SOVA Blog

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The Healing Power of Music

July 6, 2018 in LINKS

Summertime is the time to relax! But some of us have real trouble relaxing and putting down our worries. We might pop on a pair of earbuds and find some music to help us.

Music releases dopamine, the reward chemical, which makes us feel good. People who listen to music they like have dopamine levels up to 9 percent higher than others—one of the first scientific indications of how helpful music can be.

Music helps some of us keep the beat when we’re running, or to push even harder when we’re strength-training—both good activities for improving depression.

Check out the following links, which tell more about the many reasons why music is so healing!

If you listen to music to help you relax, what type of music do you prefer? Share some playlists with us! 

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The Future of Well-Being as Life Moves Online

July 5, 2018 in Social Media Guide

onlineThe Pew Research Center on Internet and Technology came out with a report recently that offers an opinion about the future of technology and social well-being that’s different from the doom-saying we commonly hear.

Pew, along with Elon University’s Imagining the Internet Center, asked tech experts, scholars, and health specialists this question:

Over the next decade, how will changes in digital life impact people’s overall well-being physically and mentally?

It was an informal survey, so the results can’t be considered scientific. Still, of the 1,150 experts who responded, almost half predicted that people’s mental and physical well-being will be more helped than harmed by digital life in the next 10 years. About one-third said the opposite—that more harm than good will come of online life. About one-fifth said they didn’t think much change would happen.

Among the “plurality” (that means not a majority, which is more than half, but the biggest group) that thought more good than harm would come of online life, here were some of their reasons:

  • Connection: Online life connects people to people, knowledge, education, and entertainment anywhere on the planet, at any time, and in affordable ways.
  • Commerce, government, and society: Online life revolutionizes civic, business, consumer, and personal logistics, opening up a world of opportunity and options.
  • Intelligence: Online life is essential to tapping into health, safety, and science resources, tools, and services in real time.

This is good news in an environment filled with doom and gloom about how the internet will change our mental health for the worse.

What about you—which group do you fall into? Try to imagine a world without the internet—what does it look like? Would you be more happy, or less? How might you go about using the internet so it does foster the benefits the experts mention?

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Thinking about Independence

July 4, 2018 in Educate Yourself

Happy Independence Day! Today’s holiday celebrates the action of the Continental Congress, which on July 4, 1776 declared that the 13 colonies would be colonies no more, but independent states. Of course Britain, who believed it was in charge of the colonies, didn’t like the prospect of this separation one bit. And so began a protracted fight that lasted more than eight years.

independence02We can see more than a little similarity here with the ways adolescents declare their independence from their families.

  • In some families, there may be little conflict: the parents understand that adolescence is a protracted time of learning to separate from one’s family, and they work to support that in a balanced way, while also taking care of their own feelings of grief and pride that their child is slowly leaving them and growing into an adult.
  • In other families, there may be no acknowledgment of the separation at all. These families may not like or know how to talk about their feelings, so they simply deny that separation is happening. The adolescents may separate well, or may have trouble separating, but in any case, they don’t have much familial support in that work. Not being able to talk with their parents about these strong feelings may result in depression and anxiety.
  • And then in yet other families, there may be long fights—”wars of independence.” The parents know that their adolescent wants to separate and they actively work to prevent it from happening. The adolescent may respond by enacting their independence in confrontational ways, upsetting the parents, who may not know how to express their feelings of upset and worry, so they resist the separation and come down hard with punishments. And the fights begin.

Ring any bells?

Of course, there are many other ways separation gets enacted inside families. But which of these three general scenarios appeals to you most?

This little blog isn’t meant to propose “tips” or solutions to this complicated and difficult process, which is different inside every family. We’re just trying to point out that the process is indeed difficult and complicated—and also beautiful and wonderful to watch—and that everyone involved deserves compassion and breathing space.

Where are you in your process of becoming independent? How do you feel about the prospect of growing into independence? Let us know in the comments!

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Behavioral Methods to Manage Depression

June 29, 2018 in LINKS

Oftentimes when a person is depressed they may feel tired, as well as have a lack of motivation and energy. These changes in mood can lead a person who is depressed not to carry out their daily tasks, activities, and responsibilities. All of these responsibilities at home, school, or work can begin to pile up. This can cause the person to feel overwhelmed, creating an increased feeling of guilt, uselessness, and failure. In turn, this can become a cycle that increases the depressed mood and further lowers motivation. 

squatsIncreasing your activity levels—simply getting exercise, for example, can help you to feel better, be less tired, and think more clearly. Positive experiences can help alleviate some of the depressed feelings and mood. 

