From Silence to Support: Why Mental Health Conversations Matter

​Mental health conversations have always had a soft spot in my heart for as long as I can remember. To me, it didn’t matter how busy I was or what kind of personal situation I was going through, I always held dear to the conversations I’ve had with people struggling mentally. Mostly, it stemmed from the fact that I did as well, and I knew how it felt to be alone. My story focuses on living with depression, which in my household was a forbidden word. Coming from an Asian culture, depression was taboo, it simply was not “real” because “What could have it possibly stemmed from?” my mom always asked. Thus, I’ve been conditioned to stay silent about it, until it reached a point. I remember staying afterschool to have a chat with my Psychology teacher who taught me the importance of using resources around you but “How could I?” I thought to myself. I was very deep into being secretive that it became maladaptive in my life, but I knew I owned it to myself to get better or get an ounce of what it felt like to get better. I attended school therapy and honestly, it never worked with me. I downloaded apps, again, it never worked with me. So I bared with it until I used a mental health crisis line and, honestly, that moment healed parts of me that I didn’t know was broken. Long story short, using resources was the first step to healing and it lead me to joining Active Minds, so I could advocate for its importance and decrease the stigma it has through culture or even social media. To those who are struggling, it’s okay to feel scared, but one conversation with a friend, a random stranger, or a crisis line could save your life, like it did mine. 

By ​Hillary Himaya.