Month: June 2021

Shelli Sussman
Shelli Sussman
Shelli lives with her husband and three children in Teaneck, NJ. She has been in the field of Jewish education for many years and hopes that through this article she can help remove the stigma surrounding mental health and make more resources available for support.
Shelli Sussman
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I recently had a doctor’s appointment with a new doctor who seemed to be in a rush and did not look at my medical history before walking into my exam room. After the introductory banter and exam, he saw some of my scars from when I had self-harmed in the past. The doctor looked at me Read More …

anonymous
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The following art was selected as the 1st place winner of 2022’s Refuat Hanefesh Creative Expression Contest. Age Group: Youth Message from The Artist: YOU ARE NOT ALONE. The importance of mental health is, unfortunately, not often given enough attention. Neither is the severity of its impact upon people struggling with their mental health. This drawing Read More …

Chavi Conway
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The following art was selected as the 2nd place winner of 2022’s Refuat Hanefesh Creative Expression Contest. Age Group: Youth Message from The Artist: I made this piece while isolated in my room. I was sad and lonely because I was quarantined. I was worried that I could get sick and spread it to my family. Read More …

anonymous
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The following essay was selected as the 3rd place winner of 2022’s Refuat Hanefesh Creative Expression Contest. Age Group: Youth Message from The Author: A teenage girl, struggling to be happy with herself and her life. (Trigger warning: Contains swearing, suicidal thoughts and depictions of self-harm.) My fingers drummed on the side of the bathtub. The Read More …

Hadassah Chavivah Zeltzer and Rich Sokolow
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The following music was selected as a 1st place winner of 2022’s Refuat Hanefesh Creative Expression Contest. Age Group: Adult Message from The Musician: This is the country version of a song I wrote several years ago with my songwriting partner Rich Sokolow called “G-d can you send me a Lifeline” since the only safe space Read More …

Elena Poll
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The following poem was selected as a 1st place winner of 2022’s Refuat Hanefesh Creative Expression Contest. Age Group: Adult Message from The Author: This is a poem about the personal struggles with OCD. I’ll only have a good day if I put my left shoe on firstThen my right goes on with easeIt’s just a Read More …

Sophia Horrigan
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The following music was selected as the 2nd place winner of 2022’s Refuat Hanefesh Creative Expression Contest. Age Group: Adult Message from The Musician: I wrote this to apologize to all the people who were affected by my struggles with depression, anxiety, and eating disorder. One of the hardest parts about mental illness is that you Read More …