Depression is a common experience that affects how you feel, think, and handle daily activities. It’s different from feeling intermittent sadness or grief. The symptoms stick around for at least two weeks without ever really letting up.

Signs of depression can include feeling sad, nervous, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, or flat-out exhausted — not just once in a while, but for most of the day, every day, over an extended period of time. Many people who experience depression express complete loss of energy to conduct regular daily activities.

There are other signs too: Maybe you’ve lost interest in your friends or hobbies. Or maybe you’re having trouble sleeping at night, waking up in the morning, or oversleeping. Or maybe you can’t seem to bring yourself to eat anything or, on the flip side, to stop eating all the things. Or maybe you’re suffering through ongoing stomachaches, headaches, or other pain that just won’t go away, no matter what you try.

Sound familiar? If you’re feeling some of these things regularly, take our mental health quiz to better understand what you’re experiencing. And, if you ever feel like hurting yourself — even once — please text 988 to talk with a crisis counselor. Your life matters.

“Psychosis” is a word used to describe a combination of symptoms that affect one’s mental health. When experiencing psychosis, it can become challenging for an individual to understand what’s real and what’s not. Common signs of psychosis include seeing or hearing things that others do not, having unusual thoughts or behaviors, and/or becoming fearful or suspicious of others. It also can cause you to withdraw socially, feel afraid, or have difficulty doing everyday activities, such as going to school or work. These experiences vary from person to person.

Psychosis is fairly common, and it most often starts in teen or young adult years. Three out of every 100 people in the U.S. experience it at some point in their lives. It can be a short-term effect of extreme stress, substance use, or trauma, or it may be a symptom of a mental health condition like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder or another health condition.

If you think you relate to any of the experiences described above, our team is here to support you. Take the mental health quiz to better understand what might be going on or send a question to our team, and we’ll respond within 1 week day. To learn more about psychosis, visit Strong365.

Just like any other kind of health issue, the sooner you seek help for mental health concerns, the better. Mental health issues rarely go away on their own, and those who seek help early tend to recover faster than those who don’t.

Early professional support from peers and therapists — and also from your loved ones — can make a big difference in getting back to feeling like yourself again quickly. Take the mental health quiz to get connected with appropriate resources. 

Not everyone hears voices or sounds that others don't, but it’s not an uncommon experience. The types of things people hear vary greatly, from distressing to comforting. Sometimes the voices or sounds go away quickly, and sometimes they linger over time.

Hearing voices does not automatically mean you are experiencing a mental health condition like psychosis. Roughly 5 out of every 100 people hear voices at some point in their lives. But, because changes to how we process sounds are very common with psychosis, it’s a good idea to check in with a professional.

Take our mental health quiz to find local support options in Pennsylvania, or send your confidential questions to our team. We'll respond within 1 weekday.

We know that confiding in someone and asking for help can be tough. Here are a couple of tips to get started:

• Talk to someone you trust. This can be a parent, a friend — anyone who you trust. You might start the conversation by saying, “I haven’t been feeling like myself lately, and it scares me. I’d like some help figuring it all out.”

• Send your questions to our team. All questions or concerns about emotional health are important and valid. Send your questions and concerns to our team (you can send them anonymously if you like), and we’ll get back to you within one weekday. Our support service is free and confidential.

• Take the mental health quiz. Answer a few questions about what you’re experiencing, and we’ll help you find appropriate local resources. *Note: your privacy is important to us, and your responses will remain confidential.

PAWell, a project by Strong365, offers a safe, confidential way to find accurate information and wellness resources, both online and in your community.

We’ve partnered with experts at Northwell Health, a nonprofit health care provider, and HeadsUp, an innovative youth-focused wellness program representing locations across the state, to make getting help as easy as possible.

Get started now by taking the mental health quiz.

Not located in Pennsylvania? Check out the Strong365 short list of mental health resources nationally and internationally. 

PAWell services are completely free for you to use. If our team refers you to a mental health provider, your insurance copay or deductible may apply.

If you don’t have health insurance, or if your policy doesn’t cover everything you need, don’t worry. Check to see if you qualify for any free, sliding-scale, or subsidized programs.

Here are a few options:

• You can take advantage of grants or publicly funded treatment programs. Our team partners with grant-funded youth mental wellness programs across Pennsylvania that may be resources for care, depending on your needs. Or, we may be able to refer you to other free or reduced-cost support options. Get started now by taking the mental health quiz today.

• Federal programs like Social Security Disability Insurance, Supplemental Security Income, and Medicaid are available for children, adolescents, and young adults coping with a diagnosed mental health disorder. The requirements differ for each program.

• The state of Pennsylvania offers low-cost health coverage for residents under the age of 19 through a program called Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Depending on your situation at home, you may be eligible to receive CHIP for free or at a low cost.

• Community health centers, programs, and organizations also provide financial assistance or free or discounted services to families with low incomes or youth with special circumstances (such as artists, military, living with HIV/AIDS) who’ve been diagnosed with a mental health condition.

Here are four things you can do right now to support someone in your life:

1. Take the Mental Health Quiz.

Answer a few questions to help determine whether someone you care about could be struggling with stress, or something more. Take the quiz

2. Send your questions to our team.

All questions or concerns about emotional health are important and valid. Please send us your questions, and our team will respond within one weekday. Our support service is free and confidential. Ask the team

3. Try to understand what it’s like to face a mental health challenge.

A little empathy goes a long way. Learn as much as you can about mental health so that common misperceptions don’t get in the way of being positive and supportive. Ask questions and really listen to the answers, with a readiness to learn more about what your friend or loved one is experiencing. To start the conversation, you might say things like: 

•  “You don’t seem like yourself lately, and I’m concerned because I care about you. 

