MENTAL HEALTH MASTERPOST -- added the first section finally lol

this will be the intro section, establishing why a topic such as this is necessary; points to be touched on may entail: ableism preventing neurodivergent people from seeking professional help, inability to afford a therapist, etc? if anyone could suggest some additional factors that may lead an individual to seek help regarding their mental health online instead of IRL, please contribute ^u^

BUDDY LIST: people with specific experience and general listeners whose inboxes are always open!

♥ Sorelia - (I don't publicly discuss my disorders often, but feel free to PM me about anything! If you need someone who can offer empathy regarding a specific disorder/situation, feel free to ask me if I've had experience before venting if that makes you comfortable.) TRIGGERS: detailed accounts of death

♥ Katattack - Anxiety, Panic Disorder, Depression (no triggers)

♥ Xiph -  Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized/Social Anxiety, Panic Disorder, Dysphoria, Sensory Overload, Autism, self-harm (PMs regarding anything else welcome) TRIGGERS: suicide, graphic depictions of blood/self-harm

♥ Quillan - Depression, Anxiety, Suicidal thoughts, Self-Harm, Insomnia, Issues w/ gender identity, Stress, Substance/Drug Abuse, Self-Esteem Issues, Grief (Loss of family members/close friends) (no triggers)

♥ Yuunachi - Anxiety, Depression, LGBTQA+ issues, OCD, ADD, ADHD, suicide, relationship/family/friendship issues, disorders/habits that may hinder daily life (germ phobias, phobias of anything, etc.) + anything else!

♥ Becca - Clinical Depression/general depression, Anxiety (all types), Suicide/Suicidal thoughts and actions, Grief (Loss of friends/family), Self harm, Bulimia, Anorexia, PTSD, Insomnia, Gender Issues, Homophobic/Albeist Family, R*pe (no triggers)

Ableism is defined as "a percieved form of discrimination or social prejudice against people with disabilities". While most people associate the term "dis/abled" to those with physical dis/abilities, those who experience mental illness also face ableism. Here are some common ableist phrases you may hear from day to day if you are neurodivergent:

- "Everyone gets anxious! Just calm down."
- "You're _____? so is everyone else."
- "Why are you so picky with your food?"

The list can go on and on, these are just some of the more subtle examples.
The first step in combatting ableism is recognizing it. After you've determined a friend, peer or relative is being ableist, reassure yourself that your emotions and sensations are valid. Your mental illness is valid. So long as you keep reassuring yourself and reaffirming that your experiences are real, you can learn to combat ableism on your own. Remember, the prime reason why so many neurodivergent people face ableism from day to day is because many claim mental illness is invalid due to the fact that it is not "visible" (in the eyes of those lacking an understanding of mental illness). If you have a panic attack in front of your family, you're perceived as "dramatic". If you are a student and you break down during school, you run the risk of facing punishment at times. If you seek professional help and identify your mental illness, you are stuck with a label that carries extremely negative connotation within society. However, if you hide your condition, you face humiliation, misunderstanding, and even possibly discipline. Although many schools contain ableist individuals, they must, under national law, make accommodations for students:

IEPs
The Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) is a plan or program developed to ensure that a child who has a disability identified under the law and is attending an elementary or secondary educational institution (K-12) receives specialized instruction and related services.

504 Plan
The 504 Plan is a plan developed to ensure that a child who has a disability identified under the law and is attending an elementary or secondary educational institution (K-12) receives accommodations that will ensure their academic success and access to the learning environment. (example: "student must be allowed to leave the room if they are experiencing a panic attack.")

The following are necessary in order for a student to be evaluated for an IEP:

- Parent/teacher observations of the student
- Documentation proving the student's dis/ability (formal diagnosis)
- Student's academic record

Adjustments to IEPs/504 plans are typically made on an annual basis.

Informal Supports
Individual teachers may offer assistance to neurodivergent students in order to help them succeed in an educational environment. Informal supports are a great and viable option for students who are unable to receive a formal diagnosis from a professional (due to financial issues, household ableism, etc). However, such accommodations are not supported by the law; therefore, schools can legally choose not to honor them.

