What Does Privacy Mean to You?

What does privacy mean to you when it comes to Social Media?

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What does it mean to you when something is on Facebook or another social media website? Is anything truly private once it’s on the internet?

Have you ever run into someone in person who knew something about you because of what they read on social media? Did it feel strange that they knew about it? Sometimes when you post something, you expect that only certain people will see it, but you don’t know who laid eyes on what you put on the internet.

We try to keep our website secure and anonymous to protect your privacy so that you can share your experiences without worrying about who will see what you wrote. Also we got feedback from parents that privacy is VERY important to them and they have a lot of concerns about how to make sure they and their children’s information is kept safe. There might be other situations where you do want to publicly share your story too. But if you do make that decision, it should be your choice. For those situations when you want to protect your privacy – what have you done on social media to protect your personal information?

Tell us your experiences with social media and privacy and what that means to you?

Talking about Depression

It can be really hard to start a conversation about depression with someone you care about. Because depression doesn’t show up as a physical illness like a chest cold or a stomach bug it can be hard to describe what you are going through. Having a starting point to talk about depression is a great way to begin the conversation. Adolescents may have fears about opening up about how they are feeling. Not only because of the depressive feelings but also because they may have fears about being judged or being unworthy.

On a prior post, we talked about what depression is and how it may present itself. That list may be a great place to start talking to your adolescent about what is happening. Ask them about how they have been feeling or if any of those things have been happening. You can help relieve some fears by saying “I am just here to listen for you right now, not judge or give advice unless you want it.”

Tell us about how you’ve started conversations in the past. What was useful to start with? 

 

Could Your Child’s Diet Be Affecting Their Depression?

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freestockphoto from picjumbo

What foods may influence mood, and what can you and your child eat to incorporate these nutrients into your diet? There is not a ton of research on this but we found some information about the following:

  • Omega 3 Fats:
    • Oily fish (Salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, trout, and fresh, not out of the can, tuna)
    • Flaxseeds and walnuts
  • Vitamin B
    • B6: poultry, seafood, bananas, and leafy green vegetables
    • B12: animal foods (meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and milk) and shellfish, such as clams, mussels, and crab
    • And you can supplement vitamin B6 or B12!
  • Folate
    • Dark leafy greens, beans and legumes, citrus fruits and juices
  • Amino acids
    • The chemical Serotonin is made in your body from an amino acid produced from Tryptophan
    • Find Tryptophan in protein rich foods such as meat, eggs, fish, beans, seeds, and nuts
  • Chromium
    • Broccoli, oats, green beans, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, black pepper
  • Selenium: One of the minerals that help antioxidant balance
    • Cod, Brazil nuts, walnuts, poultry

You should…

  • Balance your blood sugar!
    • Avoid, as much as you can, refined sugar and processed or refined foods, eating instead whole foods, fruits, vegetables, and regular meals.
  • Get some sun!
    • Get your dose of Vitamin D from the sunlight.

“Bad Mood Foods” to avoid:

  • Refined sugar and refined foods
  • Alcohol
  • Caffeine

Read more at: Food for the Brain: Depression

What do you think? Have you noticed that your diet can affect your mood?  Share with us below!

Emotional First Aid

By taking action when you’re lonely, by changing your responses to failure, by protecting your self-esteem, by battling negative thinking, you won’t just heal your psychological wounds, you will build emotional resilience, you will thrive. A hundred years ago, people began practicing personal hygiene, and life expectancy rates rose by over 50 percent in just a matter of decades. I believe our quality of life could rise just as dramatically if we all began practicing emotional hygiene.

Can you imagine what the world would be like if everyone was psychologically healthier? If there were less loneliness and less depression? If people knew how to overcome failure? If they felt better about themselves and more empowered? If they were happier and more fulfilled? I can, because that’s the world I want to live in, and that’s the world my brother wants to live in as well. And if you just become informed and change a few simple habits, well, that’s the world we can all live in.

While this TED talk is about 17 minutes long, we think that it has some great stuff in it! What do you think? How can you think about your emotional health the same as your physical health? What are some strategies addressed in this TED talk that you could use?

No Resolution? No Problem!

It’s nearing the end of January and you may be feeling like your chance to have a New Year’s Resolution Intention is past. But it’s not. You can pick up a new habit, or renew your enthusiasm about a previous one at any time. Quotes What is even better is that having, or not having, a resolution does not have to have any effect on your self worth!

Is your adolescent struggling with their image on social media in regards to the New Year?

If you or your adolescent are still coming up dry for ideas and want to do something we found an awesome list of 23 Mental Health Resolutions that are fun and easy to add to your life. Choosing just one may be a good jumping off point. And don’t feel bad for missing a day, each day is a new start!

Do you have an intention or resolution for the year? Did you find the list to be useful? 

New Years Resolutions

It may seem like the everyone around you is having a great time declaring their New Year’s Resolutions all over the internet. No matter where you look someone is posting about making it to the gym, studying every day, quitting smoking, on and on. It can be difficult to even think of something, let alone try to do it, when you have a mental health disorder. Maybe you’ve seen your own adolescent struggle with the “perfect” image that people post on the various social media websites. Maybe you struggle with it yourself.

Be Kind Quote

Fear not! New Year’s resolutions don’t have to be flashy or even publicly posted!  Last year my “resolution” was to “stop the glorification of busy.” Which for me meant slowing down, doing things that brought joyfulness into my life, and taking stock of the things that were bringing me “down.” It wasn’t not easy to show how I was being mindful on Instagram or Facebook, so I just stated my intention for the year instead. Which may be a great way to think about your “resolution,” make an intention.

What is your intention for the year? 

Is there a quote or reminder you could put on your bathroom mirror or in your planner that would bring you back to what you want your life to feel like? Does this seem less daunting than a resolution? What if you found a quote or reminder that you put up for your whole family to come back to through the month, or season. An intention can change and does not have to last the whole year!

One great resource I found for this year was finding some free worksheets for myself to do over the course of the month to help me get focused. No rush, just taking a pause to sit, think and reflect. If you don’t like the ones linked, just google “mindfulness worksheets” a ton will come up for you to print off for yourself!

Does this seem like a good idea? Tell us about what your intention for 2016 is! Are you sharing it on Social Media? Why or why not? 

NAMI – A National Resource

Have you heard of the National Alliance on Mental Health, also known as NAMI?

National Alliance on Mental Illness. (PRNewsFoto/National Alliance on Mental Illness)
National Alliance on Mental Illness. (PRNewsFoto/National Alliance on Mental Illness)

NAMI is a great resource for anyone looking for more information about mental health awareness and reducing stigma. It’s a great place gain more information about resources in your area for yourself or your adolescent.

NAMI has local chapters if you want to get involved in helping reduce stigma and help other recover from mental illness! Check out their Facebook page for more information or to find a chapter near you.

Do you think NAMI’s efforts are worthy? Would you be interested in doing volunteer work with an organization like NAMI? Do you think your family could benefit? Tell us about it! 

What you say is important

It can be tough to talk to your teen about sensitive subjects, especially sex. Sometimes teens who have problems with mental health can be more likely to be involved in a risky sexual situation.

What you say is important. Its important for parents to know that teens really do care about what their parents think about sex and place their opinion higher than that of media. Take a look at these short videos from planned parenthood which show some examples and tips about what to say.