• “How can I help?”

• “How are you feeling today?" 

• "How can I support you?"

4. Find other ways to connect.

Spending quality time together — whether you’re walking the dog, going for a bike ride, playing games or making music online, or collaborating on a craft or other project — can help ward off feelings of loneliness and isolation.

PAWell is a project by Strong365 that offers free, confidential online mental health support and care navigation services to teens, young adults, and their families in Pennsylvania. Our services are offered in partnership with experts from Northwell Health and HeadsUp. We offer safe, confidential ways for you to find accurate information and access local resources.

Our community, created by people with personal experiences alongside medical experts, supports people ages 13 to 30 who are coping with mental health challenges. We understand how hard it can be to overcome fear, stereotypes, and stigmas. Mental health challenges aren’t shameful, and they can be treated before they disrupt your life. We’re here to support you.

Take the mental health quiz to get started.

Yes! It's very possible to feel better. But the amount of time it takes to get there is different for each person and usually involves some shift to your daily routine. This shift may include:

• making time in your schedule to engage in self-care activities

• getting support from family or friends

• trying a peer support network

• working with a therapist, and/or with a doctor

Everybody’s path is a little bit different, and that’s normal. There is no one-size-fits-all approach or time schedule for moving through a mental health challenge. But with patience, courage, and determination, it gets better.

If you are concerned about your mental health, seeking help right away gives you the best chance of getting back to feeling yourself again as quickly as possible. The goal of getting support early is to get back to living the life you want sooner and avoid letting your mental health interfere with things like school, work, or relationships that are important to you.

Therapy used to be something that people didn’t talk about as much, but today it’s becoming better understood as something that anyone can benefit from. It can be a great tool to learn more about yourself, uncover your vision for your life, learn lifelong skills that will serve you in relationships and work, and help you be the best version of yourself. 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy — called CBT or talk therapy for short — helps you change your thoughts or actions by discussing your feelings and perceptions with a counselor. The goal of talk therapy is to interrupt unhelpful thought patterns so that our relationship to a troubling experience or challenging relationship can be shifted.

A common misconception is that therapists and psychiatrists are just going to tell you what to do, or that they'll share information with your parents. This is not the case. Rather, you can think about therapists and psychiatrists as navigation tools, sort of like Google Maps. They'll listen as a young person shares where they want to go, and then help them figure out how best to get there.

Another way to think about it is in terms of sports psychology. Often, when athletes hit a roadblock in their career, they'll reach out to sports psychologists for help overcoming whatever happens to be challenging them at the time. It could be a previous injury, a tough coach, or stress over performance.

Looking for a therapist? Take the mental health quiz to find local support resources in Pennsylvania. Or, view Strong365's resources we love.

Medication can play a role in treating mental health conditions, but not always. In some cases, talking to a therapist and making lifestyle changes may be enough to help you feel better. In other cases, you may find that taking medication eases or gets rid of your most troubling experiences.

Choosing the right approach should be based on your unique situation, with support from your doctor.

Take our mental health quiz to discover local support options in Pennsylvania to help you navigation medication-related decisions. Or visit strong365.org to learn more about common mental health medications.

We’ve all been there: It can feel intimidating to talk to doctors or therapists for the first time about an issue — especially one that we barely understand. But, remember this: the most important person involved in your treatment and recovery is you.

Your needs and well-being matter more than anything else. If you have questions — or if you feel uneasy or confused — speak up, or ask a parent or trusted ally to speak for you.

It’s best to bring a list of questions to a first appointment to make sure you get your questions answered. What are your doubts and concerns? Don’t hold back!

Not sure what to ask? Here are some questions you may want to consider:

• What do you think I’m experiencing and why? Where can I get more information about it?

• What changes can I make in my daily routine to improve my mental health? What are good goals for me to work toward?

• When it comes to therapy, what are my options?

• How long does treatment last? What are the benefits and drawbacks? Why are you recommending it? What are my options?

• How soon (realistically) can I expect to start to feel better?

• What types of therapy or community support groups are available for people my age? Where can I find them nearby?

• When it comes to medication, what are my options?

• What makes this medication the best option for me? How does it work to help my brain? What are the short- and long-term side effects? How long does it take to work? What happens if I miss a dose?

• How much does the medication cost? Does the manufacturer have a subsidy or reimbursement program? Is other financial assistance available? How do I apply?

• What should I do if I start to feel worse or need help immediately?

It’s natural to wonder about a diagnosis. This isn't something that we are able to offer, since our support is online and temporary. If you take the mental health quiz, we can provide appropriate support resources based on your responses.

It is also worth noting that some people find a diagnosis helpful, while others find it less useful. However you feel about getting a diagnosis is valid. The most important thing is that you are able to find the right mix of things to support your well-being.

Yes. All of the support options we offer are 100% confidential and free, offered in partnership with Northwell Health and HeadsUp.

Our team has worked with teens and young adults on a very wide range of issues and concerns, and understands how important confidentiality is. Our goal is to ensure that people have a safe space to open up, get answers to their emotional health concerns, and find support resources if desired.

We do not share your information with anyone (unless you ask us to do so). Please review our Privacy Policy for more information.