On a night a few days before Christmas, I lost my big brother and close friend Everett to a overdose. He was 34 years old. I was devestated and crushed. My family is valued priceless. The relationship and love that is given to me, I return as caring and full as I can. This tragedy prompted me to evaluate myself and my life's path. I stepped back and looked at where I wanted to go from here and what were the motivations and reasons I had. The goals. And I chose with growth in mind, and my family's health, happiness and meaningful living as a focus. Along with them, anyone and their family to gain and achieve the very same. My loss sparked a raging fire in my will and heart to gain the most meaningful and fulfilling life I can achieve. I found strength, desire, and hope to move myself forward and fight all obstacles, with my best ability. I decided to go to college and with my degree, help people in anyway I am capable of, and be a part of the engine to help prevent these tragedies in my community. I desire to achieve a meaningful career and life, and to be a responsible, caring, understanding and kind person. I have been grieving over my brother Everett from the night of this tragedy, this loss. I had to decide to move forward and make the most out of my life, yet I still grieve.I fight for redemption and to make his memory a motivation, a tool, and a hope for my future success. In so, I can help others to not only deal with but also I will help them so they may avoid this experience, this type of loss of a loved one.

My name is Michael, and I am a battler. I am 40 years old, I go to SNHU, live in Maine, and I have Anxiety, Depression, and Major Depressive Disorder. I have struggled with these issues most of my life. Depression & anxiety has been a obstacle from my youth. I had hopes, interests, hobbies, and goals just as we all do. I would daily seek pleasure, fun, knowledge, skill, and above all success through and from all these. However, I had to constantly fight with feelings I did not or could not understand nor control, and from emotional issues I ran from in confusion, along with never knowing why I had them, or what they even were. I struggled to stay focused in class, I had problems with anger, acting out, and concentration. Needless to say, my schooling was difficult, and I had to work very, very hard to keep up and move forward. I would hide from talking, and participating. I had problems paying attention and staying calm, yet I knew in my heart, there was something wrong, that I could not understand, nor did I do on purpose. As a young adult I continued to spend most time by myself, afraid of people and who I am. Depression got severe and my anxiety was so severe I no longer could go out in public really, or would I. I started losing interests, and desire in all things. I finally shut myself off, and put myself away. My life and my health diminished rapidily, to the point of me not working,going out, eating, sleeping, engaging in family and events, to never leaving the home. I truly had fallen, and hit bottom. I needed help more than I had been recieving the past 20 years. And I knew it. So I chose to try myself to reach out and find the resources I needed to recover, regroup, and rebuild myself. And I did just that. I looked at my situation, disorders, and mission all as one piece, instead of me seperately fighting one issue at a time. I needed to overcome all three in one swing, one shot, one race. In order to be prepared one day to move forward, educate myself about my disorders, do what was neccesary to live with them, not be controlled by them, stop running on the wheel, get the most out of life, become a member into my community and society, gain independence, and live life to the fullest potential I can. And a hard struggle took place for 12 years, but I overcame, and now I am ready. My anxiety was so badI would'nt want to be in the waiting rooms, but I did. I fought with issues of depression for weeks at a time, butkept taking my medicines right, and going to counseling and all my appointments. I did behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, grief counseling, and always was honest and participated in my recovery and treatment. I was alone, without support from family, nor didI have friends. But finally I made it and I had purpose, desire, hope and a goal driven path again. Me, I wanted to go back to school. College actually, and my major I chose, is Human Services w/ concentration in child and family Social Service. I wish now to help others with their struggles, and help all I meet reach the same goal I have, to become independent, overcome their mental or physical disorders, reach their potential, and above all, live their lives to the fullest. Thank you.

