In March of 2023, my mom left my siblings and I to move to New York. Still to this day, I have no idea why my mom left us. This traumatic event left me with my dad and my step mom. After my mom abandoned us, I never really talked much about this experience because it was a sensitive subject. In January of 2024, I felt like I was alone in life because I kept everything inside. I felt abandoned and lost. At this time I felt like I was unwanted and I wanted to end everything because I thought that everyone would be better off without me.
Because of these thoughts, I decided to reach out for help. I talked to my school counselors, parents, friends and even my girlfriend. Together, this support system helped me to not have these thoughts anymore and to think about life in a more positive way, as well as have a way better approach to life. Being aware that help is needed is a huge step in battling mental illness. My own experience just proves that not everyone is aware that they even have mental health issues or that they need help. Everyone experiences various forms of trauma and everyone deals with these issues differently. In the end, mental health is a topic that needs to be taken seriously by our society.
Being educated about how to seek help for your mental health is important, so you can handle what you’re going through easier and faster with someone else by your side. Knowing what resources are available to help you is a very big step toward overcoming what you’re experiencing. So for me, once I talked to someone about my struggles, it was a big relief for my life.
Get help and reach out so you don’t have to be alone.
Wyatt Kayler is a sophomore at Dixie High School in New Lebanon and is involved in band, track and powerlifting.
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