SOVA Blog

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Compassion Fatigue

January 14, 2020 in Educate Yourself

Sometimes, and sometimes more often than not, the world can feel like a scary place. Younger generations have a more negative outlook on the state of the world and about what they’re able to achieve.

At the same time, younger generations have also been found to be incredibly compassionate: 92% of Gen Z’s in a survey stated that helping others is important, and about 3 in 4 of them are worried about inequality.

This negative outlook on the world and the higher levels of compassion play hand in hand. The internet, social media, and general media constantly giving us real-time news 24/7 has not only made us aware of what’s going on in the world, but what we can do to help and spread awareness. And there’s a lot to spread awareness about, from violations of human rights to natural disasters to various diseases. There’s a constant stream of information being fed to us about what’s wrong, why we need to fix it, how we can fix, and millions of places to donate to. 

And while it’s good to get the word out about issues going on around the world and make it so that the average person can have some impact on changing those problems, the average person can’t solve and help with everything. It can get overwhelming to put effort into just one cause, and keeping up to date about every single issue, whether you want to or not can take it to another level. At some point, you may feel yourself getting apathetic, thinking “what’s the point if nothing’s going to change?” or feeling depressed or anxious about how terrible things are and how other people are suffering. You may start prioritizing others or feeling guilty when things are happening to you, because they’re not as bad as other people have it. The feeling is not unlike that of burnout, when so much is happening at once that your mind and body feel like they’re shutting down.

This phenomenon is called compassion fatigue. It’s wanting to help others but through that, sharing and feeling their pain and putting pressure on one’s self to make sure they’re doing the right thing. It’s often seen and has been studied among healthcare professionals and activists, but anyone can experience it given the state of the 24-hour news cycle and social media.

Because of their higher levels of compassion, the issues happening today, and the impact they’ll have on younger generations, it’s no surprise that these same activists who may be prone to compassion fatigue and burnout are gettingyounger. At an age where they’re already prone to showing mental illness symptoms and coping with stressors like school and navigating their independence, it’s possible that adolescents can feel compassion fatigue quicker and an intense level on top of everything else that they’re facing developmentally.

If you feel like you’re experiencing compassion fatigue or are just simply overwhelmed and tired of feeling like you want to do something but can’t, it’s important to remember that these burdens are not only yours to carry. It’s impossible to care about every single issue ever at once, and at a young age, you shouldn’t be expected to be the champion and the voice responsible for a cause. The world can be a scary place, but you’re still a part of it, and caring about the issues of others shouldn’t negate or lessen caring about yourself.

Are there any causes that you’re passionate about? Do you do anything as a way of getting involved? Have you ever experienced burnout or compassion fatigue, and if so, do you have any coping mechanisms you want to try or have tried?

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Using Books to Learn and Cope with Mental Illness

January 10, 2020 in LINKS

Maybe you’re a bookworm. Maybe you have “reading more” as one of your New Year resolutions. Maybe you read as a hobby and use it as a form of stress relief when you need a break from school and/or work. Whatever the reason, you may be on the lookout for something new to read.

Everyone reads for their own personal reasons – some use it as a complete distraction from the world while others use it as a way to learn more about the world. Some use it as a way to learn more about themselves, like through self-help books and other nonfiction works. Fictional novels can also serve the same purpose, where reading and finding characters that you relate to can help you understand yourself better. You may even find characters that you want to be more like.

The practice of finding, reading, and using books with content that can relate to you and help you understand yourself better, grow, and cope without having to focus just on yourself is known as bibliotherapy. If you’re not ready to specifically talk about your own experiences in issues that may be taking their toll on you, reading books about characters who look like you and/or go through similar experiences can help you use their thoughts, actions, and stories as a way to untangle your own thoughts a little more. It can even help you open up more to others because the characters may have given you a way to put words to what you’re going through.

As discussions about mental health and mental illness has increased, the amount of content about it has increased as well, including in novels about the topic. Everyone’s tastes are different, but we wanted to highlight a few lists highlighting YA books that have mental illness involved in some way, whether minimal or as part of the core plot. Although there is some overlap between the lists, all of them feature a variety of topics involved in mental health, including suicide, depression, phobias, anxiety, PTSD, and grief.

