In light of National
Bullying Prevention Month and being an overcomer of bullying myself, I wanted
to take the time to talk about this important matter and to let those who are
struggling know that they are not alone.
Bullying is
an increasing issue in today’s society. Just look at all of the videos, posts,
and news stories we are hearing and seeing today about people being severely
injured or lives taken by bullying. It’s becoming more and more of a problem that
many don’t want to face or admit but in order for change to happen, we must
first acknowledge that this is
happening.
According to
the National Center for Educational Statistics, physical appearance, gender,
race/ethnicity, disability, religion or sexual orientation are among the most common
reasons people are bullied (pacer.org). Why should people be bullied just
because they are different? After all, none of us are the same.
The effects
bullying can have on a person is quite honestly enough to make you cringe. Severe
anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicidal
thoughts/ideation… This shouldn’t be happening. No one deserves to feel so
worthless and that’s exactly how bullying can make someone feel. I know, I’ve
been there.
If you are
struggling right now, I’d like to share my story with you in hopes that it
inspires you to keep the faith and stay strong and yes, I know how incredibly
hard that is first hand.
My journey
with bullying started in middle school. I already had anxiety to begin with. However, being bullied just absolutely put that into overdrive and added depression
to the mix; not a fun combination. And despite my efforts of trying to handle the
situation the right way of going to teachers etc. I couldn’t tell you how many
times I was blown off, not believed, not taken seriously, or told I was
overreacting or too emotional. The only person that actually believed me was my
mom and even she couldn’t fight the school. Even though I was the one being
bullied, I constantly felt treated as though I was a burden or crazy. I was
told often that it was all in my head, and that I didn’t have the right mindset
etc. but how are you supposed to have a positive mindset with people bringing
you down all day, every day? If you’ve been told any of these things or feel
any of the above, I hear you and I’m here to tell you that you’re not crazy and
it’s not all in your head. Long story short, I know what it’s like to feel like
the loneliest person in the world balling your eyes out in a bathroom stall. But
that moment I was about to give up, the moment I lost all hope and thought it
would never end, that it just wasn’t worth it is when my entire life changed. I
found one doctor who told me I was in way too big of a school for someone with
hearing loss and told me and my mom that we could keep fighting but it’s a
fight we’ll never win and that I need a new school. With that, I switched
schools and went to a cyber school where I was accepted, I belonged, I was able
to be myself and I was able to thrive and reach my full potential again. When
that happened, I made the decision to create this campaign and now blog on
social media to let others know that they are not alone because I know the
power of someone genuinely saying “I understand” and “you’re not alone”. I went
on to graduate high school with high honors and am now a college student
studying psychology to help others with similar struggles. With all of that
being said, know yourself, know what you’re capable of, and know that you have the
potential and ability to do absolutely anything you dream of in this world. I promise
you this will not last forever and one day you will look back on these days and
see how strong and absolutely resilient you truly are. Please don’t give up;
there is a light at the end of the tunnel waiting just for you. Also, please know you are never alone; resources are out there! If you are ever are feeling alone or just need someone to talk to, text "connect" to 741741 to be connected with a live, trained Crisis Counselor at Crisis Text Line! You don't have to struggle in silence!
For parents,
although I am not a parent myself, I have seen the fight my mom put up for me
and I cannot stress this enough; you know your kid. You know what your kid is
capable of. You know them better than any teacher, counselor, or doctor. When
something doesn’t feel right, it usually isn’t. Trust your gut and go with your
heart and it will never steer you wrong.
~Compassionately Inspired
~Compassionately Inspired
