I was once asked: “If you could change anything in the world, what would it be?” And the question got me thinking more than it probably should have. There are the typical responses, such as homelessness, hunger, poverty, violence, crime, and many other very important issues in this world. But I figured that if there were so many people trying to fix all of those, I might as well start with something a little bit smaller.
Now let’s be clear. There are alot of things I care about. But recently, I’ve been especially concentrated on the ever pressing issue of mental health, and the stigma around it.
Let’s be honest here. When’s the last time you had a real, and open conversation about mental health that wasn’t required, or instructed by a teacher? The sad part is, that most of you haven’t.
Mental health is an ever-growing issue, even in our first world country. Yet, I feel that it’s ignored, and hastily pushed away. Once, I was even told that mental health wasn’t a real issue. And to that person, you’re right. Mental health SHOULD NOT be an issue. But it’s real. To anyone who is struggling, or who has ever struggled, it’s the realest thing in the world.
Still, there’s so much stigma surrounding it. There are so many people who think that your mental health can be determined by your age, gender, race, and income, amongst other factors. And that’s simply not true. Mental health can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, race, social standing, family situation, and any other conditions. And not enough people know that.
The problem with that, is that so many people, youth included, feel like they have so much, and are so lucky, that their problems don’t matter. That they don’t matter. And that’s the worst part.
Because that’s what I thought. I thought that since I had been brought up in such a supportive environment, and had loving parents, with everything I could’ve ever asked for, that it was stupid for me to feel the way I was feeling. I thought that no-one would listen, or that I would be compared to someone who had it worse. And I didn’t tell anyone. For months, I battled with myself, until I couldn’t have fought any longer. During that battle, I lost many things. I lost my vision of the future. I lost motivation. I lost my hope.
But you know what? I found the courage to talk to someone. And the response was better than anything I could have imagined. It was so simple, but it meant the world to me. It reminded me that I wasn’t alone in my battle, and that there were people who cared. I’m not sure this person will ever know how much that simple message meant to me, but it did. And I want everyone reading this, to know that it doesn’t take much to help. Just by caring, by understanding, offering a hug, or sending a short message, you can change someone’s world. You don’t need to do anything more than that. Just show them that you care.
If you are currently fighting your own battle, I beg of you, please talk to someone. It can be a friend, sibling, parent, teacher, or anyone else that you trust. You matter. You matter so much, even though it seems like you don’t. You are loved. You’re loved more than anything in the world. And like everything else, you will get over this. You’re going to come out a stronger, and better person. But the first step is finding the courage to tell someone. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to someone you know, there are various numbers you can call or text for support, who are anonymous, and non-judgemental, who you can talk to.
Kids Help Phone can be called at 1-800-668-6868, or you can ask online, at http://www.kidshelpphone.ca/Teens/AskUsOnline.aspx
Connect Teen has 24 hour call support at 403-264-8336. They can also be texted at 587-333-2724, and there is an online chat, which you can find at http://m2.icarol.com/ConsumerRegistration.aspx?org=2181&pid=2
Stay strong.
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