“I struggle with my mental health at times. It’s a challenge that affects me daily and is part of who I am,” says 18-year-old Dannyelle from Jamaica.
For years, Dannyelle lived a fast-paced life. She would wake up as early as 5 am to go to school, do extra-curricular activities and sometimes study until 3 am.
When her school closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dannyelle’s chronic busyness had to end.
“Slowing down was hard because it forced me to spend time with myself. This made me aware of all the emotions I had suppressed and I had to seek assistance.”
Danyelle reached out to her parents and shared what was on her mind. Her parents listened and helped her get the support she needed.
“In Jamaica, we do not speak a lot about mental health, but I credit my family with being aware enough to recognize that we are socialized to not talk about it.”
Dannyelle hopes that her story will inspire other young people to open up and ask for help too.
“One of the things I admire about my generation is that we do not talk about ‘mental health’ in a formal way. It is more ‘How are you doing?’ consciously checking in with friends.”
