I wore a green ribbon similar to this one on my gown during my high school graduation. Throughout my high school career, two members of my graduating class lost their lives due to suicide.
Mental illness has always had a special place in my heart as I have had my own personal struggles with depression and anxiety. Not only that, but my brother also struggles with severe anxiety. Because mental illness has touched many people around me, I most likely want to be a Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker in the future in a hospital or healthcare setting. I want to help those like my brother and I, who feel little hope, and need resources to bring themselves out of darker times.
I am a firm believer that mental illness is an issue that has been heavily stigmatized in today’s society. The media fails to discuss issues pertaining to mental illness and feeds into society’s standards with their unrepresentative models and covers. By not discussing these issues openly, people are less likely to feel the need to obtain help or further resources.