 Alison's
Story
My brother Brian experienced symptoms of mental
illness for almost three years in college, without telling anyone. During
his senior year he went to talk to a therapist at his school, and that's
when my family learned how serious the problem was. By then though,
Brian had already lost hope-my brother lost his battle with mental illness
and took his own life.
Even if it's not as severe as what my brother experienced,
we will all go through tough times at some point in our lives. College
is especially hard because we're on our own for the first time and are
faced with a lot of added pressures.
It's important to take care of yourself and your friends,
and realize that by talking about what you are feeling or any differences
you notice in your friends, you are taking a huge step towards wellness
and recovery.
Please realize that you are at an especially vulnerable
time in your life and mental health problems are not abnormal at our
age.
But also realize that you are not alone, that it's okay
to talk about what you are going through, and that you can get better.
-Alison Malmon, 21, Potomac, Maryland
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