Counselors Save Lives #CounselorsHelp

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     This month is mental health awareness month, which means it's a time show gratitude for all the people who have helped others go through the worst of mental pain and be there for the people in our lives who have suffered from such symptoms as anxiety to anger and even loss.
     This past week, I got the opportunity to interview a special person in my life who has experienced such metal illnesses, and I was able to listen and  hear their story, one of the millions of stories out there which need to be heard. As the information that will be discussed in this blog post is private to the person and the person does not want to be named, I will instead use the fake name Alice to describe them.
      Alice, a couple years back, had been going through a rough time in her life, as her parents were, at the moment, in the process of getting divorced, and she could not do anything about it. She felt powerless and worthless, blaming herself as a reason for one of the reasons her mother had decided to move out of the house and leave. She believed that if she would've been a better daughter that maybe they would've realized there was something worth fighting for. She felt all alone and angry, pushing her friends away, giving up on doing well in school, and even going to the point of hurting herself. It was at that point where one of Alice's friends noticed how terrible this problem had become, reporting it to the school, and the school calling her parents. Not knowing what to do next, Alice's parents advised she go to counseling everyday at school, hoping she would get better. Alice did not believe her counselor could do anything for her. She felt everyone had abandoned her, and she would never be okay again. After a couple sessions though, she started to see how hard she had been on herself and how hurtful she had been to everyone who loved her and was there for her. She realized that her parents hadn't left her. They were only doing what was best for her, and all she wanted was for both of them to be happy. She started to feel better, working hard to get her grades up and get her life back on track. She stopped cutting, and apologized to her friends who always had her back, and even though her parents are apart, they are still great together and she gets to spend time with both of them every week. She didn't know how lost she was until she went to her counselor, and realized how closed off and narrow-minded she was. Now she is graduated from high school and working on a degree in biology to become a doctor.

     Hearing Alice's story and the pain she had gone through was so powerful. To believe she had experienced something so normal today, but still so terrible, was a complete eye-opener for me. Everyone in life has a story and pain. Some of us keep it all bottled up, while others drown in it, but we must all be heard. Being able to share Alice's story is an amazing. I hope others can relate to her story, and this story can help be a beacon of light to another person who is struggling and needs help.

Here are examples of other people's stories:
 https://www.nami.org/personal-stories#

If you would like to know more about Mental Health Awareness, Go Here:
 https://www.nami.org/mentalhealthmonth

Suicide Prevention Hotline:  Call 1-800-273-8255  


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Comments

  1. UnknownApril 15, 2018 at 8:56 PM

    Hello Ben! I am so glad you were able to share this person's story. I am so glad that she is doing a lot better and that she is happy now. I am a firm believer in counseling, and sharing stories like this help other people believe in it too. Very good post!

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownApril 22, 2018 at 9:31 PM

    Ben, I'm so glad you got the chance to share this incredible story. I was truly inspired by how she overcame this. This story was also an eye-opener for me as well. Great post.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousApril 23, 2018 at 7:41 PM

    Hey Ben! Great job on this blog. I loved reading what you wrote and how she is overcoming her mental illness. Counselors really do so much for so many people and I think they aren't thanked enough. Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownApril 23, 2018 at 9:15 PM

    Ben! Thank you for sharing this story and thank you to whoever Alice is for being vulnerable enough to let you share it! Counselors really do help. Speaking from experience having been in the same situation, I understand those feelings and know that being able to talk through them is so helpful!

    ReplyDelete

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