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.
Everyone has their outlet to getting stress out. For many, it’s exercise. For others, it’s music. But my suggestion is entirely different. Based off my personal experience, I suggest genealogy. Continue reading A Hobby to Help with Bad Feelings
More than 1 in 7 kids in the US between the ages of 6 and 18 (7.7 million children, to be exact) have a mental health disorder as of 2016, and nearly half of them are not getting treatment. Mental health issues, if not addressed while still young, can result in detrimental physical, social, and worsening mental health consequences, and difficulties transitioning into adulthood.
Unfortunately, this is not something new. Continue reading Providing Mental Health Services
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 have made a big change in the past few months. I have limited how often I vent to people and also who I vent to. Up until recently, I was an open book to quite a few friends. As soon as I would start feeling down, I would pick up my phone and shoot them a text to let them know how I was feeling. I worked on impulse, and never took a second to consider the consequences of it. Continue reading The Right and Wrong Times to Open Up
As rates in adolescent mental illnesses have risen, the question also arises: are teens and young adults aware of this situation? These are the youths being diagnosed and showing symptoms of mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety, but do they think it’s something that only affects them as individuals, or are they noticing these patterns with their peers? What do adolescents consider to be the main problems with their age group? Continue reading What do Adolescents Think about Their Mental Health?
In an article featured in a blog post from a few weeks ago, Corey Hirsch says, “If I had a magic wand, my biggest wish would be that, a year from now, there would be mental health awareness classes in schools […] across North America. Every single kid should be equipped with a basic knowledge about anxiety, depression, OCD and other mental health issues. To treat these things like they don’t exist is unacceptable.”
Continue reading Mental Health Access and Awareness in Schools
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.
The blog post includes mentions of suicide and verbal and physical abuse. Please read with caution if any of these items triggers or upsets you.
February 21, 2018 was the day I survived my suicide attempt. February 21, 2019 was a very emotional day for me as I began to reflect on the progress I made within the past year. To display my reflections, I wrote an essay about my journey: Continue reading Reflections
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.
1 in 4 people aged 18 and older will experience a mental health concern per year. This statistic wavers above and below this number, but the message is the same; if you don’t have a mental illness, you almost definitely know somebody who does.
One of the best ways to deal with mental health issues is to talk about them. Starting a conversation can be hard, but being able to talk about your feelings can help you to understand and work through them. Continue reading What is YST?
Mental health and the risks for mental illness affect everyone differently, and this is just as true when it comes to demographics. Everyone has their own experiences and own stories when it comes to how mental health impacts them directly, but your identity can also play a role in how you’re affected.
As children approach their teenage years, life becomes – for better or for worse – all about friends. While this can create unforgettable bonding experiences, it can also make for unforgettable wounds.