We hope that you can find one that either interests you or relates to you in some way. If you decide to read any of them, we invite you to write a review about how you felt about the book, if you related to it, and how you think the story depicted mental illness.

What’s your favorite book? Have you ever read a book that involved mental illness in some way? How do you think the author did in depicting it? What topics do you want to see covered more in books, especially those targeted for young adults?

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Youths, Adults, and Conceptions about Social Media

January 9, 2020 in Social Media Guide

Look online and you’re likely going to find guides upon tips upon warnings about how adolescents use social media and how parents should monitor and be cautious about their children’s’ activity online – with almost all of them being written by adults. The opposite is less likely to occur, where these same adolescents can openly express what they wish adults and parents knew about their social media use.

However, adolescent voices, naturally, are out there online. And they’re making their opinions known about what they wish their parents, and other adults, knew about social media. Anyone, regardless of age, is on the Internet and social media in some capacity, but it’s an accepted fact that teens, adolescents, and young adults dominate the space (Gen Z is often regarded as the first generation to grow up not knowing a world without the Internet and social media, for example). Those who didn’t grow up with the Internet understandably may have some fears about what youths, especially their children, might be exposed to. Think of the classic case where adults have the fear that kids are talking to an old creepy man posing as someone their age. Without consulting these young demographics however, the negatives can be emphasized more so than the positives, including the prevalence and emphasis of cyberbullying, sexting, exposure to inappropriate content, and narcissism.

But here’s what some adolescents wish that adults knew about how they use social media:

In one essay, a high school senior defended her generation’s use of social media, explaining that it’s a space to shape their sense of self and find communities that will accept them. For them, selfies aren’t necessarily narcissistic, but self-portraits and a way to express creativity – adults have to “reimagine” selfies as a meaningful mode of self-representation and see them beyond the stereotypes they hold.

Another interview with various middle and high school students about what they wish their parents knew had them explaining that social media is a place for them to express their more extreme emotions, like anger and passion, and having a community to listen to them during those moments is reassuring.

Other things mentioned included having fake accounts beyond just their public profiles, social media being a place to practice creativity through outlets such as creative writing. Ultimately though, it seems that youths really want adults to know that social media is a place where they can be themselves and find those who are similar to them and experience the same thing to make them feel a little less alone.

This isn’t to say that adolescents see social media as perfect though. They’re aware that it can be addicting, they and their peers spend a lot of time on it, and it can feel incredibly shallow. Ultimately, adults should be aware that social media isn’t going to go away, it’s a part of life, and there’s a balance to be found. In order to have that conversation with their kids, however, it’s mostly important, according to youths, to not be awkward about it. 

What do you wish your parents knew about how you and/or people your age use social media? Do you think your own social media habits are reflective of the stereotypes often depicted by older generations?

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What is Somatization?

January 3, 2020 in LINKS

Have you ever experienced an upset stomach, a tight chest, clammy hands, or any other physical reaction when you’re stressed or depressed? The mind and body have an incredibly strong connection, and when you’re feeling an overwhelming amount of emotion, your brain can process it as being in danger even if the situation isn’t life-threatening, and initiates the fight-flight-freeze response.

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This is called somatization, or the way your body reacts to what it thinks is danger, even though nothing seems to be physically wrong with you. The video below, produced by the Kelty Mental Health Resource Center in British Columbia, Canada, explains this in more detail. Reading about the science behind it can be a little overwhelming, including how the nervous system is divided into the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system (it can feel a little bit like biology class), but the 7 minute video breaks it down, with cute animations and animals to keep you entertained.

The video shows different situations where people can experience somatization: pressure from an upcoming test or game and the feeling of rejection from people you care about. While these aren’t places where things are necessarily life-threatening, they can have an intense effect on you, especially if these are things that cause you stress or are particularly emotional about. This intensity is what makes your brain see this situations as dangerous to you, and that’s how your body reacts.

Learn more below!

Do you experience physical reactions when you’re feeling upset or depressed? What kinds are they? What do you do to help them, if anything?

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The Social Aspect of Online Gaming

January 2, 2020 in Social Media Guide

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Video games have become much more interactive than they used to be. If you wanted to play with others, they would have to physically be there, with up to four players sharing the same console connected to the TV, each having their own controller. Two people with Game Boys could connect to each other using a cable, and some games allowed them to play against each other that way. Looking back, all of it seems a bit excessive, especially now that we can connect to anyone around the world in an instant with a simple Internet connection.

