Growing up with ADHD and Generalized Anxiety was never easy, especially as a young child and student-athlete. There were challenges that I had to face that were often different from those of my friends and difficult to talk about. I had my first panic attack when I was in elementary school. I had already been struggling with ADHD, which was a side effect of brain surgery. Anxiety began after the quarterly trips to meet with Doctors and Specialists at different hospitals over 7 years. Panic Attacks were different. Anxiety was unpredictable. ADHD made me forgetful, hyper, and unprepared after I studied. But Anxiety and ADHD together were awful. Struggling with anxiety and ADHD made life as a child difficult because I overthought most things and didn’t want to be the center of attention. I’d do my homework and fail to submit it, study for exams, and fear I wouldn’t have enough time to finish. I also had moments of brain fog that would cause me to lose focus in the middle of my basketball games, which was embarrassing. However, with the support of my 504 Coordinator, School Counselor, Advocate, and Mom, I learned not to allow disabilities to define me. I chose to become more mentally aware of myself and others. With the decision to become mentally aware, I allowed myself to be open-minded about Academic Tutoring to assist with organization skills, time management, and better study habits to help with test-taking skills. And I started going to Therapy. Taking charge of my mental health not only helped with my mental stability, but I also became more confident and excited about helping others become more encouraged in their daily lives. It gave me a clearer picture of what I want to study in college for my career. I also realized that my mental health has to be a priority for me to succeed in my academics, personal life, and overall health. As I have continued with Therapy sessions and learned beneficial coping skills, I understand how important mental health advocacy is to be a part of my daily routine. Self-awareness and Emotional Intelligence have helped me articulate healthy boundaries during pivotal times in my life as a Student, Friend, and Family Member, which can all be challenging. Knowing how to communicate without being overwhelmed by anxiety but also having support has also been essential in my mental health growth. I’m grateful for learning to advocate for myself at such a young age. As kids, we think of adversity as a bad thing. However, knowing how to persevere through tough challenges will be needed for our purpose. Incorporating a positive mindset to overcome anxious thoughts and adversity has helped me live confidently as a college student. I’m not afraid to ask for help.

I had my first panic attack when I was in elementary school. I was already struggling with ADHD which was a side effect of brain surgery. But Anxiety was different. It had no warnings. I couldn’t control it no matter how hard I tried. I cried and felt afraid going to places that had large crowds of people, even if it was somewhere I wanted to go, including my basketball games. Because I never knew when I would be stricken with Anxiety, I had a hard time focusing. I often overthought everything which made things worse. This made it difficult to know how to ask for help. The one person who knew how to talk to me whenever I was overwhelmed was my Mom. My Mom’s genuine support and her teaching me how to advocate for myself have been pivotal in my Mental Health stability and compassion for others. She was my Mental Health Peer Advocate who taught me how to advocate for mental health awareness. My Mom is a Licensed Minister who writes and speaks about the importance of mental health awareness on social media platforms, in the community, and within the inner city Outreach Ministry. By serving alongside my Mother and dealing with Anxiety on a personal level, I grew to understand that Mental Illness does not discriminate. The Black community, just like other communities of people, suffered from mental and emotional stress, along with a lack of resources and awareness. I believe that mental health advocacy should be taught with inclusion, and compassion and made available for all people. By growing up in church and volunteering in the community, I learned the importance of trusting God while letting go of religious traditions. This meant being open to Therapy. Unfortunately within the Black community, sometimes culture and religious traditions place healing on a person’s ability to attend church, be strong, and salvation alone. These concepts often keep Black people from seeking essential help for mental health issues outside of church. However, faith without advocacy does nothing. Because my Mom believed in God and was determined to help me receive the right care that was best for my health, she normalized Therapy and Emotional Awareness. The Church and its Leaders must do a better job of supporting the Black Community and its members when dealing with mental health issues. Inclusive resources for awareness, healing, and application should be provided. Discussions on mental health advocacy and help should be within the church building. Choosing to go to therapy does not mean that a person is absent from God. This mentality has to change. Now that I am a freshman in college, I see the impact of having learned how to advocate for my Mental Health as a young black child. My Mother’s ongoing support shaped my life. Talking to school counselors when I felt stressed out about my grades and was having really bad days helped me when I could not talk to my Mom or my regular Therapist. I believe onsite Trained Licensed Counselors should be made available in Inner City Community Organizations as well as Black Churches. I also benefited from being on a school team that allowed us to have “round table discussions.” This allowed us to share our emotions in a safe space. Facilitated small groups that focus on mental health should be offered in more safe spaces along with resources from each state’s National Alliance on Mental Illness Organization information. This will teach people how to advocate for themselves and hopefully become a Peer Mental Health Advocate for someone else.