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How to be Safe While Watching “13 Reasons Why”

October 2, 2018 in Educate Yourself

Trigger warning: suicide

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When the first season of the Netflix series “13 Reasons Why” came out last year, it spurred more than half a million media stories, including coverage that attributed to the series a rise in suicides and suicidal ideation. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that internet searches about suicide increased after the first series’s release. JAMA also published a call for social responsibility and risk screening, prevention, and early intervention for suicide, which is now the second leading cause of death among young Americans.

In the wake of the first season, many worldwide experts in mental health, suicide prevention, and education expressed their concern about the series’s graphic depictions of mental illness and an apparent lack of resources inside the show’s content for viewers who may be triggered by this story material.

When Netflix announced they were planning a second season, the organization Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE) gathered a group of these experts to develop resources to help encourage positive responses to the series—in other words, a toolkit that helps young people, including those at risk and their friends who care about them but don’t know how to help, understand how to watch the series safely. You can look at the toolkit here.

SOVA talked to child and adolescent psychiatrist Sansea Jacobson M.D., a member of this team who works as assistant professor in the psychiatry department at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She also directs the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency Training Program at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic in Pittsburgh.

Dr. Jacobson has spoken to many media outlets about the toolkit, including a cool interview in Teen Vogue. Below is a short Q&A that we hope will help you minimize your risk as you watch the series.

SOVA: What do you think of the resources that the Netflix show development team included in the second series?

Dr. Jacobson: They mean well. I think they believe they’re trying to provide a meaningful discussion of these issues. Netflix included some disclaimers and trigger-warnings to the second series. But does anyone really read disclaimers?

One thing Netflix did differently that was productive was in response to a Northwestern University study that asked teens and young adults and parents what they wanted to see in the second series. These groups said they wanted to see the actors come out of character and acknowledge the raw content, and give resources for mental health. So that’s why at the end of several of the episodes you see the actors sitting in groups talking about how they portrayed these issues.

There is also more mental health information interwoven into the plot—in the first episode the series defines “safety plan” and “sexual consent.” The characters also say they’ve been to mental health providers, which can be helpful for teens to hear because it counters stigma.

SOVA: What do you think about how the series portrays the teen characters’ ability to get help for their mental health difficulties?

Dr. Jacobson: The Centers for Disease Control recently issued a report that shows a gradual uptick in the youth suicide rate, including a 25 percent rate increase of suicide across all ages since 1999. And concerningly, teen girls risk of suicide has doubled in the last decade. We have to ask, what is going on with our culture now that kids who weren’t at risk now are? And how do we get kids who are worried about other kids’ mental health to reach out to adults and not just to other kids?

A lot of people might assume that it’s important to deliver the message that kids should always ask their parents for help when they have problems. But much of what this series tries to depict is a very real and important process of human development called “individuation.” During this life stage, teens are developing a more formal sense of self and thus will naturalistically attempt to solve day-to-day problems without their parents’ help. That said, youth need to know that when they are struggling with more serious issues, like suicidal thoughts, they need to fight against individuation, and confide in a trusted adult to get the help they need and deserve.

SOVA: Where can young viewers find more information about where to get help?

Dr. Jacobson: Go to the website that has the “13 Reasons Why” Toolkit. We have international experts sharing resources, including links, of course, about suicide, but also about bullying, cyberbullying, substance use, school violence, and healthy sexual behavior.

Have you seen the second season of 13 Reasons Why? If so, do you think that they did a better job in accommodating to audiences? What do you think TV shows and movies can do to discuss these issues while also being sensitive?

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Making Opening a New Tab an Activity

September 28, 2018 in LINKS

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Realistically, we spend a lot of time on the internet. While part of that time is spent on the phone, we’re usually glued to our computers and laptops in some way. Whether that be for doing research for school, googling something for work, or just having a place to watch videos, taking quizzes, or talking to friends online, the internet is as present in our lives as breathing, and it’s easy to end up spending hours on it.

Using the internet often means a buildup of tabs, and you can suddenly find yourself drowning in multitudes of them that you don’t even remember opening. For those who use Google Chrome, there are a number of browser extensions available to add to the internet experience. While some of these can include organizing tabs (and therefore make things a little less clustered and stressful), there are also many that can make opening a new tab something to look forward to doing. Browser extensions to change a new tab’s appearance not only take a break from the dull grey look, but some are purposefully created for stress relief and to briefly ease the mind. It can be a nice surprise when you need to open a new tab in the middle of a long study session, or even serve as a reminder to take a brief pause after spending hours online without a break.

