Out of Stigma’s Shadow

“I honestly felt like I was invincible.”

 “It’s OK not to be OK.”

When Peter was in middle school, he struggled with dyslexia, dyscalculia, and ADHD. He became a target for bullies and spent a lot of time in the principal’s office. In high school, he embraced alcohol and drugs to ease his social anxiety. By the time he was in college, his substance use had gotten the best of him. He failed his classes and ended up in treatment program where he learned some surprising and important things about himself. 

“I didn’t know what I was feeling.”

“I wish the urges would go away.”

“It was easy to hide.”

“Broken people can’t fix broken people, but I can’t help but try.”

In high school, an abstract sadness descended on Jada. She didn’t understand it, but it made her think about ending her life. For better or worse, she found a community of people online who were also struggling. They introduced Jada to the practice of self-harm, to her detriment. Today, Jada is a mental health advocate who performs her poetry at conferences and workshops. She shares a poem that may or may not be her suicide note.