James Donaldson on Mental Health – The Silent Struggle: Understanding the Mental Health Effects of Bullying

May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, making it a great time to put an issue in the spotlight that is leading many of our nation’s youth to suffer mentally. While some share what they are going through with being bullied or doing the bullying, many others suffer silently, leading to serious issues that may be life threatening. The more we can bring this issue out into the light, the less silent suffering young people will be led to doing.

“Bullying is something that needs to get a lot of attention so that people can prevent and recognize it,” says Kirk Smalley, co-founder of Stand for the Silent. “It’s the only way we can help those who are suffering from being involved in bullying. We owe it to our youth to be proactive with this.”

Smalley knows all too well the silent suffering that those who are bullied endure. At age 11, his son Ty committed suicide due to being bullied. That unimaginable loss led him and his late wife to create Stand for the Silent, in hopes that they could help keep other parents from going through the same situation.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bullying has serious and lasting negative effects on mental health and overall well-being of youth involved in bullying in any way. Negative outcomes from being involved in bullying include depression, anxiety, substance abuse, poor social functioning, poor school performance, lower grade point average, poor school attendance, and involvement in interpersonal violence or sexual violence.

The CDC also reports that bullying behavior and suicide-related behavior are closely related. Any involvement in bullying puts someone at a higher risk for feelings of helplessness and raise risks of suicide. A report published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, advised that bullying victimization is a strong determent of adolescent health, including suicidal behavior, depression, anxiety, sleep problems, substance use, and other adverse impacts on health and well-being.

One issue that desperately needs more attention is that of social media usage and its impact on mental health. The CDC reports that high school students who frequently use social media are more likely to experience bully victimization, persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness, and suicide risk. This is a major concern, as they report that 77% of students surveyed report that they frequently use social media.

While the information seems like a lot of bad news, the good thing is that there are things that can be done. According to Mental Health America, bullying can be addressed by starting early, teaching children to be assertive, stopping bullying when it is identified, listening to and supporting children who speak up about bullying, and teaching kids to take action when they witness bullying. It’s important that our youth know there are consequences for bullying others.

#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation
website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson’s latest book,
#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

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“Together we can help prevent and address the bullying issue in the country,” added Smalley. “When we do that we will help to improve mental health, too. It’s all connected.”

Smalley and his wife, Laura, started the organization following their 11-year-old son, ending his own life due to bullying. They turned their pain and loss into a mission of helping others. He travels the country giving presentations about bullying to schools, providing bullying prevention, giving out scholarships, offering intervention strategies, and more. Those interested in getting involved can start a chapter of the group in their area, obtain a free K-2 bullying prevention curriculum or cyberbullying handbook for parents, host a presentation at their school, intro of how all started video, and donate to help support the cause. To get more information, visit the site at: https://standforthesilent.org/

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James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.

James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.

In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.

He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.

James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!

For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:

www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
JamesD@StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)

James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.

If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org