#JamesDonaldson On #MentalHealth – In Their Words — #Teens Talk About #MentalHealth: Thoughts Of #Suicide And #SelfHarm

• By SOPHIA STONE

Editor’s Note: Sophia Stone is the editor of the Hilltopper Herald, Science Hill High School’s #student newspaper. For our #Teens in Crisis series, Sophia conducted in-depth interviews with students to find out, in their words, what they are struggling with when it comes to their #mentalhealth. To protect their privacy, the story does not use any of the teen’s actual names.

In some teens’ cases, their personal struggles drove them to dark places. Everyone who I talked to had either struggled with #self-harm or #suicidalthoughts or knew someone who had. Here are some of their words on the subject:

“I have had #suicidalthoughts, but I never actually did anything. I just thought about it, you know? How would people react if I were gone?”

“I’ve definitely had moments where I thought, ‘What if I didn’t have to do this anymore?”

“I used to scratch at my arm to #self-harm, but I’ve been clean of that ever since I got out of the hospital. I still struggle with skin picking, but I’m working with my #therapist and people around me to help me through that.”

“I know people who struggle with #self-harm. I don’t know how to help them and that hurts.”

“I don’t want to say the wrong thing; what if I make it worse?”

“There was an #adult in my life who committed suicide. And I know they were driven to it, but at the time it felt almost selfish. We were all just left here. You couldn’t have talked to someone? It sounds so terrible to say.”

Breaking the #Stigma

All the #teens I talked to faced similar situations at home. Jane sums it up, saying, “My #parents are very iffy about #mentalhealth; sometimes it’s hard for them to understand that my small problems are still important compared to other people’s big ones.”

Erica gives a specific example. “I once told my mom that I was depressed,” she says, “but she was just really doubtful about the whole thing. It really invalidated what I was going through.”

Josh’s experiences parallel those of Erica. “There was a period where I would try to tell them about stuff, but they shunned it, they didn’t accept it,” he tells me.

John addresses the issue broadly. “There is a large #stigma around a lot of #mentalhealth related things,” he tells me. “People don’t want to see the ugly side of it, the non-romanticized version. People don’t know how to respond when someone mentions #self-harm when they haven’t ever done it themself.”

That’s why stories like these are important. They’re ugly, non-romanticized, and real. They’re the voices of people you know, people you pass in the hallways at #school, people who work at the grocery down the street.

#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

www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com

I’d like to thank all the #teens who contributed to this series for sharing these moments and emotions. The rawness in the deeply personal conversations of this series is something that breaks barriers and builds bridges. “Talking seriously about a topic like this is hard,” Alex says, “but it’s necessary. It brings us closer together and creates belonging. It gives us hope.”

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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