http://www.washington.edu/doit/what-difference-between-iep-and-504-plan
https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-services/504-plan/understanding-504-plans
https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/evaluations/choosing-not-to-have-child-evaluated/informal-supports-what-they-are-and-how-to-get-them

details on disorder categories maybe? ie personality disorders, anxiety disorders, depression, idk what category this falls under but I feel misophonia is worth mentioning

websites & gifs provided by Xiph:

the quiet place - take a break w/ relaxing music 
the thoughts room - take a minute and vent here w/ relaxing music 
what colour is it? - changes the time shade by shade w the colour, helpful to watch if i just need somethinh 2 concentrate on 
boomshine - just a small game that always helps me, you have to get the coloured dots to touch eachother (i'd rec turning off the in game music and playing your own) 
calm.com - short guided relaxation, also has a phone app which i use directly after panic attacks, sometimes works for me, sometimes doesn't 
this is sand - a lil game where you can do sand art 
scenes from a hat - an hour of scenes from a hat from whose line is it anyway (may have triggering content as it's from a comedy tv show, probably nothing big tho) 
scenes we'd like to see - 2 hours of scenes we'd like to see from mock the week (may have triggering content as it's from a comedy tv show, probably nothing big tho) 
ipet companion - play with shelter cats live!! 
rescue centre cat cam - 24/7 cat cam 
various aquarium live cams - i find the most relaxing is the jellyfish one 
fandom themed workouts - a good way to release panic w/o, like, breaking down (tws: smoking ment, death ment, alcohol ment, sex ment, violence ment) 
100,000 stars - explore the stars w/ relaxing music 
draw a stickman - a silly lil stickman game 
make everything okay - press this button 
coffitivity - background noise from a coffee shop 
blue ball machine - weirdly satisfying, could be even more confusing if you're not able to focus tho 
koalas to the max - click the things to make a picture 
taghua! - direct how a tree grows with your cursor 
essay typer - make it look like you're working if someone's coming to check on you&you can't concentrate/you have to switch tabs 
liquid particles - control their movement!! 
intotime - click on the colours 
paint! - make a mess, or a jackson pollock painting!! click to change colours 
colour game - a lil game to relieve stress 
geoguessr - a game to explore the world and try and guess where you are! 
sadforjapan - play with a lil blob 

gifs:

my all time fave
calming gif 
calming gif 
calming gif 
calming gif 
calming gif
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calming gif
calming gif
calming gif (follow the brush with your eyes)
calming gif (follow the brush with your eyes)

REGARDING SELF-DIAGNOSIS / USING THE DSM CORRECTLY

(courtesy of the lovely Xiph!)

iOS only:

• ACT Coach - Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) aims to help you live with unpleasant thoughts, feelings, and impulses without avoiding them or being controlled by them. In ACT, you are encouraged to commit to actions so that you can live your life by your values, even in the face of these unpleasant experiences. This app was developed for Veterans, Service Members, and other people who are in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in consultation with a therapist. It offers exercises, tools, information, and tracking logs so you can practice what you’re learning in your daily life.
  

• Happify - Want to kick negative thoughts, nix worry and dial down stress? The array of engaging games, activity suggestions and gratitude prompts makes Happify a useful shortcut to a good mood.
  

android only:

• Depression CBT Self-Help Guide - The natural management of depression involves understanding depression and the factors that contribute to the symptoms. Learning to manage stress in your life and engage in self-care behaviors can improve your symptoms and your mood. This app contains a depression severity test, audios, articles, a cognitive diary, and a motivational points system that help you learn how to do this
  

both:

• Breathe2Relax - Breathe2Relax is a portable stress management tool. Breathe2Relax is a hands-on diaphragmatic breathing exercise. Breathing exercises have been documented to decrease the body's 'fight-or-flight' (stress) response, and help with mood stabilization, anger control, and anxiety management.Breathe2Relax can be used as a stand-alone stress reduction tool, or can be used in tandem with clinical care directed by a healthcare worker.
  

• MindShift - MindShift is an app designed to help teens and young adults cope with anxiety. It can help you change how you think about anxiety. Rather than trying to avoid anxiety, you can make an important shift and face it. MindShift will help you learn how to relax, develop more helpful ways of thinking, and identify active steps that will help you take charge of your anxiety. This app includes strategies to deal with everyday anxiety, as well as specific tools to tackle specific things that cause anxiety.
  

• Operation Reach Out - This mood tracker and resource locator was designed by Emory University researchers to aid in suicide prevention. The setup is simple: Users create a personal profile that includes emergency contact information, current medications, safety plans and reminders for appointments or medications. Plus, the app uses GPS to locate mental health care services nearby, should any user enter crisis mode.
  

• PTSD Coach - If you suffer from PTSD symptoms, this 24-hour tool that’s linked directly with support services is a valuable thing to download. PTSD Coach lets users select the specific issue they want to deal with (from anxiety and anger to insomnia and alienation), and then gives them guidance on how to lift their mood, shift their mindset and reduce stress.
  

• SAM - How do you know what’s pushing you over the edge and reel yourself back in? SAM’s approach is to monitor anxious thoughts, track behavior over time and use guided self-help exercises to discourage stress.
  

• Stop, Breathe & Think - Got five minutes? That’s enough time to cultivate mindfulness, which can improve your mood, lower stress and help you feel more compassion toward yourself and the world.
  

