Moderator ★, Author at WiseSOVA

Concealing my Depression

The SOVA Project is happy to feature this blog post written by one in our team of fantastic SOVA Ambassadors—these are young people who help create meaningful blog posts from adolescents’ perspectives.

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 my household, and it hurts me to say to this day to say we still do not. I learned very quickly that in my house my feelings did not matter and were not valid.

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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, and the content that they learn can influence how they interpret information. This also includes mental health: conversations with peers and the ways that teachers talk about their expectations on students can have subtle, but lasting effects.

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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. Just having her sitting on my lap relaxes me and makes me feel lighter. Along with this, my parents and I have been watching the new documentary series Dogs on Netflix. This has inspired me to look more into how animals improve mental health, as I see how much they improve the lives of the owners on the show.

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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 as Veterans’ Day here and Remembrance Day in places like Great Britain, Canada, and Australia. While reflecting and giving back can be done on a very personal level, such as evaluating how the past year has gone and what can change in the upcoming new year, or participating in local food and gift drives at school or work.

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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 I’d be interested in taking medication if my condition warranted it. I always said yes, but my mother was less enthusiastic about the prospect of me taking antidepressants. Continue reading There’s No Shame in Taking Antidepressants

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 be at less risk of mental health problems. Then how do we explain that Asian American college students are 1.6 times more likely to seriously consider suicide than white students? And why is suicide the number one cause of death in Asian American teens?

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Positivity During Thankgsiving

There have been 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 joy and positivity, sharing events with loved ones and making memories.

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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 or homework.

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