Kaliyah, 17 from Miami, Florida, USA has faced the loss of a loved one and the ongoing academic demands of being a dual-enrollment student. Juggling bereavement alongside personal and academic pressures, she has shown remarkable resilience. With the support of her school, church, and resources like the Wysa app, Kaliyah is actively working towards better mental health and finding balance in her life. This is her story.
“I’ve been fortunate to have a broad understanding of the impact and importance of mental health. However, recently, I’ve been experiencing challenges in balancing and taking care of my mental health, dealing with several situations and circumstances over the past few years. I’ve struggled to take care of it. Dealing with the drastic loss of a close family member, along with the not-so-close relationship with another, on top of the normal daily challenges as a dual-enrollment high school student, I constantly have a lot on my plate mentally and I’m emotionally drained. Being an emotional and expressive person already has led to a dramatic downfall in my mental health, affecting me physically. But I won’t give up on finding a way to feel better.
I love to talk and express my thoughts on an issue. Although I may have trouble communicating my feelings exactly as they are felt in the moment, I don’t mind the trial and error of trying to do so through conversation or discussion. Those conversations are always my favorite; it’s just a conversation between people. Though it is unfortunate that I am not able to receive professional counseling and help outside of school, my support system within school, through my church as I’ve recently strengthened my faith, and throughout outside resources, such as Wysa, have done a pretty good job. Though it feels slow, it is definitely a steady process.
Being honest, what initially captured my eye with Wysa was the absolutely adorable penguin logo. With mental health being a sensitive topic and it rarely being communicated and discussed, especially among people of my age, the app’s mascot alone gives caring and friendly vibes, more than other mental health apps. After looking through the app features and reviews on the app store, it seemed like it might be a help, and I was right.
One of the main features, and a personal favorite, is talking to Wysa (the penguin aka AI chatbot) directly! Though I was skeptical about talking to an AI bot about feelings and issues, this artificial intelligence is unlike any other in that the responses and questions it provides feel as though you’re talking with another person. It is very simple to use and operate, as everything is pretty straightforward. The app is organized, and even though you might not feel like such, the opening screen before the app loads reminds the users to take a deep breath and that each of us are loved, which is a pretty sweet touch.
I’ve actually recommended it to a few of my other friends, with the chat function mostly being the top of the list in cool features within the app. Besides having a comfortable design, Wysa also has an appreciation factor, where it sets aside a sort of ‘wall of gratitude,’ where you can refer back to anytime you’re feeling down or uneasy. In the midst of a mental health crisis, searching for apps where I could just talk my heart out or find some way to relax and breathe, I found Wysa’s friendly space. Seemed to be a reliable place according to others, and certainly seemed so as I found it to be one of comfort.
Pretty slim, especially in terms of expressing human emotions and inner conflicts and all, as I suspected a robot wouldn’t be able to comprehend, process, nor communicate a solution or understanding of anything of the sort. I’ve been going through a lot in my household, and still grieving through the loss of a loved one on top of dealing with childhood trauma, it wasn’t even the main factor. The real issue was having to still stay on top of my game as an all AP and dual-enrollment junior in high school, along with the excitement and nervousness that college brings early on. Acting like that was more important and needed my utmost attention before my emotions was breaking me down, and it still is a tough struggle.
Wysa can be a short-term and a long-term help for me. Whether in dire and stressful situation at that moment or just collectively building up emotions and just wanting somewhere to put them, or talk them out and discuss, Wysa’s quite a suitable app for the job. From the feedback to the advice to the suggestions, it offers a lovely outlet and opportunity to clear your headspace to keep it pushing through your life. Pretty healthy, though I need to stay more motivated to stay committed, especially when all it offers are benefits to myself and my health, as well as influencing others to take care of the same.”
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Read more real-life Wysa user stories.