This week, we have an awesome resource to share with our users. The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) is a website dedicated to providing support to individuals who have mood disorders, as well individuals who know someone with a mood disorder. Mood disorders include diagnoses like depression and bipolar disorder.
This website provides so much helpful information for people who are coping or know someone who is coping with a mood disorder. Their website includes pages for education, peer support outlets (Young Adult Podcast Series featured on SOVA), and resources for those helping others. The DBSA also has an educational page dedicated to depression as well as a page for anxiety. Additionally, the DBSA has a section titled “Help Others.” We felt that this section would be especially helpful for parents/caregivers of individuals with symptoms of depression/anxiety. Some supportive topics include “What you can say that helps” and “Help with Symptoms and Treatment.”
One especially important resource for you, the parent/caregiver, is “Support for Helpers.” This page talks about self-care for those who are helping an individual with a mental health concern. One powerful quote states, “You might think your problems are minor in comparison to what your loved one is coping with, but that doesn’t mean you’re any less deserving of help and comfort. Take time out for yourself to do things you enjoy. Taking care of yourself means you’ll be better able to help the person you care about.” For parents/caregivers supporting someone going through a hard time, it is important to practice sound self-care in order to best help their adolescent/young adult. Explore the DBSA website and let us know what you think!
In what ways do you practice self-care? Why is it important to you?