The kinds of extensions are endless, but here are a few that are specifically made to help with stress relief and mental health:

Joy Trigger: This extension features GIFs of cute animals, accompanied with quick tips. What’s better than a reminder to take a quick stretch over a gif of a puppy who is also stretching?

Tabby Cat: While not necessarily for mental health, Tabby Cat follows the animal theme and provides cute animated cats, all differently named and themed, simply being cute each time they show up. They’re almost always smiling, which can of course be contagious.

Delight: By featuring timelapsed videos of nature around the world, this extension is incredibly calming. Think of it like a nature documentary without the music or commentary, but with the same lulling and sleep inducing effect. The imagery is gorgeous, and it’s also a reminder that even when things are tough, the world keeps moving.StockSnap_TB2R3H1H7O

Calm: If you find yourself mindlessly cycling through websites, this tab extension almost serves as a blacklist. However, instead of completely blocking you from the website, you’ll be redirected to a page with a bubble, reminding you to take a breath before proceeding. Here, you can take a moment to decide if you really do want to visit the site again, or even prepare yourself if you know it’s something that will stress you out.

Do you use tab extensions? Do you think that they’d be useful? What other kinds of tab extensions do you think would help with stress relief?

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The Right to Vote

September 27, 2018 in Social Media Guide

usa-1149896_1280Politics have become a part of everyday conversation, as naturally brought up as the weather or celebrity gossip. The is especially true for the latter, as politics are almost one in the same with celebrity news. After 2016, the amount of activism and speaking up from entertainers has significantly increased, especially so in the last few weeks. If you were scrolling on your feeds this Tuesday, you may have noticed a few posts and stories about how it was National Voter Registration Day, and while anyone can register whenever, so long as it’s before the deadline, Tuesday specifically was meant to raise awareness on the topic.

Social media is one of the most accessible resources when it comes to learning about the issues (of course, like all resources, it’s important to be aware of biases), and these websites have become increasingly aware of it, particularly since this is such an important election year. Tuesday had Snapchat begin to feature a link to vote on profiles (if you’re over 18), a voter registration filter, and a story about elections that can have people register if they swipe up. Sports teams that have their own apps now have an option to direct users to register to vote, and Twitter began their own campaign on Tuesday with a prompt to encourage users to register.

elections-536656_640And as the discussion about mental health has increased, so has its role in elections. There’s the obvious toll that elections can take on one’s mental health. The 2016 election nearly two years ago caused a phenomenon known as “Post-Election Stress Disorder” due to the stressful environment. There was an increase in primary care visits in the weeks before and after November 8th for depression, and anxiety increased due to a number of reasons. This ranged from the fear of voicing their opinions and arguing, to the worry of what would happen to their everyday lives depending on who was elected.

However, elections can have a direct impact on how mental health is treated. Several states either have ballots addressing mental health treatment and determining whether they should fund programs, or candidates who run on a platform to make treatment more accessible.

These are all things to keep in mind as you scroll through your feeds and encounter the increase of posts urging for a stronger voting turnout, especially in young voters. If you’re at least 18, haven’t registered, or want to learn more, you can do so at:
https://nationalvoterregistrationday.org/
https://www.eighteenx18.com/

If you’re at least 18, have you registered to vote? How do you think the elections play a role in mental health? How do you feel about celebrities using social media to raise awareness about voting? If you’re under 18, what do you think you can do to help raise registration awareness?

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Bullet Journaling Beyond Organization

September 25, 2018 in Educate Yourself

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In the past few years, using a bullet journal in lieu of a planner has boomed in popularity, particularly among adolescents. This is partly due to social media sites such as Instagram, tumblr, and YouTube (often found under the #bujo hashtag), where people can turn to for ideas and where to start, if not an aesthetic to hopefully achieve. They’re colorful, creative, and an opportunity for people to have their journal truly be a reflection of them. However, though it is mostly used as a means of writing down homework assignments, future goals and tasks, and an organized place to jot down ideas and sketch, more people are finding that it can be used as an aide with their mental health.

While journaling in itself is often associated with stress relief and mental health, free writing what goes on in your head, bullet journaling takes a slightly different approach. Bullet journaling is ultimately used as a tool for organization, and having a place for decluttering your mind can help ease your anxiety. Once your tasks and assignments are laid out in a way that feels achievable, it can give a sense of comfort and security.

idea-2924175_1280Bullet journaling can also be used as a habit tracker. Here, you can list what you did that day, from the mundane as coffee intake to the accomplishments such as working out. In conjunction, you can also have a section for a mood tracker for the day, making a note about how you’ve felt that day, maybe on a scale from 1-10, maybe with a simple smiley or frowny face. You can use either or both to detect patterns in your behavior or mood, possibly finding out if anything is specifically triggering your anxiety or depression.

