Due to COVID and the lockdowns, a lot of people have become depressed, and their mental health seems to be going down.  I was also one of those people.

I’m very open about my experiences with mental health because I want other people to know that I’ve been through something similar.  I have a history of self harming and suicidal thoughts, but I don’t have them anymore because I asked for help when I realized I needed it.  At first I was afraid and maybe a little embarrassed about asking for help.  Even though I saw how much I was struggling,  I didn’t ask for help until I realized that what I was doing was hurting more. I’m doing better these days, thankfully, but it’s all because I asked for help. 

I gave my friends advice or help when they needed it but I realized that a lot of people in school have issues mentally as well.  I realized that everyone needs help, and I know that I’m not a qualified therapist but I wanted to  help in any way possible, so I started an Instagram account called “Mental Health Checking.”  As much as I post things, I also send the people that follow me a check in. I tell them that they can talk to me about anything, serious or not, but that they don’t have to tell me anything.  Although I may be an emotional teen myself, if I can give people advice I will do it in a heartbeat.  Many people who struggle with their  mental health may not feel recognized at school or by other people, but I try to recognize the people who need help and the people who have been brave enough to ask for it.