Concealing my Depression
I first encountered depression symptoms when I was 11. As a kid who was bullied, coming from a broken home with emotionally unavailable parents, these feelings were almost inevitable. We never talked about our feelings in...
SOVA Blog
Can Schools Influence Stigma?
Our environments can have a powerful impact on how we view things, especially in how we view the things about ourselves. Because adolescents spent a lot of time in school, their teachers, their classmates,...
How Animals Improve Mental Health
Since I was spending Thanksgiving break at home with my family, I got to spend some quality time with my family’s dog. I have really enjoyed having her around and have felt my mood lifted....
Giving Back
There are going to be a lot of chances to reflect and give back now that the holiday season is in full swing. This doesn’t only include Thanksgiving during November, but other holidays such...
There’s No Shame in Taking Antidepressants
I was about four years into my battle with depression when I began taking Lexapro. I had been in and out of therapy in the preceding years, and each therapist I visited asked if...
A Minority in Mental Health: Asian Americans
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...
Positivity During Thanksgiving
You’ve probably seen a lot of posts and ads about giving thanks, especially now that the Thanksgiving holiday week has started. In general, this time of year is one meant to be filled with...
Ways to Stay Focused
It can be incredibly difficult to concentrate on something for a long period of time, especially when it comes to the more mundane and boring things, like chores, homework, or cleaning out your closet...
Monitoring Time on Instagram
There’s no doubt about it, Instagram is incredibly popular. As one of the most frequently used sites among adolescents, it’s easy to get sucked into the endless photos and videos, as well as the...
Can a Poor Diet Predict Mental Illness?
Food is so much more than gaining energy to get through the day. Many see food as an experience: some see cooking as therapeutic, eating with others as a way to deepen relationships, and...
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