The Importance of Peer Support
Hello! My name is Jeremiah and today we are going to talk about the benefits of The Nan Project’s “Peer to Peer” model that we use when speaking to students. The Peer to Peer model involves young adults who have recently graduated high school sharing their experiences recovering from mental health challenges in what we…
Bringing Acting Experience to Mental Health Education: Making an Impact and Boosting Hope
My name is John Joshua William Oxenford and I’ve been acting since I was eight years old; I started playing roles like Dish Washer in “Cinderella” and Sorcerer 2 in “Sleeping Beauty” for Boston Children’s Opera. Sooner or later I was getting some more substantial roles at school plays at Agassiz Elementary—now Baldwin Elementary. A…
Tips to Manage Mental Health during Winter
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that affects 5% of US adults yearly. Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder usually begin appearing in the fall or winter, and decrease as springtime comes around. They can be similar to the mood swings or symptoms people face if they struggle with depression year round. People…
How Mental Health Challenges Affect BIPOC Folks Differently
Our Peer Mentor Jeremiah writes about how BIPOC (Black, Indigenous People of Color) individuals can face various barriers when trying to seek mental healthcare.
My Anxiety and Self Image Got Weird in Quarantine
When I was laid off from my receptionist job in March due to COVID-19 (with the promise of unemployment insurance), I was relieved. I had dreamt of shutting myself in, opting out of being perceived, only to venture out for food – and suddenly, when the lockdown began in March, to live like this was public safety. It was recommended. I breathed a sigh of relief – I could take off my carefully curated, public-facing mask for a while.
A Night for NAN 2020
Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, The Nan Project will not be holding our annual fundraising event, A Night for Nan. However, we know the need for suicide prevention and mental health education is more important than ever.
Grief Ripples Out, But So Does Hope
Though Suicide: The Ripple Effect engages with some heavy subjects, it is not a somber film. Kevin Hines teaches us that some good can come out of the trauma and tragedy of suicide. We feel the “ripple” of suicide for better and for worse: a whole community grieves one fatal attempt, but one recovery can inspire hope in so many struggling people. The Ripple Effect is an earnest, tender, enlightening watch — and Kevin hopes that it’s the beginning of a movement.