4 Things 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch' Taught Me About My Mental Health
I have always loved magic and cats. Anyone who knows me knows I love “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” a ridiculous amount and have seen each episode at least seven times. I truly relate to Sabrina and Salem and this makes me feel more normal. I have gotten something out of every season of this show. Here’s what I’ve learned:
1. Actions have consequences, but the world hasn’t ended yet.
Salem the cat used to be a human being, but is serving 100 years as a cat for attempting to take over the world. Even after 30 years as one, he still has a hard time accepting it. He struggles as a person who knows he’s messed up in life and has to deal with the consequences. But he does adapt to it and learns to enjoy it, despite his frustrations.
2. Your family is your best support system.
Over the years, Sabrina makes a lot of mistakes, from sneaking out for a concert, to magically bringing in her aunt’s boyfriend’s ex-wife. However, despite these mistakes, her family still loves her and reminds her of it all the time. Whenever she has a problem, she goes to them for help because they’re older, wiser and love her unconditionally.
3. One of the best ways to help yourself is to help others.
When Sabrina goes through a break up, she becomes depressed. So much in fact that a dark cloud hangs over her head and rains exclusively on her. When she goes to her aunts for help, Zelda suggests she dedicate herself to a worthy cause. So, she goes and protests a new parking deck that would tear down people’s homes. Because she’s a newspaper journalist, she does her best to bring attention to the matter and bonds with the tenants in the building. After helping all of these people, she feels much more herself and her cloud disappears.
4. We all have good sides and bad sides.
Season three focuses on Sabrina discovering the family secret that every member of the Spellman family has a twin. However, one twin represents the evil and one the good. When it’s time to decide which witch is which, they compare deeds. Not all of Sabrina’s magic was for good though, like when she pulled down her vice principal’s pants or teased her enemy, Libby. They showed her twin’s use of magic as much nicer, more generous magic. However, when it came to the final test, her twin tried to push her into a volcano, deeming Sabrina the good one, despite her mistakes. The lesson I learned in this season was just because a person isn’t always good, it doesn’t mean they’re evil, as everyone has good and evil within themselves.
Photo via “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” Facebook.