Just like the graphics, storylines, and animation have significantly improved in gaming, so has the way that we can communicate with each other. Often times, the social media aspect of gaming can be dangerous: situations like Gamergate come to mind, and the anonymity of gaming can make players prone to cyberbullying, dealing with situations like trolling and harassment, death threats, and hacking. The more drastic and harsh comments made while gaming can lead to severe effects, especially mentally. This is something important to consider too, especially since about 72% of teenagers game (and 84% of teenage boys), and there has been an increase of mental illness diagnoses in teenagers.

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However, just like every other form of social media, there are positives that can come with online gaming and talking to others as you play. One study back in 2007 surveyed people who played MMORPGs (massively multiple online role-playing games), with a majority saying that they enjoyed the social aspect. According to them, playing online in a place where others have similar interests helped them to develop lifelong friends. These similar interests and the anonymity also makes players feel like they can be more open about who they are and express themselves in ways that they cannot do in real life.

So, just like any other form of social media, the way we communicate with others while gaming has its positives and negatives. The situations are a little different here though, because what better way to talk to people than doing so while defeating zombies or looking for treasure?

Do you participate in online gaming? What kind of games do you enjoy playing? How do you feel about the social part and how people interact with others when gaming?

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Keeping Track of the Good Things (to you!)

December 27, 2019 in LINKS

We all have different things that bring us joy – animals, good food, the weather, your favorite clothes – the list can go on forever.

These things can happen on different levels. You may own a pet, for example, or you may simply get excited by walking outside and seeing all the cute dogs being taken out on walks. Today you might have tried a new restaurant and really enjoyed it, or you made that frozen meal you bought on a whim ended up tasting way better than you had expected. Other things can include making it to the gym that day, doing well on a test, or getting a funny meme from a friend.

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Gratitude journals are a great way of keeping track of this, and because it’s almost 2020, there are ways to log the little things on your phone too. Check out the two apps below that are dedicated to easily put down the good things that have happened to you that day.

365 Gratitude As the name states, 365 Gratitude is meant for everyday use, giving daily challenges and opportunities to talk about the little but good things that have happened that day. They feature a scale of smiley faces for you to measure how you feel that day, and it’s also a social network that connects you to others using the app and you can scroll through a feed to see what things that others are grateful for that day. They also have a “gratitude jar” that fills up as you add more things, and can act as a game, unlocking rewards as you use the app.

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Grateful This app is part of a bundle that’s subscription based, which includes a number of similar apps to help improve your well-being and promoting self-worth. However, you can still download Grateful individually. It’s customizable, and like 365 Gratitude, if a blank page seems intimidating, Grateful provides prompts like “What made you smile today?” to help get you started. Unlike 365 Gratitude, Grateful is private, personal, and doesn’t require a login. You can also add photos to each good thing that happened, so when you look back, you get a visual as well.  

These apps were designed to be more than just a space to write down your good things, but to promote overall well-being through things like seeing what others are grateful for, adding photos to help you reminisce, and helping you track your progress.  

Do you keep track of positive things that happen to you? If so, how? Do you think it’s a good idea to do so on your phone?

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Navigating Social Media in the New Year

December 26, 2019 in Social Media Guide

There are always common types of resolutions that are made as the new year begins. One such resolution is to use social media less (ironically, you may have seen someone say this on social media). Going through social media cleanses and detoxes can give people the time to explore other sorts of activities, and taking a step back from social media can have a positive impact on mental health. Because it’s the new year, now is a great opportunity to take a step back and reevaluate your social media habits, possibly even trying to change them throughout the year.

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If using less social media is something that you’re also trying to do in 2020, you can figure out what’s best for you to monitor and control the time you use on your phone and computer. You can set limits on Screen Time, create blacklists for certain websites if you want to cut them out completely, or even delete apps off your phone altogether.

You can still factor in social media into your new year’s resolutions, even if you can’t, or don’t want to, reduce the amount of time you spend online. There are ways to take advantage of social media use instead of feeling like you’re not accomplishing much by scrolling through feeds and wondering if that one post you made got enough likes.

