#mhajohnna

[mental-health-advice]

Johnna - It's written all over your face that you love helping others. You are so great at giving advice, you've helped me and so many other more than you'll ever know! I hope you stay here for a very long time. -Clairey

Hello lovely.

Thanks for that! I'll stay around for as long as I'm needed! I'm glad my advice has helped you and others. That means a lot :) I'm glad I can make a positive impact on at least one persons life that's all I want to do! Have a lovely day! :)

-Johnna

[mental-health-advice]

so im straight but theres this one girl i think i have feelings for..? im not bisexual or a lesbian but idk, i just sorta like her. advice? ~Peaches

Hello dear! Having a crush on a girl and not being bisexual or lesbian is normal. a girl crush is about possessing admiration that borders on infatuation. You either want to friend her or you want to be her. At the very least, you want to spend time with her, and you want her to like you. It’s the female version of the bromance. If you don't think you're bi or lesbian, then you might just really like this girl. Take some different factors into mind. What do you like most about her? Could you really see yourself dating her? Maybe you could just befriend her and get to know her better. Maybe you'll find you like just being her friend better. If you get to know her and you really like her, you could always tell her how you feel. Although before saying anything, you should think it through so you don't say something or do something you can't take back. You might want to give yourself a while to process these feelings, maybe even a few months. See if the feelings go away or if they get stronger. Just kind of treat it like you would a crush with a guy. Good luck lovely!

-Johnna

[mental-health-advice]

Can you explain Deja Vu for me, this shit is seriously freaking me out.

Hello there! Deja vu can be pretty freaky! The term deja vu is French, and literally means "already seen."  It is reported to have been experienced in 60-80% of people. Many researchers propose that the phenomenon is a memory-based experience and assume the memory centres of the brain are responsible for it. The randomness of déjà vu experiences in healthy individuals makes it difficult to study in an empirical manner. Any such research is reliant on self-reporting from the people involved. Some researchers think that déjà vu is caused by a dysfunctional electrical discharge in the brain. Déjà vu in healthy participants is reported as a memory error which may expose the nature of the memory system. Some researchers think that déjà vu occurs due to a discrepancy in memory systems leading to the inappropriate generation of a detailed memory from a new sensory experience. This implies déjà vu is caused by a mismatch between the sensory input and memory-recalling output. This explains why a new experience can feel familiar, but not as familiar as a fully recalled memory. Some theories come from things such as ghosts, past lives, or alien abductions.  So far there is no simple explanation as to why déjà vu occurs, but advances in neuroimaging techniques may aid our understanding of memory and the tricks our minds seem to play on us. So yeah I hope this helped at least a little!-Johnna

[mental-health-advice]

Do you have any tricks to lessen anxiety? I have a speaking part in a show and I am very fearful that I'll forget my lines and my anxiety gets in the way of enjoying the part I have. I tremble, have racing heart, and etc.. Is there anything I can do? Just thinking of the anxiety I will have in the show makes me anxious now. Please tag the answer to #alisonscats ! Thank you so much!!

Hello love! I'm glad you got a speaking part in the show! There are lots of things you can do to lessen anxiety. Take deep breathes. A good breathing exercise you can try is slowly inhaling to a count of 4, filling your belly first and then your chest, gently holding your breath to a count of 4, and slowly exhaling to a count of 4 and repeat several times. Breathing can be one of the best ways to reduce anxiety. Know that you're anxious. Think about the worst possible outcome of forgetting or messing up a line. The audience doesn't know what you're supposed to say, so you can always improvise which would be better than standing there. Just think, after the show everyone will tell you how good you were and you can laugh at yourself for being so anxious! Use positive words, such as "I can do this!" Or "I know i'm feeling anxious but there are things I can do to manage it." The main thing is to take your mind off being anxious! Don't focus on it. Just think great positive thoughts and leave that anxiety behind! Doing what needs to get done teaches you key lessons, he said: getting out of your head feels better; you’re able to live your life even though you’re anxious; and you’ll get things done. Good luck on your lines, you'll do amazing!

-Johnna

[mental-health-advice]

I assaulted a police officer a while ago when off my meds and waiting for an inpatient bed. I have to go to court next week for it and I'm so scared that my life is going to be over. I have an idea that it will ruin my record or I will have to leave school to go to treatment. Either way, being mentally ill sucks and I have no supports. I think I want to commit suicide but I'm still thinking about it, it is a permanent decision and I just need help, support someone to talk to. What do I do?-TA

Hello dear. I'm sorry things are so rough right now. Since you have a mental illness and were off your meds, the incident could get charged as a felony assault on an officer. When you discuss these charges with your lawyer, and go over them in court with a prosecutor, there are often opportunities to get this charge reduced down to a misdemeanor simple assault. If the incident was charged in a heat of the moment, stressful situation, the district attorney may be able to come to an agreement with the officer to get the charges reduced, based on the facts as reported, witness statements, or as part of a plea deal. In any case, I don't think suicide would be the right thing to do, ever! You just need to get through this situation one day at a time. A year from now you can look back on it and think of how much stronger it's made you. If you're in an inpatient facility, you should still be aloud to do your school work, they would probably just take staples out of paper. The writing implement you get might depend on if you're on suicide watch. I'm pretty sure they give you a crayon if you're on suicide watch, at least that's how it is where I live. And if you're on suicide watch they might supervise you while you do your homework. Don't worry. You're strong and you'll make it through this! Take it one step at a time! And if you ever need someone to talk to i'm always here! :)