The Behavioral Strategies for Managing Depression Module provides a list of 185 ideas about pleasurable activities that someone could do such as thinking about planning a day’s activities, exercising, or going ice skating, roller skating/blading. When you are feeling depressed, you have to make an effort to plan fun and enjoyable activities into your life.  The module has a worksheet for you to follow to help you track your activities and rate your depression, pleasant feelings, and sense of achievement before and after the activity. It also has a weekly schedule to help plan out daily responsibilities and pleasurable activities.

It’s best to start slow by adding just a few small activities a week. (For example, the squats in the photo above are part of a simple seven-exercise routine that starts small and builds—check it out here.) Then, over time, slowly increase the number of activities. It might seem hard in the beginning, but setting reasonable goals for yourself is important so it won’t feel like too much too soon.

Choosing to perform tasks that give you a sense of achievement or mastery will help you feel like you are starting to regain control over your life. Once you gain a sense of achievement, that sense may encourage you to do more and thus improve your mood.

What are some fun and pleasurable activities you do to help fight depression and increase your mood?

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“Accidental Bullying”: Has This Ever Happened to You Or Someone You Know?

June 28, 2018 in Social Media Guide

Have you ever heard of “accidental bullying?” The term was coined by author Sue Scheff. It refers to a situation when someone unintentionally hurts another person’s feelings in a public way—for example, on social media. To learn more about accidental bullying, read Scheff’s article in HuffPost and watch the video below.

“It was just a joke… But it’s not so funny anymore.” 

She thought the note he gave her was silly, and she shared it online with her friends and made fun of him in messages. And now her “joke” has ruined the young man’s reputation.

Have you ever been an accidental bully? or accidentally bullied someone else?  

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Coping with Social Anxiety

June 26, 2018 in Educate Yourself

socialanxietyHave you ever gone to a party or had to talk in front of others and felt sick to your stomach with anxiety about the prospect? Have you ever felt so nauseated and shaky about others judging you the wrong way? These are some of the symptoms of social anxiety, also known as social phobia.

In order to have the full diagnosis, the client has to meet all the criteria. But even if you have a couple of symptoms, it can be a struggle to function the way you want to in your life.

Suffering from symptoms of social anxiety can be difficult, but finding the right help can ease your anxiety and help you socialize and enjoy being in the presence of others.

You might ask, But how can I get better?

  • Staying silent about a struggle got me nowhere. Speaking up was very hard at first, but once others were aware, such as a parent or therapist, they were able to help me with getting better.
  • Therapy is a great option for social anxiety. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), for example, has the most scientific study of all modalities, and it has good rates of effectiveness.
  • Screen Shot 2018-06-26 at 11.30.08 AMMedication for anxiety can help tremendously while working in a therapeutic setting. This doesn’t mean that you will have to be on medication forever, but spending time on a medication that can help the anxious symptoms can help some people to gain the benefits of therapy.
  • Lastly, exercise, eating good food, and getting enough sleep are all important. If you get home from school and pop a donut for a quick fix and then watch a movie till late at night, there is no doubt that this is going to affect you emotionally if not physically. Taking care of ourselves is important, and with time that work gets easier.

What are some tips and strategies that you use to combat symptoms of social anxiety, or any anxiety?

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Summer Reading List 2018

June 22, 2018 in LINKS

nypl

The New York Public Library has iconic statues of lions on its steps.

Summer is finally here, and for many this may mean months of sleeping late, hanging out with friends, vacationing, and continuous streaming of movies and television shows. However, it can also mean finding a good book (or two) to read!

Did you know there are some good reasons why reading paper books is nicer than reading anything electronically? One important reason: if you read a paper book, you’ll probably remember more. One study found that people who read stories in paper books are more likely to remember the events in the story than they are if they read an e-book.

It’s true that paper books use trees and they’re more expensive than e-books, but that’s a great reason to use your public library!

So we have put together a set of links to lists of suggested books to try reading this summer.  We encourage you to find the time to sit down with a good book and turn off all electronic devices.

The Ultimate YA Summer Reading List—2018 Edition

Barnes & Noble’s Teens & YA Summer Reading List

The New York Public Library’s 2018 Teen Summer Reading Book List

Publishers Weekly’s Best YA Summer Books of 2018

What are some of the best books you’ve ever read? Share your own list with us in the comments!