One way you can engage in social media in a more positive way is through activism. Social media has become a large and accessible platform for many to get their voices out and speak up about matters that are important to them.

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While it’s easy to engage in arguments with people you disagree with online or simply contribute to a cause by using a hashtag, the Internet also has a ton of resources where you can actively engage in causes and contribute to those that you care about in a more effective manner. You can create a list of movements you’re more passionate about, and once you’ve decided which ones you want to focus on, you can look online to see if there are any activities near you that you can participate in. Social media is great for finding these sorts of events: websites like Facebook will show you events happening near you specifically, for example.

If you can’t attend meetings or protests, you can also use social media to share articles and stories that matter to you. You can either use social media to find articles that others have posted and share those through reblogs or retweets, or post the links you find on your own accounts.

Social media can be difficult to completely cut out, but you can still take control in how you want to use it, especially now when it’s the perfect time for a fresh start.

Do you plan on changing your social media habits in 2020? What other ways do you think you can use social media in a beneficial way?

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Giving Back

December 20, 2019 in LINKS

There are going to be a lot of chances to reflect and give back during the holiday season. While reflecting and giving back can be done on a very personal level, such as evaluating how the past year has gone and what can change in the upcoming new year, or participating in local food and gift drives at school or work.

There’s plenty of options and organizations to donate to (some more popular and available than others), and it can get pretty overwhelming to decide which ones to choose (of course, if being able to donate is something you can do). Each organization is different, and everyone has issues that are more personal to them and have respective charities that they’re drawn to, but if you still want some options to consider, we’ve listed a few mental health organizations below. You can directly donate, buy merchandise where the proceeds go to the group, find volunteer opportunities, or even just share the resources on social media to get the word out.

What are you doing for the holiday season? What issues and matters are meaningful to you? How do you think you can help give back besides donating?

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Coping with Celebrity Deaths

December 19, 2019 in Social Media Guide

The blog post includes mentions of suicide, death, and drug addiction. Please read with caution if any of these items triggers or upsets you.

Social media has made it so that we can feel even closer to influencers, idols, celebrities, and other famous figures, no matter where they land on the fame spectrum. They use the same platforms we do, play around with the same filters, and post little (or a lot of) snippets and vlogs through their phones about the mundane, relatively average things they do during their day.

The relationship people develop when they feel particularly attached to a celebrity is known as a parasocial relationship. In short, these are one-sided relationships: the celebrity very likely does not know you exist, but you still feel some sort of connection, almost to the point of seeing them as a friend. It’s why you feel so defensive when someone makes fun of them or criticizes their work and why you get so excited when they release new content. Social media making it so that they give you a peek into their lives has intensified this relationship, because it’s like you’re literally their friend getting to hang out with them in their home, for example.

So when a celebrity you really, really like, follow, and feel engaged with passes away, you may find yourself reacting a lot more emotionally than you may have thought.

Celebrity deaths, of course, aren’t uncommon, and can have a great effect. Think about the public’s (and possibly your own) reactions when celebrities such as Carrie Fisher, Anthony Bourdain, Prince and Alan Rickman passed away. Adults who likely grew up with their works may have shown emotion that you didn’t expect them to have, but these reactions may have stemmed from memories they have of their movies and music as a child and the influences those people had on them.

The same feeling can occur when a young celebrity you like passes away. But in some regards, these celebrity deaths can feel worse, especially if they’re closer to your age. It’s a reminder that human life is finite and can remind you of your own mortality. It can even trigger fears of death and the reminder that it can happen at any age, and it can be hard and scary to navigate and cope with the feelings surrounding that. Consider the reactions that you, or others, may have had with the recent passing of Juice WRLD and Cameron Boyce earlier this year.

And then there’s the social media aspect of it all. Not only are you never going to get any more content from them (whether it be videos, music, movies, or anything else), but that parasocial relationship can result in similar feelings if someone closer to you, like a friend, suddenly passed away.

It can get even more upsetting when mental illness comes into play, too. It can be both devastating and triggering if someone you looked up to and whose content you used as a coping mechanism had their own personal struggles, like K-pop idol Sulli who committed suicide a few months ago and Mac Miller, who had been open about his depression, substance abuse, and the relationship between the two, passed away from an overdose last year. 

