SETH, 21 YEARS OLD

DEFINING SELF-CARE

Self care can be a lot of things. It depends on what we need. Self care when we’re burntout can look like a bath or relaxing and watching tv. More intentional and intensive self care can be journaling and meditation, or just crying. Self care is any way that can help you process and let go of your emotions.

My Mental Health Story

Eleven years ago, my neighbor spent a month terrorizing, threatening, and racially harassing my family and I, as well as physically endangering us. He threw paint on our cars, eggs, slit our tires, and lastly on June 11th, 2011, he tried to light our house on fire using flammable bags he threw in our garden, next to our house, and underneath our cars. We were then escorted by the swat team that night because my dad woke up by the noise in time before anything more life threatening occurred.

I spent months after the incident crying every night in fear he’d come back and kill me. He was never found guilty of any of it.

I have post traumatic stress disorder from this and often spend a lot of my day to day in fear or numbness from triggers. However, I am quite open about my story as a psych student and future mental health counselor. I’ve found a lot of healing in telling my story and getting help. I’ve had depression since high school and still struggle to this day. It’s a long journey understanding and re learning to love myself. It’s been hard to release

Today and as of two and a half years ago, I’ve had a mental health page where I not only talk about my own experiences but provide support and solace to other people who also struggle with their mental health.

If I’ve learned anything from this, it’s that healing is so incredibly difficult and it can take what seems like forever to see even a glimpse of hope or progress, but we’re all worth it in the end. We are not a burden or weak for getting help. It’s what makes us strong.