SOVA Blog

3

The Moment I Realized I Need A Therapist

For what seems to be my entire life, I feel that I always manage my stress, anxiety, and struggles on my own – which I don’t think now looking back was the best thing to do. If I can be honest, I have always been insanely independent, and don’t like asking for help. I was always “that person” who brushed off the idea of a therapist, or speaking out my problems with someone who may be able to make me feel better. 

3

Coming to Terms with a Fractured Parent Relationship

As long as I can remember, my mother and I have had a rocky relationship. We would have long stretches of times without any fights, and then out of nowhere, a fight would erupt and we’d go weeks or months without speaking to each other. Most of this occurred whenever I was in high school, but our problems never completely went away. 

4

Finding Positivity this Summer

As temperatures begin to rise and summer has officially begun, the temptation and need to go outside can feel even higher than usual. You’ve probably seen tons of advice (including on here) about how spending just a few minutes outdoors, especially during quarantine, can have a huge impact on mental health, but right now, the sunlight and summer as a whole can cause some mixed emotions.

1

#MyYoungerSelf

There’s no start date when it comes to mental illness. While depression is often considered to start in adulthood, the truth of the matter is that it can occur at any age. Half of people who experience mental health conditions do so before they’re 14, with 75% doing so before they’re 24.

3

Managing Guilt Online

It’s really easy to unintentionally hurt people’s feelings online. We may not even know we’re doing it, and it’s impossible to predict how people who follow us may respond, but everything online is going to cause some sort of reaction, no matter how big or small.

2

“Lady Bird” and Moms

Recently I watched the award-winning coming of age film, Lady Bird, on Netflix. Rather than focusing on Christine’s (or Lady Bird’s) portrayal, I found her mother Marion to be more interesting.

6

Dealing with Cancelations

As many of other people have probably first-handedly experienced this, there are many summer festivities being cancelled as a result of the current pandemic. There are concerts people have been waiting for months to go to that are being cancelled in split seconds. There are festivals people had made hotel arrangements for, family trips, summer vacations with friends, and beach trips that are now having to be postponed until a later month or even year.

1

Podcasts about Black Mental Health

Podcasts are everywhere these days, and that’s a good thing! Especially now, when stay-at-home orders are still in place and social distancing is still encouraged, even in places that are opening up, podcasts can provide some sort of substitute for the busy background noise and conversations that you may be used to in your schools, a coffee shop, or large public places like malls.

3

What is Doomscrolling?

Let’s admit it. It’s so easy to get sucked into our devices and the social media apps inside of them. Even if you feel like you’re not directly interacting with anyone and just refreshing, there’s something about these apps that can make three hours feel like three minutes, despite doing nothing.