Let's Talk About The Stigma Around Mental Health | The Teen Safe Zone

Let's Talk About The Stigma Around Mental Health | The Teen Safe Zone

{Trigger Warning: Today's blog post may contain topics that may be triggering for some individuals. These topics include; mental health struggles, suicide, grief, eating disorders, addiction, and domestic abuse. If you are someone struggling with any of these, resources and hotlines will be provided in today's blog post. Please don't be afraid to reach out for professional help near you.}

Hi everyone! Welcome, or welcome back, to The Teen Safe Zone where it's safe for teens to be themselves! Today's blog topic may be the most vulnerable and toughest thing to write about, and that is mental health. I made this blog to be a safe zone for teenagers from every background, every race, where no one's struggles are overlooked. This means that no topic is off-limits here. Sure, I've talked briefly about mental health on this blog before in the past, but there is more that needs to be said.

After hearing a stranger's story online, I realized how much stigma there is around mental health and mental health awareness even today in society. Of course, we've come a long way as a society with being more open about mental health than say, 50 years ago, but there is still so much more we can do and need to work on. Yes, mental health is talked about, but it isn't talked about enough. Mental health is such a deep topic, but it feels that we only want to talk about surface-level things.

Who do you turn to when you're battling suicidal thoughts? What do you do if a loved one tells you that they are suicidal? What happens if you lose a loved one to suicide? How do you recover from an eating disorder? How do you recover from an addiction? How do you build enough strength to reach out for professional help? How do you say that you're not okay?

These are things that should be talked about more often and shouldn't be left to the victims to find out on their own. Even if it happens to the "minorities," it doesn't stop the fact that these things happen to someone every single day and the numbers are only increasing. Nearly half of Gen Z alone are battling mental health struggles. You are not in this battle alone.

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You Are Not Alone:

As I mentioned above, you are not alone in this battle. Somewhere out there, someone is battling with the same struggles that you are. Somewhere out there, there is someone who will listen to you and won't judge you for your struggles. Somewhere out there, there is someone who will motivate and encourage you on your bad days. There is so much to look forward to in life and trust me, it's hard to believe it in the midst of the storm, but there is something much bigger for you on the other side. Feel free to share your testimonies in the comments if you feel comfortable enough to!

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How To Be A Good Support System:

If you are in a position where a family member or friend is struggling with mental health, you are probably trying to figure out how to be there for them. Listen to them and take their struggles seriously. Encourage them and always be there for them when they need you the most. Show them you care. Help them enjoy the bright side of life again, even doing the simple things matter. Get them professional help if needed such as rehab, a therapist, etc.

Try your best to be a good support system for them. However, a person must want help if they want better. You can do all of these things, but at the end of the day, it's still their choice. Don't blame yourself if something goes left. Don't blame yourself if they were battling something you didn't know about. It's not your fault.

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Hotlines & Resources:

Below are a few hotlines and resources that are available if you or someone you know are battling mental health. If in case of an emergency, call 911 (US).

• 988 Mental Health Emergency Line

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 (or just call 988).

• Self-Harm Hotline: 1-800-366-8288

• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233

• Family Violence Helpline: 1-800-966-6228

• American Association Of Poison Control Centers: 1-800-222-1222

For a list of more hotlines / international hotlines, CLICK HERE.

If you want to hear stories from families of victims of the fentanyl crisis, WATCH HERE.

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I am not a licensed professional yet, I just want to spread the message around and bring awareness to these topics. It breaks my heart every single time I hear a story related to mental health that didn't end well. Once again, please reach out to these resources/someone you trust if you are struggling. Please don't suffer in silence.

If you want to contact me about anything, please visit the "Contact Us" page on this blog where we can privately talk! Once again, if you feel comfortable sharing your stories in the comments or want to speak any encouraging words, feel free to do that. Remember, this is a safe place.

I pray and wish you all the best on your mental health journey! New posts every Sunday! - Lexi