Donate towards teen mental health
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Hi! I am a teen who started No Stigma, an event dedicated to teen mental health awareness. Mental health is something that many people have to struggle with at times, and I noticed that it's something that isn't really talked about in teens. People avoid talking about their mental health either due to stigma or embarrassment or just plain lack of communication. No Stigma hopes to start conversations about teen mental health wherever they are needed.
Since I was little, my mom would mention her grandfather, who fought in World War one and had won a Victoria Cross during the time he served, I was always amazed by him. Later, I learned that he died by taking his own life. Now that we know more about mental illness, we know it was due to severe post- traumatic stress disorder. His death left my mom’s father (my grandfather) without a father, and his death had a ripple effect on the family. It even affected my mom, who grew up without a grandfather and saw the struggle her dad had to go through dealing with his father's death, even years and years later. Though I never met my great- grandfather, his story always stuck with me. What I took away from the story was that because there was no knowledge about mental illness and PTSD, my great- grandfather was left unsupported and unable to cope with his trauma.
This mental health event is important to me because, while this event is for both parents and teens alike, I hope that any teens attending will be able to recognize symptoms that may exist in themselves or others. Not only that, but hopefully they will also be able to learn ways to cope or destress, because even if a person does not have any mental illness, life can be stressful sometimes. I see people that I go to school with struggle so much, be it with stress or anxiousness or coping with trauma, I can see for myself how hard mental health issues can be and are for anyone, especially for people my age who may not want to reach out to anyone or don’t understand what exactly is going on. I want to avoid what happened to my great- grandfather, by starting conversations that weren’t started then due to societal stigma. My wish for this event is that people may be equipped with tools to better understand themselves and what they are going through and become all the better for it.
Since I was little, my mom would mention her grandfather, who fought in World War one and had won a Victoria Cross during the time he served, I was always amazed by him. Later, I learned that he died by taking his own life. Now that we know more about mental illness, we know it was due to severe post- traumatic stress disorder. His death left my mom’s father (my grandfather) without a father, and his death had a ripple effect on the family. It even affected my mom, who grew up without a grandfather and saw the struggle her dad had to go through dealing with his father's death, even years and years later. Though I never met my great- grandfather, his story always stuck with me. What I took away from the story was that because there was no knowledge about mental illness and PTSD, my great- grandfather was left unsupported and unable to cope with his trauma.
This mental health event is important to me because, while this event is for both parents and teens alike, I hope that any teens attending will be able to recognize symptoms that may exist in themselves or others. Not only that, but hopefully they will also be able to learn ways to cope or destress, because even if a person does not have any mental illness, life can be stressful sometimes. I see people that I go to school with struggle so much, be it with stress or anxiousness or coping with trauma, I can see for myself how hard mental health issues can be and are for anyone, especially for people my age who may not want to reach out to anyone or don’t understand what exactly is going on. I want to avoid what happened to my great- grandfather, by starting conversations that weren’t started then due to societal stigma. My wish for this event is that people may be equipped with tools to better understand themselves and what they are going through and become all the better for it.
We're starting small, with an event with a keynote speaker, a guided meditation workshop, and a nutrition workshop. 100% of your donation will go towards teen mental health awareness and outreach, including funding more events like this one. Fundraising will close by the end of April.
To find out and RSVP for our first ever event go to www.nostigmateen.com
Every bit helps, a little bit of help could go a long way!
Thank you for your kindness,
Sarah
Organizer
No Stigma
Organizer
Furnace Woods, NY