Of course, as a journal, it can also be used as a place to write down how you’re feeling that day, and a private space to let your thoughts run free. You can also use it to sketch or even doodle, where you can use the space to keep your hands busy doing something if you find yourself getting anxious.Set of highlight marker pens

Bullet journaling is meant to be used as a journal without restrictions, giving the user the freedom to use it for whatever they want and need. While the options of what you choose to use it for are limitless, there are just as many ways that it can help with your mental health. Whether that is through an intentional mood tracking chart or unintentional relief with planning out important dates and due dates, starting a bullet journal can be a tool that you can incorporate in your daily routine. It’s important to keep in mind however that it may not be for everyone, and if you feel pressured to upkeep a journal, whether bullet or otherwise, you don’t have to continue.

Interested? Check out the social media links above or the ones below if you want a place to get started:

https://bulletjournal.com/pages/learn
https://www.buzzfeed.com/annaborges/all-the-bullet-journal-ideas
https://medium.com/@melodywilding/bullet-journaling-for-beginners-and-impatient-unartistic-people-like-me-6efd7ee97f0e

Do you bullet journal? Would you consider bullet journaling? What do you think are the benefits of having one?

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Listening to Ambient Noise

September 21, 2018 in LINKS

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Sitting in silence can be mortifying, but sometimes, listening to music isn’t that much of a help either – even though it can improve how we feel, sometimes it’s too loud and distracting. White noise can be the best options in this kind of situation; it’s an ever-present noise, but nowhere near loud to the point that it becomes overwhelming.

White noise is a kind of ambient noise, which, in short, is any sort of background noise. While white noise tends to sound more like static, ambient noise can also include the sounds of waves, rain, summertime crickets, or the conversations of people around you that you don’t particularly care to eavesdrop into. Ambient noise is kind of a reassuring, ever-present comfort, there to remind you that you aren’t completely alone, but gives you the space you need at the same time.

A Soft Murmur

A Soft Murmur

Whether it’s to concentrate on a task at hand or to calm yourself down during a particularly anxious and tense time, there are many places to find ambient noise to play on your computer or phone (Spotify has a number of playlists under the Sleep and Focus genres if you need a place to start, and YouTube has an infinite number of hour-long videos). However, for a more interactive experience, A Soft Murmur (a website and an app) allows you to adjust different kinds of ambient noise for a personalized noise that’s just for you. There are ten categories, ranging from rain to coffee shops to a singing bowl, all with different volume controls so some can be louder than others.

Here, you can pretend you’re on a beach, the sound of waves around you with the cackling noises of a bonfire nearby. You can recreate being in a coffee shop during a thunderstorm, people’s voices around you drowning out the rumblings of the thunder. You can also have some fun and find out what a singing bowl is, blasting it amongst the sounds of rain, birds, white noise, and crickets all at once. Whatever it is, the website not only gives you what you want to listen to to relax, but also the control that we sometimes need to feel.

Would you consider listening to ambient noise if you don’t already? Would you enjoy having the ability to play DJ and control what kind of noise you listen to?

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The Art and Harm of Subtweeting

September 20, 2018 in Social Media Guide

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The art of subtweeting isn’t a particularly difficult one. It involves posting something on social media (usually Twitter) that’s most likely negative, most likely about someone you know, but always indirect. No names are mentioned, no handles are included, and the post is passive-aggressive, rarely specific, but hints that someone has offended the original poster. Think things like “I hope you remember what you did,” “Lol. Pathetic,” or maybe even “God, can you stop subtweeting?” Subtweets are supposed to vague, and once it’s out there, a mystery begins, where everyone who sees it begins to scramble and find out who the person is talking about.

Although subtweeting has become a common way of communicating on social media, this doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have its negative effects. Because of the mystery that surrounds it, it can cause anyone who’s looking at the post to worry that it’s them for even the briefest of seconds, even if they don’t have any direct relationship with the original poster. And then there are the people who actually know the original poster with an actual reason to be concerned that the post is about them. Subtweeting can cause guilt, increase anxiety, and make the audience feel that they’ve done something wrong, even if they don’t know the person in the first place. Though it isn’t direct, subtweeting can be classified as a form of cyberbullying, and can snowball into larger fights. People who think the post is about them can jump in, the original poster can eventually start getting specific, and the feed can become toxic.

