MENTAL HEALTH AUTOBIOGRAPHY

This assignment asks you to write in autobiographical form, meaning you will write in first person and share your own experiences and reflections. You will think about how social forces, not just personal weakness, shape the way people understand mental health. Using a sociological point of view, you will explain how your background and life experiences have influenced your beliefs about emotional struggles, mental illness, and asking for help.

For this paper, please write about the experience of being a hyper-independent woman and how that can affect mental health. You may connect this topic to different social factors such as family beliefs about emotions, cultural or community expectations, race or ethnicity, social class, gender roles, religion, immigration experiences, or how schools respond to mental health.

Suggested Reflection Questions

(Use these as guides, not a checklist)

How was mental health talked about (or not talked about) in your family or community?

What messages did you receive about expressing emotions, stress, or vulnerability?

How were people expected to cope with emotional distress?

When someone struggled, what explanations were used (e.g., personal weakness, moral

failure, medical issue, social stress)?

What attitudes existed toward therapy, medication, or professional help?

How did social identities (race, gender, class, religion, etc.) shape these views?

**This is a high school assignment, so please use clear and simple vocabulary that is appropriate for a high school level**