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Mr. Rogers: The Celebrity Who Taught Resilience and Self-Regard

June 19, 2018 in Educate Yourself

Fred_Rogers,_late_1960s“Would you be mine, could you be mine? Won’t you be…my neighbor?”

How many of us can sing that song without a hitch?

On June 8, a new documentary was released to theaters recalling the life of a man who affected so many of our childhoods. Countless children felt like members Mr. Rogers’ beloved neighborhood, along with Daniel Tiger, Mr. McFeely, and the rest of the neighbors.

Fred Rogers’ life was filled with fame and success, but he was quite unlike the celebrities we so often see on TV or on our phones. In one broadcast hour, Mr. Rogers made it his business to reach out to hundreds of thousands of children and teach them skills and attitudes that would protect their mental health. Rather than focusing primarily on advancing his career, he sought to make a kind, thoughtful generation. As a Christian minister trained at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, he took it upon himself to use the power of his position on television to teach children about moral values. Check out this article to learn more about Mr. Rogers’s life.

Mr. Rogers’ mission was to devote his life to caring for and developing strengths and resilience in the coming generations. He worked very closely with several University of Pittsburgh scholars, notably Dr. Margaret McFarland, a child psychologist and Pitt faculty member. He was extremely interested in child development, and Dr. McFarland helped him include her reliable academic knowledge in his media content. Visit this website to learn more about Mr. Rogers’ work at Pitt.

Armed with advice from Dr. McFarland, a few unique songs, and his distinctive voice that created characters out of puppets, Mr. Rogers taught young viewers about real world issues and values for over 40 years. A mild-mannered person, he still didn’t shy away from difficult issues, such as civil rights, conflict resolution, depression, disability, and divorce.

His teachings about self-love stayed with his audiences throughout their lives, helping to create a foundation for positive self-regard that is the basis for resilience later in life. His overriding message: each viewer was special just for being themselves! Many of his messages and songs still remain in the hearts and minds of adults today. One of the neighbors from the “Neighborhood of Make-Believe” now has his own show for young children, called Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.

Did you feel like a member of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, too? What are your memories of watching Mr. Rogers’ show? Let us know in the comments!

To learn more about Pittsburgh’s own Mr. Rogers, check out his new documentary in theatres now. And remember, you are special!

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Say It Out Loud

June 15, 2018 in LINKS

We at SOVA are mental-health and communications professionals, and we use those skills to design blogs that give you—our readers—information about mental illness in manageable portions that you can grasp. For example, here are just a few facts about the reality of living with mental illness as an American teen:

  • one in five teens lives with a mental health condition
  • more than half of those are not getting the help they need
  • stigma remains a huge barrier to teens who are seeking that help
  • teens who don’t seek help say they are afraid of peers perceiving them negatively

Statistics and facts like these can help put mental health issues in perspective. But the parts of our blogs to which many readers relate most closely are people’s stories.

Our hope is that SOVA will make it easier and less scary for you to share your experiences with others, and that together we can form a network of peers who can provide support for each other as you negotiate your mental health challenges.

One example of an organization that’s putting stories out there is “Say It Out Loud.” They have produced a video with support from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Ok2talk.org, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). It shares the stories of several young adults talking about what it’s like to live with mental illness, and how they think of it not as a condition that defines them, but an experience that makes them stronger.

“Say It Out Loud” also includes a toolkit for adults who are interested in fostering conversations about mental health among teens. It includes:

  • a discussion guide about how to hold a successful group conversation
  • a narrative presentation for group facilitators to learn more about mental health experiences among youth
  • fact sheets and information about how to connect with NAMI on the community level

How did this video’s frankly told stories make you feel? In what ways did they make you want to change your life and/or your attitudes toward your experiences? How did they remind you of something you or someone else went through? Share in the comments!

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Gun Violence: Some Facts and Perspective

June 14, 2018 in Social Media Guide

We’ve developed an infographic about the perspective about gun violence that we gained after interviewing Dr. Jack Rozel M.D., an expert in the subject and medical director of Resolve Crisis Services in Pittsburgh.

One reason people are so scared of mass shootings, especially school shootings, is because of the lack of perspective in media portrayals, which then get shared across so many social media platforms.

How many people die each year in mass shootings?—take a look at our graphic to find out.

And please share on your social media channels to correct the misperceptions!

gun-violence

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