Much love,-Johnna

[mental-health-advice]

hey i was wondering what your opinion on anti depressants are, like do you think they are good or bad and things of that nature. like everything you think of them.- Adelen

Hello dear! There are definitely pros and cons to anti depressants. The range in antidepressants is so vast, and there is so many different options, so sometimes it can take a while before we find the one that is right for us. Good things about newer anti depressants are that there are less side effects, but none of them are side effect free. You must never stop taking antidepressants without a doctors permission, because when you stop taking them you can go through a withdrawal and it must be managed/supervised. The medication usually takes several weeks to build up enough in your system to have a beneficial effect (though you may feel some of the side effects straight away).  The most recent NHS guidance cites research showing antidepressants are indeed not as beneficial for mild depression as for moderate and severe depression, so should not be prescribed initially in this case. If antidepressants are indicated, it may be necessary to try several varieties before finding the most appropriate pill and dose. Once these factors are taken into account, research shows that 80% of people taking antidepressants experience benefits. Some antidepressants can increase blood pressure and sweating. Some can also have more of a sedating effect than others. You have to be careful with antidepressants, cause with some you can’t mix medicines. There are also some that you can’t consume alcohol or drugs while on them. I’m not saying you should do drugs, but if you do drugs and take antidepressants there can be a bad reaction. There are some natural alternatives to antidepressants. CBT therapy can help. It focuses more on here and now problems and difficulties. Light therapy can be effective with seasonal depression that occurs in winter. It helps regulate the body’s internal clock in the same way sunlight does. Exercise releases positive endorphins and can help people in some cases. Hope this helps!

- Johnna

[mental-health-advice]

What are hallucinations like? I actually see something. I see it wrote A so clearly. I'm certain it's A. The next second it becomes a B after I move my eye away and go back. I was so sure my teacher made an announcement to everyone that the seminar had been rescheduled. I talked to someone like "let's have a drink before the seminar today!" They looked at me confused. "There is no seminar today." The date hasn't been changed. Yet I was so sure the teacher said it, Hallu123 part 1/2

even they (including the teacher) denied it. Is this what they call hallucination? I have more things like this. If this helps I have bipolar and/or BPD, anxiety and OCD, diagonised (doctor won't tell me, just said it was bipolar and something similar.) I also have synthesthesia. I can sense colors on chemicals. I don't see it, but I feel so strongly hydrogen must be purple (it's colourless actually), nitrogen must be orange (also colourless)- I'm so confused. Please tag as Hallu123 (2/2)

Hello there! There's no one specific way to describe hallucinations since there are a few different types. Hallucinations are sensations that appear real but are created by your mind. They can affect each of your five senses. They can be caused by mental illness, side effects of medication, or physical illness. There are visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile, and temporary hallucinations, Visual hallucinations involve seeing things that aren't there. For example, you might see a person who is not in the room or flashing lights that no one else can see. Olfactory hallucinations involve your sense of smell. You might smell an unpleasant odor when waking up in the middle of the night or feel that your body smells bad when it doesn't. Auditory hallucinations are among the most common. You might hear someone speaking to you or telling you to do certain things. The voice may be angry, neutral, or warm. They can also include sounds, like someone walking in your house when you're home alone. Tactile hallucinations involve the feeling of touch or movement in your body. This includes feeling bugs crawl on your body, or feeling like there's a hand touching you. Temporary hallucinations are not chronic. They may occur, for example, if a relationship has just ended or if someone dear to you has just passed away. You might hear the person’s voice for a moment or briefly see his or her image. Temporary hallucinations usually go away as your pain diminishes. If you keep experiencing these hallucinations you might want to consider telling your doctor. Hope I helped lovely!-Johnna

[mental-health-advice]

I'm a bi girl, and I don't get crushes very often. But when I find out, my brain is just like "woops there it is". And like, long story short I have a major crush on my best friend. My strait female best friend. (Tag 16776)

Hello doll. It's perfectly normal not to get crushes all the time. Being bi and having  a crush on your straight best friend is also perfectly normal. First off, don't panic. Don't over think things and make it harder than it  is, just take some deep breathes! Give yourself time to think about this crush. Could you really see yourself dating her? Give yourself time to think before you do or say something you can't take back. Once you figure out your feelings more just remember, this is just like having a crush on a guy. A crush is a crush, regardless of gender. If you're comfortable with it, and you're really confused, try talking to someone you can trust. Make sure it's someone who won't tell everyone your business and who can give you solid advice. Try to feel your friend's vibe. When you're hanging out with her casually ask her if she's ever thought about being with a girl, or if she ever would. Her reaction may help you decide if you want to tell her how you feel. Try getting a little flirty. Don't go too overboard, just some small stuff. Who knows, she might get flirty back. All in all if you do decide to tell her, just be honest. Remember that she might not feel the same way and that's okay! At least you told her and you won't be wondering what if! You can do this, trust me!

-Johnna