“Problems can be overcome if you seek help for them:” A Mental Health Success Story

Encouraging Others to Get Help

We have all likely noticed when someone was struggling before. We may even know someone who is struggling right now. Sometimes it seems easier to not say anything. One young man, however, at only 15 years old, was courageous enough to encourage his friend to get the help he needed.

This is his story.

“…I have many good friends in 8th Grade. This year we were all studying hard and trying to get good results in our exams. For a while, we were all doing well, and then something changed in my friend’s house and affected him. My friends and I saw that he couldn’t do his exercises or study his lessons properly. We saw that he had really changed; he didn’t talk to anyone, tried to isolate himself from the others in the school, didn’t laugh, didn’t play and was always sad.

I tried many times to find out what had happened with him but he didn’t want to share the problem with me. Sometimes he expressed to me that he felt hopeless and did not even think he should be alive. He felt as though he was upsetting other people. I also felt sad because of his problems and thought that I couldn’t help and didn’t know what was wrong with him.

One day I heard on local TV a program that said that isolation, suicidal thinking and hopeless words are signs of a mental illness that can recover through the consultation with professionals.

After I heard this information, I shared the issue with my father. My father and I talked with a psychiatrist and reserved an appointment time for my friend. Then I talked with my classmate and after many days discussion, he agreed to go to the doctor with us. Now after several visits, finally my friend has recovered from his illness. Now we are classmates again and studying together, we are happy as we were before. Both of us learned from this experience that our life may have many problems but we shouldn’t be hopeless, as problems can be overcome if you seek help for them.”

If you know anyone who is struggling, don’t hesitate to encourage them that it’s okay to seek the help necessary. There is always hope!

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