Let’s use Halloween itself as an example:
Obviously, 2020 has ruined any chances of a typical Halloween this upcoming weekend. Your brain might be making you believe that there’s nothing you can do, and you’re doomed to just being alone in your room and wondering about what could have been. Your brain might also blame itself for being in this position, making you feel guilty for any time you’ve gone out or visited someone and thinking that’s the main reason that quarantine has continued. In an effort to avoid these tricks, you can treat yourself to coming up with a new tradition for Halloween, or come up with ways to recreate old traditions indoors. You can do a photoshoot where you recreate one of your favorite childhood costumes, or challenge yourself to find the scariest movies possible. You can try baking something using your favorite Halloween candy, or put on old Halloween episodes of your favorite shows.
We hope that your brain gives you more treats than tricks, especially this week!
Do you like Halloween? What ways are you “treating” yourself for the holiday this year?
The variety of social media platforms, the kind of content they show, and who uses them allows people to wear different “masks” depending on what site or app they go on. Facebook has become more family-dominated, so many teenagers feel like they need to filter themselves so their parents, grandparents, and other extended family don’t see everything. Meanwhile, teens may use Instagram to present a seemingly perfect and aesthetic lifestyle to their peers (finstas, on the other hand, make teens feel like they can show their “true selves”).
There have been a lot of reports and articles about filtering and the different “selves” that people present online. Usually, it’s about the conflict between our “real selves” and who we want to be (A.K.A., the type of person we try to be online). However, LGBTQ+ youth can use social media and the presentation of different “selves” as a positive thing. Because they already feel like they have to filter their true selves offline and with the people they know in real life, going online gives them the opportunity to be as authentic as possible. Of course, this can still depend on the social media outlet: some can be out on Facebook, but may not talk about it as much and their experiences compared to other sites like Twitter or Snapchat.
A survey of LGBTQ+ youths looked at how they chose to present themselves, specifically on Facebook. Their results were clustered into categories that measured how out LGBTQ+ people were on the site, and how out they were within certain groups. Just like the various types of social media outlets, LGBTQ+ youths can be out in different circles even within Facebook itself.
In short, the survey found the results to be complex. While the largest groups that people interacted with were with school peers and LGBTQ+ groups – where people were more likely to be out and personal – people were still relatively out to their family members. Results also varied depending on how they used Facebook. For example, some had different pages (one person had a separate Facebook page for their drag persona), and these separate accounts allowed them to choose what information they wanted to reveal went where.
Ultimately, especially for those who identify as LGBTQ+, safety comes first when talking about personal matters online. Social media gives people the chance to connect with others who are like them, especially when it can be difficult to find that offline, but sites that are also used by those they are not comfortable may make filtering necessary.
Do you think you put on different masks depending on the types of social media that you use? Do you have separate accounts for the same social media site? If you are LGBTQ+, how do you think social media affects how out you want to be online?
If your doctor tells you that you may be depressed, what does that really mean?
Maybe some of the “symptoms” you have could be from something else like:
trouble adjusting to a new situation at school or home
a bad break-up, a friend who let you down, or you didn’t make the football or basketball team and its just been a tough month for you
there is a lot of bullying at school and you feel like if you went to a new school or graduated, everything would start looking up
a medical problem where you have belly pain or headaches all the time – if that got better, you’d feel much better
you have too much homework to do plus have to wake up super early to get to school and you are just tired all the time
another mental health or physical problem like ADHD, anxiety, or a low blood count
Don’t some people even have thoughts of harming themselves but in the end they don’t end up having depression?
The fact is you are right – it can be hard to diagnose depression. And sometimes you might have depression AND something else that is bringing it on or making it worse like a low blood count. That’s why health professionals might have to see you for several visits – like 3 or 4 times – before they can really get an idea of what is going on.
Even so, if you do have some of the symptoms – there are two important reasons why if they tell you to see a therapist or start a medication it might be a good idea to consider:
Seeing a therapist can help you learn new skills which can help you a lot even if you don’t have depression. One of the major treatments that can help with sleep issues and anxiety and problems with pain or headaches is the same type of therapy which is recommended for depression: cognitive behavioral therapy.
Tell us what you think below. If you have had depression for a while, do you think it took some time to really understand what was going on with you?
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