Alanya-Jade

We live in an era where exploring gender fluidity is welcomed and praised with the likes of Harry Styles and Yungblud challenging gender-norms. Music and high fashion come hand in hand but do they have the power to socially shift constructions and expectations of gender?  Madonna's 1989 album ‘Like A Prayer’, challenged social norms through fashion, challenging male misogyny and a woman’s position in a male's life through wearing outerwear as underwear with the likes of Jean Paul’s Gaultier cone-bra, impacting the third-wave feminist movement. Whilst the cone-bra enhanced and brought attention to Madonna’s breasts, the spiked design represented a weapon, allowing women to challenge the idea that these feminine features weaken them, and instead offer them greater power dismantling the idea that strong women are simply men-hating ‘bra burners’ but rather championing the idea that to be strong and own your body is sexy. In his December 2020 cover of Vogue, Harry Styles became the...

It's not uncommon for people with mental health issues to find friendships with people over the internet. The younger generation are known for making 'Internet friends' Whom they often will say they are closer to than their real life friends. This is because they have someone there who they can fully open up to and because its over a screen, they feel comfortable because its almost as though that person isn't real. Online counselling can often offer the same feeling. It's knowing there is someone there who can offer friendly advice and is willing to listen to your every thought but will never be in your personal space and that disconnection between an online world and real life is what makes online counselling so great and why it works so well. Over on BetterHelp, you will find all the positive reasons an online psychiatrist could work for you! 

In order to get the correct help, its important to make sure you are working with the correct type of councillor in the profession best suited to your needs. To do this, you first need to know the difference between the types of help you can get. In this post i will discuss the difference between a Therapist and Psychologist.  What is a psychologist?  Unlike a therapist, psychologists are required to hold a degree in their profession. They could be called a doctor for the mind! It is a psychologist your doctor will often refer you to if they believe you need further help with an issue that is having an effect on your mental stability. It is the psychologists job to diagnose a client and decide on the best treatment for them. If they believe a patient will benefit from medication, they will team up with a psychiatrist as to be able to permit a  patient  to take  medication  it must be agreed to by a  psychiatrist.  What is a Thera...

A situation causing us to feel stress is not uncommon and is something the majority will feel in day to day life. Feeling stressed doesn't mean you have bad mental health. It can often be good to feel a little bit of stress in certain situations but just like any other emotion, its about finding the balance. When you are at a point of stress that is starting to get in the way of you being able to live your everyday life, that is when it is a problem and could trigger poor mental health issues as well as physical.  Source: pixabay.com I think the word 'Stress' is less of a taboo subject than depression, anxiety and eating disorders. This is because it is a feeling felt by everybody so the idea of someone saying they are stressed is less daunting than someone saying they are depressed. However, it is important not to overlook the feeling of stress as it has a bigger impact on our daily lives more than you may think. Understanding the difference between being stres...

So, you have recognised you may be struggling with a problem that can't be faced alone but like many people, have too much self pride to go to your local GP and reach out for help. So I guess that means you`ll have to face it alone, right? Not at all! First of all, the fact you recognise there is an issue is the first step in making progress to getting better. If you ARE the type of person who has too much self pride to ask a stranger for help but also realise that you are facing challenges your family may not understand and aren't able to give you the correct support in, then I suggest looking into signing up for online therapy. Signing up for therapy with BetterHelp is a quick and easy process and whilst you may decide you are ready to talk to a therapist, the advice on offer will give you some guidance and support. Whilst going through therapy myself, I was quick to realise that my improvements weren't anything to do with the fact I had a councillor and that they were ...

Looking after my mental health and learning how to cope has been a big part of my life after suffering with poor mental health issues during my teen hood. Because of this, it is a subject I am very passionate about and believe should be more openly discussed. I have previously made posts on the topic in the past and recently, I have been given the pleasure in teaming up with 'BetterHelp ',  an online  counselling  platform. I am going to begin a series discussing how to spot poor mental health, when it is time to get counselling and the various types of therapy on offer. Throughout this, it is important to remember that I am not a qualified therapist but I have had first hand experience in each of these stages.                                                             Source: pxhere.com Who are BetterHelp?...