A Student’s Mental Health Journey with Self-esteem

Hello, I am a student from Chesapeake, Virginia. I will be sharing my mental health journey as I reflect on how my past has shaped who I am now. 

My mental health journey began at home. I have had my ups and downs due to family issues and confidence issues. These issues are interlinked, as I feel that my family does not accept me for who I am because they see me as “wrong” or “different”. However, I have always found comfort in my friends, as they create a positive environment for me to be myself. For self-care or when I need to distract myself, I talk with my friends or play games. 

Through my mental health journey, I have learned so much about myself. First, I learned that I was never influenced to be different from how I am- it just felt comfortable and natural to me. I realized how important understanding this was later on in my mental health journey, as it made me feel more confident in who I am.

 If you take anything away from me sharing my story today, I want it to be this: You do not need to change yourself to fit into the standards of others. I wish you all the best on your mental health journey and hope you know that you are not alone.