Nikiya Pruitt

Depression often causes people to feel sad, empty, or hopeless, and can cause a lack of interest in life. It can also affect a person's thinking patterns and physical health.

Anxiety can mean nervousness, worry, or self-doubt. Anxiety disorder is a mental health disorder that entails excessive, repeated bouts of worry, anxiety, and/or fear.

A diverse range of sexual orientations and gender identities present unique challenges in relation to coming out to family members, confusion with identity, stigma, discrimination, and oppression.

Suicidal ideation may occur passively or become something in which one devises a plan, means, and intent to act. For some it may occur infrequently, perhaps after a tragic event. For others, it is frequent—occurring weekly or daily. Oftentimes these individuals experience ongoing struggles with mental health. Whenever one experiences suicidal ideation, it is recommended to speak with someone immediately.

Trauma is the result of experiencing a perceived, extremely distressful event. Although the stress threshold for each person differs, meaning that each person considers and experiences trauma differently, it is an event that tops one’s threshold. It exceeds one’s ability to cope or emotionally process. Symptoms may include shock, anxiety, confusion, hopelessness, feeling disconnected, mood swings, nightmares, and intrusive thoughts.

Workplace issues are a common source of stress and can include interpersonal conflict, communication problems, gossip, harassment, discrimination, low motivation and job satisfaction, performance issues, and poor job fit.

Refers relationship issues with a partner or spouse. Can include issues related to relationship distress, relationship satisfaction, communication, intimacy, etc.

Self-esteem is the degree to which a person feels confident, valuable, and worthy of respect. Feeling low self-esteem can influence overall well-being and be linked to anxiety and/or depression.

Challenges around race and cultural identity vary enormously, including issues related to discrimination, racism, and intergenerational trauma.

Social anxiety or social phobia is fear of social situations or a fear of interacting with people other than close friends and family. Social anxiety can be persistent, intense, and debilitating, greatly affecting daily life.