However, people don’t think highly of those who subtweet, despite its frequency. A study has revealed that those who were shown a series of different kinds of tweets had a bad impression of the ones that were classified as subtweets. According to the study, this mostly stems from the fact that the content itself is hateful and that the vagueness is considered to be rude.

While it can feel cathartic at first, expressing on social media that someone has upset you without calling them out, the implications of it, both on you, the person, and your followers, can be negative. Overall, it’s best to avoid the drama on social media, and if someone has upset you, it may be better to speak to them personally.

What do you think of subtweets? Do you see them frequently on your feeds? Have you ever subtweeted?

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Can Schools Help Recognize Mental Health Illness Symptoms?

September 19, 2018 in Educate Yourself

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Yesterday’s post discussed the worrying lack of resources available for communities when it comes to treating adolescent mental health. The question is thus asked: is there any way that these communities can still help? An important part of mental health treatment is identifying the illness in the first place and intervening early on, helping address it before it can worsen.

We pointed out yesterday that schools are one of the most important places to include some sort of resource to help with adolescent mental health, as it is incredibly accessible and one of the places where youths spend most of their time. Several schools are starting to take a note of this, and those who can are starting to include free trainings for adults to not only detect symptoms of illnesses like depression and anxiety in adolescents, but how to help care for them and respond in a crisis. Trainings like these have started to pop up nationwide, from Indianapolis, Indiana to South Boston, Virginia to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The most common trainings used stem from the Mental Health First Aid program, a one day, 8 hour session that has been used by over a million people in the United States.

Y2AHVPYB51There are benefits in screening and identifying mental health problems in children and adolescents early on. Doing so can allow for programs and treatments to help lessen any of the effects that come with depression and anxiety, especially those that can build up and become more severe. Introducing these programs can also reduce the stigma associated with mental health. Schools using these trainings in particular can help you realize that the place where you spend most of your time sees how you’re feeling and tells you that it’s acknowledged and valid. This also helps to make an environment that causes a lot of stress make it a little less so.

While it can be a privilege to be able to access the trainings, this still shows that some steps are being taken to help recognize that adolescents may be going through more than just puberty. Having adults, especially those in schools, train to detect symptoms with mental health illnesses can be an almost necessary first step.

Do you think that these sorts of early detection trainings are something that should be obligatory for those who work in schools? Who else do you think can benefit from learning how to detect symptoms of mental health illnesses?

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The Inaccessibility of Mental Health Help

September 18, 2018 in Educate Yourself

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According to The Guardian, adolescents across the pond are having an extremely difficult time accessing facilities to help with the mental health treatment they need. The majority of children and adolescents with severe mental health issues in England have to travel more than 100 miles away from home to stay in these facilities due to bed shortages in the those closer to them.

Sending children far away from home has debilitating effects as well, adding onto to the troubles that they are already going through. By separating the child from the parent, particularly in a time of need, contact becomes increasingly more difficult. This makes it harder to receive familial support as well as family therapeutic work. The environment is also incredibly unfamiliar to them, as opposed to a facility nearby, making the adjustment process harder.

The situation doesn’t differ back here in the United States, however. In Macon, Georgia, there are 56 school counselors in a school district with 24,000 students, and each of the nine psychologists work individually with 2,500 students (the recommended ratios are 1 counselor to 250 and 1 psychologist to 1000). Not only does this affect the counselors and psychologists, stretching them thin, but having so many students to care for makes it harder for the students to get time to discuss what they’re going through, especially as the number of those with mental health issues grows.

Schools can be the most accessible option for adolescents to seek mental health help, but without being able to get the time to go in because of the lack of availability, they may feel like their issues are being neglected. The resources aren’t there, and therefore the school doesn’t see mental health as of an issue. Without that help, the effects begin to build up as well, particularly with school performance. In Macon’s case, this is also true outside of the school setting; school psychologists can refer students to outpatient providers if necessary, but their availability is nearly nonexistent as well. 

Both cases show that the number of children and adolescents who need assistance and help with their mental health is far greater than the availability. As the number of those who show symptoms of mental health issues increases, the number of those able to help has remained the same. Though the reasons for this can vary, like lack of budget or lack of recognition of mental health as a valid health issue, the fact still stands that there isn’t enough help available to those who need it.