PAID APPS

iOS only:

• AETAS - Live a more stress-free life with Aetas. Developed by mental health specialists, Aetas provides quick, easy and effective ways to relax, attain focus, and gain a sense of well-being. Aetas' unique 4-part design provides info about cutting edge research on time perspectives and how they affect our lives, a self-discovery quiz, 3 two-minute guided visualizations to help relax, sooth and focus, and 3 fun interactive exercises. Aetas can help you live a happier, healthier and more fulfilling life.
  

• DBT Diary Card and Skills Coach - This app works as a daily mood and thought diary. But it also has a coaching module that gives tips on sticky emotional situations, like how to ask for what you need without drama or how to successfully resolve conflict. Users get positive reinforcement when they’re consistent with their entries. The app also includes a super helpful DBT reference section for more info on coping skills — all backed by research.
  

• eCBT Calm - CBT Calm helps people who are feeling stressed and want to learn relaxation skills. It assesses your stress level, provides relaxation skills, and also includes links to online resources for stress and anxiety.
  

• Worry Watch - We all get anxious only to realize later our anxieties were overblown or irrational. The idea behind Worry Watch is to nip these moments in the bud. This app enables users to track what kickstarts their anxiety, note trends in their feelings, observe when the outcomes were harmless and keep tabs on insights to stop future freakouts.
  

both:

• How Are You - Tracking your moods can help you fight the blues and teach you to tune into positive things. That’s the premise behind this app. But, as a bonus, it also allows you to compare your mood with worldwide averages, see which emotions you feel the most and export your mood tracking data so you can share it with a mental health professional or trusted friend.
  

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I'd like to suggest an ally list! People who are open to PMs anytime! Maybe they could specialize in categories. For instance, I have Panic disorder and depression, and I know how to deal with those things, but I may not know how to deal with bipolar disorder.

Katattack wrote:I'd like to suggest an ally list! People who are open to PMs anytime! Maybe they could specialize in categories. For instance, I have Panic disorder and depression, and I know how to deal with those things, but I may not know how to deal with bipolar disorder.

ah, like the oWf buddy list? i wasn't sure if i should re-incorporate that feature, but i will as you've suggested it.

!!! i have a list of apps for phones for managing&helping cope w mental illness that i was building to share on the oW forums, but i can post what i have so far here if that'd be cool?

Sorelia wrote:

Katattack wrote:I'd like to suggest an ally list! People who are open to PMs anytime! Maybe they could specialize in categories. For instance, I have Panic disorder and depression, and I know how to deal with those things, but I may not know how to deal with bipolar disorder.

ah, like the oWf buddy list? i wasn't sure if i should re-incorporate that feature, but i will as you've suggested it.

Exactly! that would be awesome. I know I used to use it a bunch!

xiph wrote:!!! i have a list of apps for phones for managing&helping cope w mental illness that i was building to share on the oW forums, but i can post what i have so far here if that'd be cool?

please do post it here! i can dedicate a whole section to it, i made plenty of space nv n

Sorelia wrote:please do post it here! i can dedicate a whole section to it, i made plenty of space nv n

i have some websites too somewhere but i can't link for another couple days so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
aaah neat thank you !! here's what i have so far:

FREE APPS

iOS only:

• ACT Coach - Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) aims to help you live with unpleasant thoughts, feelings, and impulses without avoiding them or being controlled by them. In ACT, you are encouraged to commit to actions so that you can live your life by your values, even in the face of these unpleasant experiences. This app was developed for Veterans, Service Members, and other people who are in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in consultation with a therapist. It offers exercises, tools, information, and tracking logs so you can practice what you’re learning in your daily life.
  

• Happify - Want to kick negative thoughts, nix worry and dial down stress? The array of engaging games, activity suggestions and gratitude prompts makes Happify a useful shortcut to a good mood.
  

android only:

• Depression CBT Self-Help Guide - The natural management of depression involves understanding depression and the factors that contribute to the symptoms. Learning to manage stress in your life and engage in self-care behaviors can improve your symptoms and your mood. This app contains a depression severity test, audios, articles, a cognitive diary, and a motivational points system that help you learn how to do this
  

both:

• Breathe2Relax - Breathe2Relax is a portable stress management tool. Breathe2Relax is a hands-on diaphragmatic breathing exercise. Breathing exercises have been documented to decrease the body's 'fight-or-flight' (stress) response, and help with mood stabilization, anger control, and anxiety management.Breathe2Relax can be used as a stand-alone stress reduction tool, or can be used in tandem with clinical care directed by a healthcare worker.
  

• MindShift - MindShift is an app designed to help teens and young adults cope with anxiety. It can help you change how you think about anxiety. Rather than trying to avoid anxiety, you can make an important shift and face it. MindShift will help you learn how to relax, develop more helpful ways of thinking, and identify active steps that will help you take charge of your anxiety. This app includes strategies to deal with everyday anxiety, as well as specific tools to tackle specific things that cause anxiety.
  

