As is often the case with my three friends, one had lost her way in her project and was mentally exhausted. Yet she was afraid to open up to her teacher and asked for his help. Another friend struggled with anxiety, which made her uncomfortable in the classroom. But she could not bring herself to ask her headteacher for help. Yet another person had a breakdown because she was notable to talk to her teacher to get advice on her essay.
So it was the same with me. Facing a meeting room of more than 150 people, I became so nervous that my hands were shaking and my stomach began to twist. I knew that I couldn't deliver a talk about mental health without including some of my personal story. I worried what they would think of me if I talked about my experiences with these conditions. I had decided to give this talk because I was tired of keeping this secret, but I also knew of many other students who were going through similar challenges.
As I stood there for those 15 minutes talking about my personal experiences with mental illness, I had never felt so calm and frank. I talked about how I struggled during low weeks.
The few seconds after my closing sentence felt among the longest in my life. When I had referred to my speech many months before, I thought that the whole sufferings would be worth it if I just could reach one person in the audience. Instead, I was met with hugs, applause and warm words from my audience. Many people came forward to share their own experiences. Many more thanked me and told me how moved they were by my honesty. A number of people asked whether I'd be willing to deliver my talk again.