Everyone has their own way of grieving and processing death; the way we process celebrity deaths is no exception. It’s completely valid to feel emotional, cry, and be upset when someone you admire passes. You may want to look back at their old profiles and the archive they left behind, or you might look at posts about that celebrity by either their friends or other fans who also enjoyed their work and relate to their grief. It might be healthy for you to unfollow the person altogether, but some may want to keep following them as their own way of respecting them. YouTube likely has compilations of moments of them if you ever want to look back on the more personal moments they had too. If the death is triggering because of how they passed away, try reaching out to a close friend, family member, or anyone else you see as a support system. Journaling and working through your thoughts and how you’re feeling can also help.

Ultimately, grief is still grief. No matter how close you were to someone, even if you didn’t know them at all, even if you weren’t their biggest fan, the pain of experiencing a loss is real. Though the relationship may have only been through the screen and by a couple of “following” buttons, you had someone in your life that made you happy, and trying to return to that happiness when they’re gone may take some time.

Are there any celebrities that you care a lot about? Have there been any that have passed away? How did you cope with, or react to it?

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Maintaining Personal Hygiene During a Depressive Episode

December 17, 2019 in Educate Yourself

One of the less commonly talked about aspects of mental illness is maintaining personal hygiene—more specifically, the inability to do so. This topic can be embarrassing for many people which is what contributes to the lack of conversation surrounding it.

Depression virtually drains you of all your energy which can make it difficult to function on many different levels. Sometimes it can be hard to even get out of bed, much less take a shower and brush your teeth. The little bit of energy that you may have often gets used to do “more important” things, such as going to class or work. In a society that shames those that don’t maintain their hygiene (think of the accusations of assumptions of grossness and laziness), worrying about being judged or ignored can make depressive symptoms worse, and the cycle continues.

There is no need to feel embarrassed, though. You would not be lamed if you were physically ill and did not have the energy to do these daily tasks. Mental illness is the same thing. The fatigue, lack of energy, and lack of motivation is no different.

You are not gross. You are not lazy. You are not less than those who do not struggle.

It is important to take even little steps to maintain your personal hygiene. This is not only for your physical health but keeping yourself clean can help boost your confidence. Here are some tips you can take to stay clean on even the hardest days:

Use Dry Shampoo and Deep Conditioner

Using dry shampoo will help get rid of the oils in your hair, giving you a “just washed” look—and it smells good too! If you have not been able to brush your hair for a while, and it’s beginning to matte, use a deep conditioner to loosen up the tangles.

Sink Baths and Baby Wipes

Using a washcloth and some soap in your sink to hit the “hot” areas like your armpits before applying more deodorant is a way to clean up a bit. If your sink is deep enough, you can even wash your hair under the faucet. You can also use baby wipes instead of using a wash cloth. This is even quicker and can be done while you’re still in bed.

Take a bath instead of a shower, or get a shower chair

Sometimes just the thought of standing that long in the shower is what deters people the most. Taking a bath is a way that you can get clean without having to stand so long. If you do not have a bath tub, you can also buy a shower chair.

Use Mouthwash and Carry Gum and/or Mints

Carrying a travel bottle of mouthwash can help on those days where you just couldn’t get up to get ready before leaving the house. You can use it in the bathroom at work or school. Gum, mints, or breath spray can help on those days where you forgot to brush.

Deodorant and Sprays

When using body sprays, make sure to use sparingly so as to not have a super overwhelming scent. Febreeze can be used to lightly mist shirts or pants that you are unable to wash, and there are products designed to give clothes a refresh if you haven’t been able to wash them. Using deodorant at night as well as in the morning can help to contain body odor.

Ask for help

If you have someone who is willing to help you, ask them to run a bath or even brush your hair for you. Not only will it help you relax, but it can be a bonding experience with a loved one.

Invest in a nice hygiene product

Buying fancy bubble bath, lotions, or shampoo can be a way to spoil yourself and give you motivation to try out your new products!  

It’s important to be proud of the small steps you take and to make realistic expectations for yourself. Sometimes just hopping in the shower to let the warm water run over you is enough for that day. Be proud of accomplishing even the simplest of tasks!

Have you ever had any difficulties in doing any “simple” tasks, including maintaining personal hygiene, when you’re going through a particularly hard time or episode? What other tips do you have?

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