By: Alexandria Goncalves
Living in the big city of Toronto has made me see how busy people’s lives are and how stressful they seem to be all the time. I know firsthand, especially being a student. I have found that I am always worrying about my grades, money, and planning what to do next. What I have come to realize and to make a goal for the 2018 is that I just want to sit and relax and realize that life is wonderful and we need to make the best of it. I also know that I need to take care of my mental health while being under so much stress. As students, we understand that our grades are super important but, I find our mental health is much more important. I think back to when I was young and how I wanted to just rush my childhood and be an adult because I thought it was so much better than being a kid. I had to grow up faster than I wanted because of family issues and my own mental health issues. I never understood how precious life was, I suffered from depression and found out how shitty life can really be. To put it in a few words, my mental health was shit. It didn’t help that I let certain people into my life that just made me feel worse. I never felt that it was going to get better, I felt like a failure and that I had absolutely nothing going for me. I eventually had to seek help for myself. I found that was the best thing I ever did. People are suffering through so much now, mental health has become a large issue. I was afraid to seek help, I know others are too. Our brains trick us to make us think that getting help is weak yet, it makes us stronger than ever.
Writing this article reminds my of how much farther I have made it in my life. Not to say I do not have my days where I feel like a black hole has opened where my heart is. It reminds me that I am human and that I need to take care of myself. I knew I needed to surround myself with people who were positive and were going to help me. We’re human, we aren’t made to be perfect humans. We will suffer but, just to remind us about how we are still alive. What really opened my eyes to realize just how bad mental health issues are was when I found out in my grade 12 year, that my best friend committed suicide. You never really realize what people are going through until the worst thing happens. He seemed like the happiest person yet, I had no idea he was suffering so much. We have no idea what goes on it other people’s lives, which is why it is always important to be kind to others. Nobody deserves to feel like they have no place in this world, everyone has their place. Although they may not have found it just yet, doesn’t mean that you’re not meant to be here. We are dealt some hard cards in life but, we just have to show the world we can take it because we are strong-ass people.
Always keep in mind though that:
You are loved,
You are meant to be here,
Seek help when you need it,
And take care of yourself.