What an interesting chapter — it honestly had me all up in my feelings, thinking about my own personal health in relation to health communication. The chapter states, “Health communication is an important element for both prevention and treatment; it is exchange of symbolic messages related to personal, organizational, and public health. Personal health relates to communication with family, friends, and clinical providers” (Littlejohn, Foss, and Oetzel, 2017).
For this post, I’d like to focus on the social support theory that’s explained in the chapter as follows (in my own words): social support helps to lighten the impacts of stressors that bother us every day by providing resources and coping avenues to help rid of stressors.
I relate with this theory so much — sometime after my grandmother passed in 2015, I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression after reaching a very low point in my life; I couldn’t deal with her passing as well as I thought. If you can believe it, my mother has been the strongest one that has helped me through. Through her support, she suggested that I talk to someone, which led to my current volleyball coach at college to refer me to a counselor on campus.
My depression had taken over — it showed in my grades, my attitude, and my performance on the court. Today, with the continued support I receive from friends and family helps, as the chapter says, they all “aid, assistance, and comfort” me to continue to control what I’ve been living with for three years now.
So here’s an old picture of my beautiful angel and I (and may I add, I found this as I was packing all my crap to move down to Charlotte… she’s always with me).
Littlejohn, Stephen W., et al. Theories of Human Communication. Waveland Press, Inc., 2017.
Janae's Journey 
Love this and you are my sunshine. I love you.
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Janaeeeeee, this chapter did the same for me. In December of 2017 my dad passed away and I never felt that pain before. I am still battling with depression and anxiety, but having that love and support around you and motivating you helps you to keep pushing. Mental Health and stability plays a huge role in your everyday life and also your longevity of life. Talking to someone about how you feel, even when you don’t know how you feel…helps you so much. ( I am in that weird place right now)
Your health can/will reflect in your grades, friendships , and just life period. I am so thankful that I have friends and family (especially my mom and bestfriends) that understood that my change in communication wasn’t because of them but the change that was taking place in my life. Depression is something that people are so terrified to talk about or admit to having. Depression is NOT race or gender specific, it happens to anyone….maybe if more people understood the importance of mental health/health communication, we will see a change in the World
P.S , we have the best guardian angels EVER!
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