Unsurprisingly, the teen years are a very important and complex phase of a person’s life. We reach a period in which friendships and relationships experience many upheavals, the body undergoes hormonal changes, new and intense emotions take over, and the future is put under extreme pressure. The challenges we face during the teenage phase can bring an inexplicable amount of … [Read more...]
On The Flip Side: A Peek Into Manic Depression
People call the weather “bipolar” when the morning storms give way to afternoon sunshine and light breezes. I’ve also heard people try to excuse their irritability by saying, “Oh, I’m so bipolar.” This illustrates how the general population sees the term “bipolar” as a colloquial term for something that alternates between two extremes. Going off of this observation, then, it … [Read more...]
Social Media, Others’ Perceptions of Mental Illness, and Coming Clean
I'll be the first to admit it. My Instagram persona is not me. This persona is a bad ass chick who is always looking tough, dressed awesome, and at fabulous places. You'll never catch her in a vulnerable state of crippling anxiety or depression. She is me, minus all the parts of me that I don't like. I use Instagram to create my "brand," and that is a brand/image that hides … [Read more...]
When Band Aids Don’t Work
I grew up in a small town. There are no streetlights on my roads, no sidewalks, and there’s always that offhand chance that you would need to swerve around a lost cow on your way home. The houses are far enough apart to respect neighborhood privacy, and everyone has known each other since the diaper age. It’s the type of town where everyone knows, but nobody talks. That’s … [Read more...]
How to Overcome Anxiety: Stories of Hope and Help
We all have a story. And yours is a special, important one that matters. Below are the courageous stories from our readers which show, from their experiences, how to overcome anxiety and depression. The submissions are from teens, college students, parents, family members and more. They are completely unedited. To submit your own story, Just Fill It Out Here Right … [Read more...]
Thoughts on College and Depression
It wasn't until recently did I come to terms with anxiety and negative feelings I experience in my life. I am currently 19 years old, in my second year of university, have a stable relationship with my boyfriend of almost 3 years, have parents who love and support me in all my endeavors, and yet I live in a melancholic state of self reflection and over-analyzing. If you … [Read more...]
Top Picks for #MentalHealthAwareness Month #MHM2015
If you haven't already heard by now, May is Mental Health Awareness Month! We think mental health month should be EVERY month, but I digress... Here are some of our top choices for organizations who led stellar campaigns this month to draw lots of attention towards understanding mental health disorders and their impact in our … [Read more...]
Surviving SAD in a Frozen Tundra
I always thought I was just depressed, but last summer, my depression went away. I was so thrilled and excited that I had magically gotten better. False alarm, once October hit, I was depressed again. I had no idea what was going on, so I talked to my doctor, and he diagnosed me with Seasonal Affective Disorder. Being in Minnesota, winter goes from end of October to April. It … [Read more...]
Self-Harm: How to Deal, with a Little Advice from Demi Lovato
Almost two years in an ABC interview, Demi Lovato shared with the world her struggle with an eating disorder and bipolar disorder, leading her to self-harm. She expressed to ABC 20/20 reporter , "I thought, this is the way to deal with what you are feeling," [...] "it was a way of expressing my own shame of myself on my own body, I was matching the inside to the outside and … [Read more...]
What Is Bipolar Disorder?
Can you imagine having unpredictable moods that range from being in an extreme state of euphoria and then to be in an extreme state of depression and anhedonia? Someone with these unpredictable extreme mood changes is diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is a sad reality that affects many people worldwide. It can effect your function in work and class. Someone with … [Read more...]
Top 10 Movies with Mental Illnesses
Mental Illness movies are a beautiful catalyst for the mysterious and unknown world of the mind. Not only are theses topics generating multimillion-dollar box offices, but are a bridge to the inside look of a community frequently misunderstood and misinterpreted. Often times these film seem to be just an outlet of suspension and thrill, but have a double purpose of creating a … [Read more...]