Hello readers, my name is Ruben and this is my story, hopefully this can help people within my own community that not only are they not alone but that their struggles are valid, always keep fighting. To start off, I wanted to mention how for most of my early childhood, I was a happy kid, if not a bit quiet. I had my family, my friends and my books and for a while that was enough. According to the education system, I was a “gifted” child and put into advanced math and english classes in middle school and from that moment on, somewhere in my subconscious I decided that my worth was linked to how well I could do in school. This came to a head in highschool when all of a sudden, everyone else around me was also a “gifted” child within their own school as well and I found myself no longer being exceptional, in fact I wasn’ t all that great of a student and as a result my grades were mediocre and my self esteem went along with it. I found myself staying up all night because my anxiety wouldn’t let me sleep and when morning came along the feelings of worthlessness and the depression that came along with them would hardly allow me to get out of bed. I was in a dark place, and when I’d try to talk to my parents they would tell me to just study harder and that I would get over it. I started to abuse substances, and it wasn’t until one night during my junior year where I had to be rushed to the hospital because I almost gave myself alcohol poisoning that my parents realized that I needed serious help. A few years and lots of therapy sessions later I’m at a place where I can say that I am happy with the person that I am. It was almost too late for me but that cycle doesn’t have to perpetuate itself. Let’s love and check in on each other, if someone appears to be struggling or even says that they are struggling, be there for them, help them get the support they need. Mental health is just as important as our physical health, and just like how anyone can catch a cold, anyone of us could grapple with their mental health as well.

*The names used within this post have been changed in order to maintain discretion