I first experienced psychosis as a child. I would see ghostly apparitions that would show up at night. Not believing in ghosts, I would try to convince myself that they were simply a visual effect from a streetlight, except that they would move around the room at times. I was frightened by these hallucinations, but I couldn’t tell anybody about...
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The Relief of an accurate diagnosis
December 30, 2019
By: Natalia Beiser
When I was eighteen, I was finishing the last semester of high school and attempting to concentrate on the scenes of a teenager: attending dances, performing in musicals and band, and picking out a prom dress. I knew that something was terribly wrong, but I did not know how to fix the underlying problem. I survived without eating...
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Teen Changemakers Essay Contest: 1st Place
December 23, 2019
By: Petra Dujmic
As a small, Catholic institution in Arlington, Massachusetts, I’ve always regarded my high school to be a place of mental health awareness and respect. From my first days at AC to my upcoming last as a current senior, mental health importance has, in more subtle ways than prominent, been emphasized via our grade-wide “retreats”, counseling...
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Teen Changemakers Essay Contest: 2nd Place
December 23, 2019
By: Charm Evans
“Mental health…is not a destination, but a process. It’s about how you drive, not where you’re going.” – Noam Shpancer, PhD. Mental illnesses are no joke. It is important that people learn how to identify common mental illnesses so that we can understand its physical, social and financial impact. According to the Jamaica Observer, in 2018, Jamaica...
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Teen Changemakers Essay Contest: 3rd Place
December 23, 2019
By: Courtney Hughes
I began feeling an intense worry as early as middle school, in many different forms. It became evident when I fell ill before taking the ACT in seventh grade, and when I would begin to panic when a store felt too crowded. When I brought up my possible anxiety to my parents, they did not know how to properly discuss mental health and shut down the...
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An Alternative Christmas
December 17, 2019
By: Sophie Prosolek
Christmas is a time of festive joy, of giving and receiving - ‘it's the most wonderful time of the year’, or so the song goes. But several years ago I decided to make a change to the way I celebrate Christmas - I decided to abstain from receiving gifts and I’ve been all the more joyous for it since! I sound like a real-life Grinch don’t I? But don...
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By: Cassandra Stout
The holidays strike fear into many hearts, especially those of us with mental illness. But they don't have to. People with mental health conditions, including bipolar disorder, can thrive during the holiday season.Don't Neglect Basic Self-CareYou won't be able to enjoy the season if you neglect basic self-care. This applies to whatever episode you...
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How Mental Illness Affects Police Shooting Fatalities
November 22, 2019
By: Cassandra Stout
In 2015, the Washington Post conducted the first ongoing tally of officer-involved shooting deaths of the mentally ill. Nationwide, at least 25% of people who are shot and killed by police officers suffer from acute mental illness at the time of their death. People with untreated mental illness are 16 times more likely to be fatally shot during an...
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Holding on to Hope
November 19, 2019
By: Thea Madeline Porter
I grew up in a typical middle class neighborhood in southern California. During my childhood I enjoyed being creative, playing sports, taking Irish dancing, listening to music, watching movies and hanging out with friends and family. I was diagnosed Bipolar Type 1 when I was 20 years old.In my early 20’s it is thought that with...
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Vigilance
November 12, 2019
By: Malcolm Kerec
A few weeks ago, I had a sharp reminder of how looking after my mental health is a constant battle and that staying well is not a set-and-forget task. After years of relative stability, it's all too easy to take good mental health for granted. I'd been doing too much and wasn't able to stick to my normal routine. Add together a few business...
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