More than Sadness

Depression is more than sadness. It is more than not being able to get out of bed. Depression means many things to many people.

depressionIt can be hard to talk about or even get a handle on what your depression is.

How do you talk to your adolescent about their depression? How do they talk to their friends about it? 

Has your adolescent signed up for the SOVA website yet?

Communication Tips

We found a great article about how to have more effective communication, not just with your parents, but with everyone!

Why this resource is helpful: It gives advice on good communication, not only between parents and teenagers, but between people in general. It stresses being a good listener. It also stresses paying attention to non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication is difficult, and takes time to learn how to do.

Paying attention to your own stress and emotions while communicating is important.

 

  • Effective communication is a learned skill, and it takes time and effort to develop this skill
  • Listening is important; focus entirely on the speaker, without distractions, and avoid appearing judgmental.
  • Pay attention to nonverbal communication, such as clenched fists or someone not maintaining eye contact.
  • Manage your own stress when talking with other people. Too much stress might result in you saying something you regret.
  • It is also important to be aware of your emotions when arguing with someone. Understanding your own emotions will help you communicating your feelings with other people. It is also important to understand others’ emotions, so that you can better understand them.
  • Here is an article to help develop nonverbal communication!

What do you want to work on when it comes to communication? Tell us in your comments!

Photos of an Anxiety Disorder

Hard to Breathe

We recently found this article called “12 Breathtaking Photos Show What It’s Really Like To Have General Anxiety Disorder” and we think it’s amazing that someone so beautifully created art around how an anxiety disorder feels. From the article: “Trying to explain a mental illness to someone who’s never experienced it is like trying to explain color to a blind person,” said photographer Katie Crawford. Crawford has battled an anxiety disorder since age 11, so she picked up her camera and developed a breathtaking series of self-portraits, titled “My Anxious Heart.”

Tell us what you think? Did any of the images resonate with you? Did they help you understand anxiety disorders more? What do you think about the comments others posted underneath the article? Do you have any questions about their discussion? Tell us about it in the comments. 

The New Era of Positive Psychology

Martin Seligman talks about psychology — as a field of study and as it works one-on-one with each patient and each practitioner. As it moves beyond a focus on disease, what can modern psychology help us to become?

Have you talked about positive psychology with your child? With mental health professionals? With your friends? What were some responses you received?