Tags: by Gayathri Ramprasad | May 7, 2020 | Mental health & wellness, Youth mental health
Adverse childhood experiences like abuse and trauma can have a life-long debilitating impact on the mental health & well-being of children. Hoda’s story is a powerful reminder to speak up and seek help. It can save your life. Hoda’s story is also a reminder that all it takes is one person to believe in your story to help you get the support you need. I encourage everyone of you to be that person – Be the...
Tags: by Gayathri Ramprasad | Apr 15, 2020 |
I’ve never considered myself to be an extroverted person. In large groups, my ‘social battery’ as I call it runs out before most people even arrive at the party. I prefer to listen to the stories and updates of my friends rather than share the events of my life, especially the not-so-spectacular sides of me and my mental health. This secrecy was born out of necessity. As the youngest of four boys, all of whom went on to be college football players and fraternity presidents with girls always at their sides, growing up in the closet as gay was difficult. I had to hold who I was close to me and hide it behind a wall of feigned athleticism and confidence. However, my lack of congruity with my persona and my identity eroded my mental health and my emotional well-being. From the age of fourteen to seventeen, I struggled with suicidal depression and anxiety that were sometimes too much to bear. Struggling with my identity and my mental health alone was incredibly difficult and painful, so I finally decided to reach out. It went against the grain of my upbringing and my private habits, but I decided to find a therapist. I spoke to my closest friends about my sexuality and my mental health. I quit the homophobic environments of the football and baseball teams. It never felt good in the moment, but little by little, I found myself feeling more hopeful and happy than I ever had. Now, as a senior in high school (maybe? I guess I’m graduated as of last week), I’ve made efforts...
Tags: by Gayathri Ramprasad | Mar 26, 2020 |
The fast-growing COVID-19 pandemic is impacting all our lives.We understand this is a difficult time for all of us, and it’s taking a toll on our health – mental and physical. We wanted to share some tools that can help you stay calm & centered. Hope you find them helpful as you get through these trying times. Meditate – There are some wonderful free apps that you can download on your phone or smartwatch. Take a few minutes to start, end or break up your day with meditation. Journal – Spend a few minutes journaling three things you are grateful for each day. It is a great way to increase positivity and happiness in your life. Exercise – Get outside! Go for a walk, run or bike ride. Or unroll your mat and do some yoga, stretching or Pilates. Even 15 minutes will change your mood and you’ll be surprised, after you start you may not want to stop. Enjoy healthy meals – gather your family and cook your favorite recipes and enjoy them together. Explore a new or overlooked hobby – Pick up a book, put together a puzzle, work in your garden, bake cookies. These can take your mind off everything happening right now and help center you. You could also pick up a new hobby through online videos or tutorials. Organize – Remember that junk drawer you always say you’re going to clean, take a few minutes and tackle that project. Think about how great it will be to check it off your list! Sleep – Make sure you are getting enough sleep each night. Go...
Tags: by Gayathri Ramprasad | Mar 25, 2020 |
If there is one book we recommend you read now, it would be The Rumi Prescription by Melody Moezzi. Melody’s story of courage and resilience intertwined with the timeless wisdom of Rumi is sure to soothe and strengthen us all. Click here to purchase a...
Tags: by Gayathri Ramprasad | Mar 25, 2020 |
As a young girl, I was always very active. I started out with ballet as a toddler which led to highland dancing as I got a bit older. From then on, I was involved in a variety of sports such as volleyball, soccer, and basketball. This kept me very busy as a child, if I wasn’t at school I was at practice or a game. My mother mentioned to me recently that when sports season was going on, I always did better in school. I was actively playing sports until the second half of my freshman year in high school. I decided to stop playing because I was attending a brand-new school and there were a few older girls on the volleyball team that started to pick on me. I started feeling insecure and upset about the way I was being treated and I didn’t want to tell an adult because I thought that would backfire on me. I really didn’t look forward to going to volleyball practice so eventually, I stopped. That is when I decided I no longer wanted to continue playing sports. Because I decided to stop playing sports, my grades suffered. I started skipping class more and stopped doing my homework. I also started getting into a lot more trouble because I was hanging around the wrong crowd. Drugs and alcohol were heavily involved in my life all throughout high school and afterward. I know that if I had continued playing sports, my high school career would not have been nearly as toxic and unsuccessful as it was. After high school, I continued to hang...
Tags: by Gayathri Ramprasad | Feb 7, 2020 |
My name’s Hanna, mine’s Jaxon, and we’re seniors at Glencoe High School. Jaxon: those of you who know us know that we’ve been friends for a long time but we got truly close in sophomore year when we were both going through a lot. In the ensuing time, our experiences with mental health have been closely linked and we’re here today to discuss the importance of friendship and support networks in promoting mental health. Hanna: from initially supporting one another to now working together with an international nonprofit in promoting mental health awareness, Jaxon’s and my stories are closely linked. Jaxon: back in sophomore year, i was dealing with the end an unhealthy relationship and my relationship with my father was hostile and contentious. I was stressed and isolating myself from my friends. Hanna: at the same time, I was dealing with aftershocks of a death in my family and my existing mental health conditions were especially bad. I was having very severe panic attacks and struggling to stay afloat in areas that used to be easy for me, like school & my other volunteer work. Jaxon and I had 5 classes together, so we were spending a lot of time with one another. Over a couple of months, we ended up opening up to each other about what we were coping with and I think it surprised us both how much it helped to have someone to talk to. Jaxon: for the first time in a long time I opened up to someone new about what I was struggling with, and it helped me gain clarity and a...