• Operation Reach Out - This mood tracker and resource locator was designed by Emory University researchers to aid in suicide prevention. The setup is simple: Users create a personal profile that includes emergency contact information, current medications, safety plans and reminders for appointments or medications. Plus, the app uses GPS to locate mental health care services nearby, should any user enter crisis mode.
  

• PTSD Coach - If you suffer from PTSD symptoms, this 24-hour tool that’s linked directly with support services is a valuable thing to download. PTSD Coach lets users select the specific issue they want to deal with (from anxiety and anger to insomnia and alienation), and then gives them guidance on how to lift their mood, shift their mindset and reduce stress.
  

• SAM - How do you know what’s pushing you over the edge and reel yourself back in? SAM’s approach is to monitor anxious thoughts, track behavior over time and use guided self-help exercises to discourage stress.
  

• Stop, Breathe & Think - Got five minutes? That’s enough time to cultivate mindfulness, which can improve your mood, lower stress and help you feel more compassion toward yourself and the world.
  

PAID APPS

iOS only:

• AETAS - Live a more stress-free life with Aetas. Developed by mental health specialists, Aetas provides quick, easy and effective ways to relax, attain focus, and gain a sense of well-being. Aetas' unique 4-part design provides info about cutting edge research on time perspectives and how they affect our lives, a self-discovery quiz, 3 two-minute guided visualizations to help relax, sooth and focus, and 3 fun interactive exercises. Aetas can help you live a happier, healthier and more fulfilling life.
  

• DBT Diary Card and Skills Coach - This app works as a daily mood and thought diary. But it also has a coaching module that gives tips on sticky emotional situations, like how to ask for what you need without drama or how to successfully resolve conflict. Users get positive reinforcement when they’re consistent with their entries. The app also includes a super helpful DBT reference section for more info on coping skills — all backed by research.
  

• eCBT Calm - CBT Calm helps people who are feeling stressed and want to learn relaxation skills. It assesses your stress level, provides relaxation skills, and also includes links to online resources for stress and anxiety.
  

• Worry Watch - We all get anxious only to realize later our anxieties were overblown or irrational. The idea behind Worry Watch is to nip these moments in the bud. This app enables users to track what kickstarts their anxiety, note trends in their feelings, observe when the outcomes were harmless and keep tabs on insights to stop future freakouts.
  

both:

• How Are You - Tracking your moods can help you fight the blues and teach you to tune into positive things. That’s the premise behind this app. But, as a bonus, it also allows you to compare your mood with worldwide averages, see which emotions you feel the most and export your mood tracking data so you can share it with a mental health professional or trusted friend.
  

xiph wrote:

Sorelia wrote:please do post it here! i can dedicate a whole section to it, i made plenty of space nv n

i have some websites too somewhere but i can't link for another couple days so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
aaah neat thank you !! here's what i have so far:

oh my goodness, THIS IS GREAT!! thank you so much, xiph! i'll include it immediately!

Sorelia wrote:

xiph wrote:

Sorelia wrote:please do post it here! i can dedicate a whole section to it, i made plenty of space nv n

i have some websites too somewhere but i can't link for another couple days so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
aaah neat thank you !! here's what i have so far:

oh my goodness, THIS IS GREAT!! thank you so much, xiph! i'll include it immediately!

aaah i'm glad it's helpful !! if/when i find more i'll drop by again ;^)
when i can link i'll probably go and grab my "nonsense gifs and sites to deal with anxiety or calm down" from the forum topic too?? i'm super lazy and/or unmotivated tho and since i can't quote the format i'll take approx 800 years !!

xiph wrote:

Sorelia wrote:

xiph wrote:

Sorelia wrote:please do post it here! i can dedicate a whole section to it, i made plenty of space nv n

i have some websites too somewhere but i can't link for another couple days so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
aaah neat thank you !! here's what i have so far:

oh my goodness, THIS IS GREAT!! thank you so much, xiph! i'll include it immediately!

aaah i'm glad it's helpful !! if/when i find more i'll drop by again ;^)
when i can link i'll probably go and grab my "nonsense gifs and sites to deal with anxiety or calm down" from the forum topic too?? i'm super lazy and/or unmotivated tho and since i can't quote the format i'll take approx 800 years !!

don't sweat it, dear!! i'll be here ^^

Omg those apps are amazing, thanks xiph! I just downloaded happify and honestly I love it thanks!!!


Also can I be added to the buddy list?
Specialize in coping with Panic/Anxiety Disorder + Clinical Depression.
Also have no Triggers so I'm open to any PMs

Katattack wrote:Omg those apps are amazing, thanks xiph! I just downloaded happify and honestly I love it thanks!!!


Also can I be added to the buddy list?
Specialize in coping with Panic/Anxiety Disorder + Clinical Depression.
Also have no Triggers so I'm open to any PMs

Sure thing ^^