What if the society we live in, and the world itself was educated about, and all people understood mental disorders, mental health challenges, respected those with them as equals, and chose to change the view now widely held of fixing these individuals only, to celebrating their individualism, their talents, their art, their strength, and respecting and accepting them for who they are? In my perspective, a practical, and honorable solution would be to stop seeing those who struggle with mental health as only that. They are human just as the rest, and deserve the dignity, respect, and acceptance that all do. Society needs to be educated much more on this topic, and understand their conditions, disorders, and struggles. Instead of just looking away, society needs to open up our arms and accept these people, give them the same resources, oppurtunities, education, and aid as the rest. To open up and understand these individuals, we see they have much to offer our society and the world. They have heightened senses and abilities, articulation, inventions, processing abilities, and scientific advancements that could and would contribute greatly. Above all, we need to understand that this has gone on, and will go on. It is up to us all to make these changes by standing up, speaking out, and bringing this topic to attention. I believe this is a practical and logical solution. And I myself have had to struggle with mental health issues most of my life. Thank you.

From a 6 year old boy swinging the tee-ball bat for the first time, I loved sports. The thrill, competition, excitement and crowd all impressed and bit me instantly. I had found my first joy.I was hooked right there. From then on, I did any and all sports activities I could. Baseball, football, basketball, soccer, hockey, badminton, running, skiing, hiking, snowboarding, mountain biking, I even played golf and tennis with my brother. For me it was simple, sports gave me a way to find an outlet. I was a hyper confused young boy and I was able to put this energy positively in a straight direction, and controlled. I learned how to listen better, how to concentrate better, behave with others, understand my own personal limits and use them in a entirely constructive way. And also I got fulfillment from the activities. I enjoyed personal growth and in some ways, I got freedom and relief. This seriously impacted my life, for many simple reasons. I learned control, coordination, thinking on my feet, being respectful to others, physical health was important, I had goals, I had education outside the classroom, it gave me ambition, inspiration, happiness, even self limitation. I was seeing so many diverse ways to compete and be athletic, I got to experience so much in so many different ways, even saw places I normally wouldn't have. I had fun, I had friendship, trust, manners, and focus. More so I was able to find peace in a confusing part of my life, and I was able to learn qualities I would not have. I felt control and worth, all the while having enjoyment! I had my own 1 person cheering section, just 1. My mother was there from the very first swing. Then my first kick, my first race, my first pass, my first shot, my first swing of the racket. Everything. She couldnt physically, but as for emotionally and mentally, she supported me through it all. She went to every single practice, game, competition, race, everything. She spent time on me when it put her behind, money when she knew she didnt have extra, she sat in cold, hot, rain, snow, inside, outside, alone and with other parents. On the fence, in the bleachers, on the car, on the wall, It did not matter what I did she always supported my goals, my choices. She was always there to take pictures and cheer me on. My angel (my mom) even took me to the Dr's and to the hospital after every injury, and never tried talking me out of any sport I did. She made me feel valuable and in places I could not succeed in the class, she made me believe in myself in athletics. She constantly tried to explain and teach me how I could apply my abilities in sports to everyday life. Thats my angel, and that is how I was supported, and I love her for it all. Thank you.

Independent. To me, first you choose to live and enjoy your life by your own strength, values, morals, ethics and responsibility. Alot of people in our country believe that simply work and the wages that are earned determine your independance. To have your own home or apartment, vehicle, job, and pay your bills, is the meaning of being independant. This is just a piece of this gift we have in this country. Really, it's being able to think without authority, to act and react on our own, to worship in any way we choose, to love and marry whom we choose, to speak freely on almost any level, to politically think and choose freely, to dress freely, to pursue our own dreams and aspirations, to express art freely, to be free to live and work and raise are families in any state in this country, and to be free of the bounds of authority which might control and govern these freedoms. It is much more than simply paying your own way, and substaining on your own. The impact it has on all people is dependant on their understanding of it, and how we value it. For me, it's impact is great! It allows me to be who I am, think how I choose, and importantly, express myself in all ways of my individualism as an American male. I am free to live almost entirely in a way that I desire and resolve to. It impacts my everyday, and in every way. I am not restricted or bound to another's authority or sustinence. I am free to aspire to get the most out of my life in every aspect, and express myself in the very same way. Which is a priceless gift we all are blessed with. Sincerely, Michael Hutchinson