Mental illness has been a significant part of my life, both personally and through my family. My mother struggled with a prescription drug addiction and bipolar disorder for many years. Her mental health issues not only affected her but also our entire family. It led to a divorce from my father, a tiresome custody battle, and a strained relationship with myself and my sister. It also led to mental illness being a taboo word in our house. As a child, it was heartbreaking to see my mother struggling with addiction and mental health issues. I often felt like the roles were reversed - that I was the parent and she was the child. I was far to young to understand what mental illness was, and that led me to harboring many negative feelings towards my mum. I spent a lot of my teenage years distancing myself from her, instead of trying to understand her. When she passed away in 2016, it was a difficult and complicated time for me. Her passing made me confront many unresolved feelings of anger, grief, and love towards her. It took me a long time to find peace with her passing and to realize that my mental health needed to be a priority. In 2019, three years after my mum's passing, I decided to seek therapy for the first time. While my mother's life and death are not the primary focus of my sessions, they have led me to focus on what matters most: my own mental health. Through therapy, I learned to acknowledge and accept even the darkest parts of myself. This allowed me to heal my relationship with my mother and to see her in a more positive light. Therapy also helped me to realize that I had anxiety disorder and histrionic tendencies. These two diagnosis were life changing. Being aware of these disorders, how they present in my life, and the root cause of them, really changed the way I saw the world and myself. I was able to take the steps I needed to heal and adapt, and I am a much better person today because of that. I am grateful that we live in a world today where mental health is not only discussed, but made a priority. We, as a society, have come leaps and bounds over the past twenty years. Mental illness is a challenging issue, and it can have a significant impact on individuals and their loved ones. I hope that by sharing my story, I can help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues and encourage others to prioritize their own mental well-being.

Someone who is striving to be better than they were yesterday.

I am an immigrant. I left behind family and friends to start a new life in the United States when I was only 15 years old. At the time, everything I knew about the US came from Hollywood, but still, everyone knew that the USA was the land of the free. My background gave me an interesting perspective when I stepped into my junior-year government class. I saw the US Constitution from two sides - it’s intent and it’s reality. The Constitution is one of the most important legal documents in the world. It outlines the fundamental principles of American democracy and establishes the basic rights and freedoms that every American is entitled to. It describes the balance of power between the three branches. It is a document that is meant to be living and breathing and adapted as our society adapts. This is the Constitution’s intent. So what is its reality? The reality is that our lawmakers have chosen to interpret the Constitution in a way that benefits them as individuals, and not Americans as a nation. The First Amendment, for example, states the freedom to protest. Sure, Americans can protest, but as the world saw in the summer of 2020, peaceful protests will be met with tear gas and rubber bullets. The First Amendment also establishes freedom of religion and separation of church and state. However, the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade in 2022 under the bias of religion. The Second Amendment was written following the Revolutionary War when AR-15s and other semi-automatic rifles would’ve sent Washington and Hamilton into a coma. The US Constitution isn’t all archaic though. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery. The 14th acknowledged Black Americans as full human beings. The 19th gave women the right to vote. These changes were adapted as society progressed and aided the United States in becoming one of the strongest nations in the world. If the Constitution could be amended during these times, then it can still be amended today to support the greater good of all Americans. But that is much easier said than done. It is imperative in today’s world that we continue to fight for civil liberties and social justice. And while I might not be a lawyer, or a politician, or work in government, I am one thing: a white woman. White women have an incredible amount of privilege and influence, whether they acknowledge it or not. And as a white woman in 2023, it is beyond important to not only recognize that privilege, but to weaponize it for the betterment of society. So what does that mean? It means educating oneself on issues that may not affect us personally. It means using our voices to stand up for minority voices and to lift them up to make sure they have a seat at the table. It means questioning the belief systems we were taught in our all-American families, neighbourhoods, and schools. It is understanding that our words and actions, positive and negative, hold weight. My goal in this life is to help leave the world a better place than I found it. And if that means I must check my privilege at the door, then so be it. I am committed to using my voice to point out injustices and imbalances. One of my aspirations in getting an International MBA is to learn from the best and brightest in their respective fields, regardless of gender, skin color, or nationality. If the United States were to adopt this perspective in Congress and the Constitution, then it would be a true world powerhouse.

It was 11 pm on a summer night in 2016 when my phone rang and my aunt's name flashed on the screen. Immediately my heart sank and I knew the conversation I was about to have. I answered the phone, wishing that I was already asleep so I could push this off until tomorrow. I don't remember exactly how the call went, but I do remember the overbearing complicated feeling in my chest. My mother had passed away. She had been in the hospital for pneumonia the week prior, but the cause of death was uncertain. You see, my mother had struggled for many years with a prescription drug addiction and bipolar disorder. This made it unclear if her passing was due to pneumonia, an accidental cocktail of pills, or an intentional one. My mother's addiction put a lot of strain on my relationship with her. As a child, it was heartbreaking and confusing to see my mum, someone who I loved and looked up to, struggling like this. There were many moments, especially as a teenager, where I felt like I was the parent and she was the child. It has taken me a long time to find peace with my mum. I had so many feelings of anger and grief and love towards her that I didn't know how to understand. For a while I let those unresolved feelings affect my everyday life, without even realizing it. In 2019, 3 years after her death, I went to therapy for the first time. While my mum isn't the main topic of my sessions, her life and death have led me to focus on what matters most: me and my mental health. For the longest time, my primary approach to therapy and my mental health was to not be like my mum. That worked to an extent, but I still had many bad habits. Over the years, and with the help of a great therapist, I worked hard to accept even the darkest parts of myself, which in turn, happened to help heal my relationship with my mum. I learned to acknowledge and accept who we both are. I become able to love my mum and myself fully. I could remind myself of the good memories and her positive attributes. She was funny and silly, just like me. She liked shopping and top 40 hits. She wanted me to be proud of my body and my beauty. Unintentionally my mum's death led me on my own mental health journey. And honestly, I am a much better person now than in 2016. It's been a rollercoaster of a journey, filled with tears, numbness, depression showers, and painful realizations. I am still growing and learning, but now I can do so out of love. I miss my mum, but I know she'd be proud of the woman I am today.