Two’s Moreh Eli Nathan recently shared his story with Zero Reasons Why Johnson County, a teen-led storytelling and community mobilization campaign aimed at removing the stigma of mental health and prevent teen suicide. Nathan is a junior at Blue Valley North High School.
“I play a lot of sports, so I know how tough it can get. I encourage all teens to keep going, to push through. Challenges are going to happen. That’s how life is. The more you overcome, the more you’ll learn, and it’ll create more character and make you a better person. So no matter how hard the challenge is, just know that you can get [through] it. And when you do, you will realize how much you’ve learned and how much you’ve gained from the experience.
When I’m struggling through sports and everything I’m doing, I find encouragement from my family and friends. It’s great to have people my age who I’m close with. They help me, I help them. We all have our mental health struggles, so it’s great to have a support group. It doesn’t matter how many people. It could be one person, it could be ten. Just to have people around you who will help encourage you to keep fighting and keep pushing through.
I also want teens to know that mental health is not a joke. Making jokes about mental health is not okay and it can really affect a person’s life, especially in times of grief or stress. No matter how minor or how serious it can be for people, it’s nothing to joke around about.”
