I have had so much support compared to so many members of the LGBTQ+ community, I recognize that. I was never kicked out, my family still loves me and will still love me even if I am in a long term, homosexual relationship. However, I did feel a huge lack of support, especially after first coming out. I was told by my parents that Bisexuality didn't exist. That I just wanted attention or was just following the crowd. While still loved by my parents, the invalidation of what I knew I felt hurt. It still hurts to this day that what should have been a celebration of me coming to terms with a part of who I am was instead a lecture on individualism. My mom has become more supportive as she seems to now realize my feelings weren't a phase of any sort and are truly who I am, but I will always be affected by the initial reaction I received from my "ally" parents. I plan to double major in Psychology and Biochemistry with a certificate (minor) in Women's studies. This is only to build my path to graduate, then medical school. my more long term goals are to go into psychiatric research, working on clinical trials for psychiatric medications. I believe that mental health is hugely over looked in society and I hope to have a positive impact with my work. On top of the social reasons my work is important, I also am just hugely fascinated by psychology and why humans do what we do and think what we do and as someone who is always craving new knowledge, I figured research is a good field for me. I will make an impact on the LGBTQ+ community by advocating for their rights in many ways. My minor in women's studies will let me take classes that explore the history and current state of the LGBTQ+ community, and I will use both that knowledge and my status as a member of the medical field to advocate for much needed change in our healthcare system, especially related to the treatment of women and members of the LGBTQ+ community. I will use my status as a mental health professional to advocate for changes in society's view of mental health, especially related to members of the LGBTQ+ community, who I know suffer higher suicide and self harm rates than the average population. By constantly learning more, and using that knowledge to advocate and make changes I hope I can make a positive impact on the LGBTQ+ community as the support of my fellow members has had such a powerful impact on me.

My top favorite tip that helps me clear my mind is visual imagery. I was introduced to the idea of visual imagery by a therapist when I was only around 10-11 years old. I was given a meditation CD and on it there were 2 guided visual imagery activities, both I still use to this day. The first walked the listener through creating their own "mental safe space" mine was a vibrant field of flowers with a tree near a pond, and wildlife all around. (mosquito free of course) by having a "mental safe space" to escape to when needed I can clear my mind and reset my senses, by engaging them in the mental world. The second guided visual imagery was a sleep aid, it guided the listener into a calm state by getting them to imagine being in bed with ideal conditions, the temperature was perfect, the sheets were soft and silky and smelled like fresh laundry. The second imagery activity helped clear my mind when it was time to sleep. Visual imagery before sleep is actually very common and there are apps to guide you if CD's are a little too old school, my favorite of those apps being Headspace. Another of my favorite tips to clear my mind is grounding. I typically use grounding to clear my mind in high-anxiety situations. Some of the techniques involve engaging all 5 senses, but i've fount that doesn't work for me. I often ground myself by focusing all of my energy and attention on the contact my feet are making with the floor. I imagine that they have roots, holding me in place, I think about how my shoes feel. And if sitting or lying down I think about the contact all parts of my body have with what ever surface is underneath me. Another tip that I'm sure everyone has heard before, is deep breathing techniques. With deep breathing techniques you clear your mind by focusing on your breathing. While it can be done by simply counting by yourself, in patterns of 4's, 6's, 7's,8's, or even higher is possible, I find that it works better if I engage my senses, either visual like with a video, auditory with a guided excercise, or tactile which most smart watches have. Deep breathing has the added bonus that your heart rate is lowered with more controlled breathing, so you will feel mentally calmer due to clearing your head, and physically calmer due to lowering your body's heart rate.

One practical solution that would help more people who struggle with mental health is full coverage of all therapy by all health insurances for any reason. Therapy is an incredibly important tool in maintaining good mental health, but often it isn't a feasible option for low income people. Many health insurances only cover therapy for certain reasons and even then will only cover specific professionals for a set amount of time. Therapy is not like surgery or a virus, there is no clear, "the problem is gone." All people should have affordable access to therapy for as long as they need it to cope, and if they should need to return later it should be easy and affordable for them to go back. I personally have been in and out of therapy my entire life, using it to help me cope with my anxieties, my depression, and my ADHD. Most recently I have returned to therapy to help me cope with a traumatic event that has happened in me life, without access to therapy I don't know what I would do, if I was even here to have to cope with it. I am one of the lucky ones who was able to find a great therapist covered by my health insurance provider, but I realize that is not the case for far too many individuals. So I advocate that one of many solutions to bettering the mental health of everyone as a whole, is to begin with ensuring all people have full access to the mental health services they need.