Look Inside Young Adult Road Map

5
Guiding Star Point five: Find Support
mental health
support
For rock-solid information about
mental illness in teens and young
adults, try Mental Health America’s
“Life on Campus” website http://
mentalhealthamerica.net/life-campus
and the Teens/Young Adult pages
of the National Alliance on Mental
Illness (NAMI) website http://nami.
org/Find-Support/Teens-and-Young-
Adults. The Mental Health America
(MHA) site offers dozens of short,
useful articles and aids for college
students (include step-by-step deep
breathing exercises and a printable
coloring book for lowering stress).
MHA also offers online support
groups. NAMI’s http://ok2talk.org/
tumblr blog offers young adults
a safe, moderated place to post
thoughts, feelings, and expressions.
Living An Independent
and Interependent Life
One very important task for any young
adult is learning to live an independent
life in which you can make choices
and use your own voice. The other very
important task is learning to live an
“interdependent” life. In that life, your
strengths are nourished. You cherish and
are cherished by a community of friends
and family (biological or not) who care about what
happens to you. You have a purpose and a place in the world.
You are here:
Guiding Star Point Five Review
1. Create a back-up plan for where to go and what to do in a challenging
situation or emergency. Look at your own strengths and concerns to determine
where you might need more resources. Start with the agencies where you now
get services, as they may have programs to help you. If you are concerned
about having stable housing or enough food, don’t wait until these issues
result in a crisis.
2. Take time to stay in touch with what you are feeling, so you know when to seek
support.
3. Identify a person (or more than one person) you can trust to act for you in an
emergency. You can give a family member or friend a Medical (Healthcare)
Power of Attorney and Financial Power of Attorney, so they can make
medical decisions or pay your bills if you are seriously ill or injured. (You do
not have to give both these documents to the same person.)
4. Be cautious about how you share personal details on social media. Never give
out your full address. Check your security and privacy settings on social media
accounts. Read through past threads on “chat boards” or online support
groups to see if members seem knowledgeable about issues and show
compassion toward each other.
5. Consider getting involved in a new community that relates to one of your
interests. Attend an event, support group, youth council meeting, or drop-in
center. Volunteer to help. Contributing to a community can raise your spirits
and make your personal network stronger.
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