2023 – Nagwa Fokunang – HWRA – InTech Collegiate Academy

Finding hope

Growing up in An immigrant house hold mental health was and still is very taboo. The culture around mental health in my household made highschool a lot harder for me, I started highschool in 2019 it was a big adjustment going from a big middle school environment to a small school environment and I really did struggle, and to top things off Covid-19 hit and changed the world that we knew forever.
My mental health took a two year low during that period, I did things I never thought I would ever do. It got so bad that at one point I didn’t even recognize myself, I just wanted to sleep forever, some days I would cry so much it hurt physically. I had reached a point where my mental pain had turned physical.
At school I was really good at hiding it. I was always vibrant and outgoing so no one ever saw anything, so I felt alone all the time. After feeling that way for so long all I wanted was to feel numb..so I ran to food all I did was sit in my room and eat and sleep but you can only eat so much before you hit rock bottom again. I started slipping in school and it started visually showing now. I stopped taking care of myself, I’m so grateful for my bestfriend Brooke.
She told me to talk to our counselor Ms. Anderson and she tried to get me help with a therapist but the only road block was the fact that I was under the age of 18 and I needed parental consent. After trying multiple times to persuade my parents me and the counselor had no success. till this day I haven’t been able to see a therapist through all that struggle I found my love for swimming and being a lifeguard. It’s not as professional as going to see a therapist but it will have to do until I can find a way to see one when I am a legal adult.
I turn 18 this year and I am so grateful that I will get to see my new age and see the new opportunities that come with being an adult.