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Disclaimer: As with all personal/social topics, some of this content may be sensitive for students and families. Please speak with your parents/guardians for guidance when navigating the public education and support resources below.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
Depression is real, common and serious.
Educating yourself about it can make it understandable, treatable, and manageable.
Depression is more than having a bad couple of days. It is a diagnosed mental illness with specific changes in moods, thoughts and behaviors over a period of time. Similar to physical illness, depression can run in families or it can be triggered by stress. It can also occur at varying degrees of intensity and can look different in different people.
Depression is characterized by chemical and physical changes in the brain. Some symptoms include: change in mood, decreased interest or pleasure in most activities, negative self-perception: feeling worthless or excessive or inappropriate guilt, fatigue or loss of energy and a change in sleep.
The most common and effective treatments for depression is talk therapy, and for some people, medication if talk therapy alone is not enough. Lifestyle changes such as proper sleep, regular exercise, a healthy diet in addition to other coping skills can also make a big difference in alleviating the symptoms of depression.
There is hope. Never give up on yourself or others with depression. The disease doesn’t want us to believe that we can feel better – but, with the right kind of support and professional treatment, anyone can move on to live a healthy, happy and productive life. Tell a trusted adult who can help you take action towards feeling better. Your School Counselors, are available to talk about depression and any other personal concerns! Please contact us here: https://sites.google.com/view/ms-counseling-home-page/ohva-ms-counseling/contact-us
Erika's Lighthouse
The OHVA School Counseling Department will be presenting the Erika's Lighthouse program to all middle school students. Erika’s Lighthouse is a tier-1 program focused on school connectedness, mental health, and depression education. OHVA wants to continue to support all students and families by promoting positive student mental health and well-being. This middle school program will introduce the signs of depression and suicide along with a strong focus on help-seeking and good mental health.
How Erika's Lighthouse was started: A Beacon of Hope for Adolescent Depression was founded in 2004 by Virginia and Thomas Neuckranz after their daughter Erika lost her life to depression. Along with their family, friends and community they have a goal of creating free mental health programs for schools to Get Depression Out of the Dark. To read more about the story behind the program, click here.
This program will be presented to 6-8 grade students in 3 live Newrow sessions. Parents and/or Guardians can choose to OPT their student OUT of participating in the presentations by filling out a google form within the information email.
Access 2025-2026 session recordings below:
Say Something
Resources for suicide and Crisis prevention
Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988 (English), 1-888-628-9454 (Spanish)
–English: https://988lifeline.org/
–Spanish: https://988lifeline.org/help-yourself/en-espanol/
Ohio Crisis Hotlines by area
–http://www.suicide.org/hotlines/ohio-suicide-hotlines.html
–http://ohiocares.ohio.gov/ResourceMap
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: www.samhsa.gov/suicide-prevention
NIH- National Institute of Mental Health: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/suicide-prevention/index.shtml
The Trevor Project for LGBTQIA+ Youth: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help-now/
Make a list/picture of your 'reasons to keep going'! or fill a "rainy day" box with:
pictures of safe people or places (e.g., a comforting vacation, a loved one who believes in and supports you, your best friend, etc.)
scent oils or perfume that are comforting
phone numbers of safe people to call when you need to talk (such as your School Counselor, trusted friend, safe adult, loving family member and even the Suicide Hotline)
mementos which remind you of a past success
a playlist with your favorite songs that lift your mood
printed letters/emails from friends/family members or even yourself that are encouraging and remind you of positive things about yourself or your life
anything else that can help you work through and express feelings in a healthy way! :)
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