Take a moment to think about how many people you know or hear about that suffer from a mental illness. Now remember high school. Being a teenager is hard enough, it’s even harder with a serious mental illness.
As a young woman I have grown up with mental illness close to my mind and heart. My grandmother was diagnosed bipolar/schizophrenic and both of my uncles are diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I have seen the effects it’s had on my family personally and I have seen the struggle that these individuals endure each and every day. I’m very passionate about bringing awareness to the New York media and supporting those who suffer from mental illness. I feel it has been in the shadows of closed doors for too long and needs to be discussed and understood.
I have already started to implement my ideas toward reaching my goals that I have set forth within myself regarding this issue. In my school I have been in contact with many faculty members including our guidance personnel, my principal and the superintendent in an effort to bring education on mental illness into our area schools, starting with mine. I presented my ideas to my entire high school faculty and was pleasantly surprised to see how many of them wanted to support me. My school now makes brochures available so that anyone who wants to discreetly receive information about mental illness may do so. I am working diligently to get a mental illness curriculum into all upper middle school and high school health courses by the start of the new school year. I’m also in the planning process with our guidance team to set up an assembly for all high school and upper middle school students to attend. The assembly will consist of a speaker that will share their personal experiences and help students gain an understanding towards mental illness. I also plan on using my appearances as a teaching tool to help educate people within my community.
Looking on, you will notice that there are many issues with causes and effects related to people with mental illnesses. Turn on your six-o’clock news and nightly you will hear of issues connected to this awful condition. What I would like to do is change the way the media and society portrays these individuals. It is unfortunate that when we watch the news or listen to it on the radio we only hear the reporter’s side of the story. We often mute the untold story of the victim themselves. Education is key and my plan is to make it available.
In regards to this issue, what America needs is knowledge. Knowledge is power. We as individuals are the educators. Together we will make a difference that will change the way America thinks about mental illness in the future.