Do you think that there should be more mental health facilities accessible for adolescents? How well do you think your school is with their mental health facilities?

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Staycationing and Giving Yourself a Break

September 17, 2018 in Be Positive

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While the term itself may be new, staycations are the opportunity to take a break from reality while still living in it. How one specifically defines what a staycation is to them can vary, but so long as it’s somewhere familiar, involves a significantly relaxed pace, and does not involve your everyday routine, it’s a staycation. Unlike vacations, they come without the stress of planning an itinerary, or meeting schedule times like flights and tours, but they still come with that temporary escape that gives your brain the break it needs.

As an opportunity to relax, staycations can have several benefits to your mental health. It’s a reminder that you’re allowed to pause when things get overwhelming, giving your mind the chance to distract itself on things that aren’t taxing or daunting. Stress can manifest itself in physical ways too, so taking the time to breathe can have a positive effect on the tight knots and tense muscles as well. And while escapism is one purpose of staycations, it’s also the chance for reflection. There’s no looming tasks to distract you during this time, and by relaxing, you can also have the opportunity to think about why you have been feeling the way you feel in an unassuming, peaceful environment.

For those who can, staycations can be especially luxurious by staying in a fancy hotel nearby or booking a spa session to fully indulge in relaxing. These don’t have to be the only options for an escape, however. The following can be some other options:

Have a DIY spa day: Sure, it’s not actually going to the spa and having someone pamper you, but getting a face mask, putting on your favorite playlist, and dropping a bath bomb in the tub can have a similar effect.

Rearrange your space: Staycations keep you in a familiar environment, but it’s still the chance to escape, so if you can, you can move things around and pretend as if your living space is someplace completely new. Furniture rearrangement is one option, but you can also make yourself a blanket fort, or simply light a few candles.

Explore nature (weather pending): If you live near somewhere with trails or near a park, you can take a couple of hours to go with a friend, family member, or even just yourself and your headphones, and walk or bike surrounded by trees and green.

So don’t pack your bags and settle in somewhere you know, and let your mind take the vacation it deserves.

Further reading:
https://medium.com/thrive-global/9-steps-to-a-mental-wellness-staycation-6bdf5aca54d0
https://www.bustle.com/p/how-a-staycation-helped-me-with-my-anxiety-why-you-might-want-to-try-one-too-7580043

Have you ever taken a staycation? How would you plan a staycation if you were given a few days to yourself? Do you think taking one would benefit your mental health?

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I’m Listening

September 14, 2018 in LINKS

(Trigger warning: suicide)

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Last Sunday morning, radios across the country devoted two hours to a candid discussion about mental health and suicide for Suicide Prevention Week. The simultaneous broadcast nationwide featured prerecorded interviews with celebrities, from Alessia Cara to Michael Phelps to Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda, and gave the opportunity for people to call in and share their personal journeys. Though it was broadcasted around the country, people weren’t afraid to open up, going into detail about their depression and experience with suicide, including recalling their childhood and their experiences with mental health as minorities.

I’m Listening is a website that helps to bring awareness of the pitfalls and trials of mental health, though it enhances the discussion by featuring celebrities with their experiences and stories. By promoting articles about celebrities and mental health, it helps us to realize that we’re not alone because celebrities are just like us.

The following are a few of the posts on the website that you can explore:

I’m Listening Broadcast: The main feature. The aforementioned radio broadcast is an annual event, archived for those who missed it but still want to listen to the candid conversations with celebrities, medical experts, and the everyday person about mental health.

Videos: The website interviews celebrities outside of the broadcast as well, such as the one with Alessia Cara. The site also features encouraging messages, something we all need sometimes, including from celebrities like BTS.

Resources: I’m Listening has a list of phone numbers and communities available for contact.

Articles: Though not direct interviews, the website discusses other places that celebrities and notable people have talked about mental health. This includes a write-up about Shawn Mendes’ music,  Imagine Dragon’s Dan Reynolds’ interview with Ellen Degeneres, and Selena Gomez’s interview with Harper’s Bazaar.

It’s important to remember that mental health is a journey that one doesn’t take alone, and I’m Listening reminds us of that. Not only does the broadcast itself give an open platform to make the conversation that much more available, but the website itself has several ways to connect those who are going through the same thing as us, even if they are a little bit more well known.

If you or anyone you know ever feel in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or go to your nearest emergency room

What do you think are the best ways to communicate to discuss mental health? Now that celebrities have become more vocal, do you think they’re helping make the conversations you have with others about mental health a little easier?

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