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Mental illness is a sensitive topic many people are afraid to engage in. It is considered such a personal matter that it should not be openly discussed. In fact, the majority are afraid to share about their mental health, afraid of how society will judge them. This has resulted in silent battles against mental illness that have left millions emotionally drained. This has resulted in mental illness becoming a global threat, calling for a need to emphasize mental wellness to the public.
Among the many people championing a mentally healthy society is Sophia Lia, a 16-year-old mental illness champion. Sophia is a young creator and editor of the Sophia Lia Mag, a mental health and wellness magazine impacting millions of lives across the world. She has been working on the magazine for the last year while still sharing more practical mental illness stories to encourage society to talk openly about mental health. Developed as a digital and print magazine, Sophia has dedicated it to changing people’s lives by bringing awareness to mental illness.
Sophia herself is a mental health survivor, as she had to battle mental illness in her early years. She recalls the experience as a strenuous one, especially for those overwhelmed by negative thoughts like she was. Through her struggles with mental health, she was inspired to create a resource to help others cope.
Today, Sophia wants to help others across the world open up and share their stories. She has reserved the Sophia Lia Mag to be a free resource for everyone, and you can access it on her website. To make it more engaging and informative, she also has open submissions to anyone who wants to share their story. The objective is to get as many people to share their mental wellness journeys and help normalize mental health. She believes that millions would want to open up and talk about the mental topic but maybe lack the opportunity to express themselves. This is perhaps one of the reasons she embarked on this journey, and she is not ready to relent any time soon.
To date, Sophia Lia Mag has reached over 100 countries, accumulating over 3 million readers in just under a year. Sophia terms it a significant achievement considering that the content is presented in the form of a magazine that many people aren’t familiar with. Sophia argues that most magazines are known to cover the entertainment industry, and therefore, getting this many people to read and talk about mental health is exciting. She also views it as motivation and encouragement to keep pushing, and it’s obvious that there are many other people yearning for this kind of content.
Sophia’s goal is to get more people to understand that mental health is a journey you must take every day. Her advice is to take charge of your thoughts and to not be afraid to ask for help and admit that you are struggling. More significantly, she wants you to know that if you are struggling, you aren’t alone. There are millions of others going through the same, and the best way out is to speak out.
Her next goal for the magazine is to hit over 10 million readers, and she is excited and grateful to say it’s well on its way.
