Meet Paris, who is now one of my busiest ambassadors for my YOU ARE ENOUGH mental health campaign. I am sharing part of her story about how she suffered with self- worth, loneliness, and feeling invisible. She is fortunate to have her mother, Shavay, who was at her side and helped her get into a mental health hospital when Paris wanted to give up. She is now working as a counselor at a horse camp called the Compton Cowboys where she continues to heal and grow. I AM ENOUGH Written by Paris Scott, A Survivor When you see the blood dripping from your arm, that slight pain, that minor release from the numb feeling you’re stuck living in, gives you pleasure. That pleasure gives you strength and in that moment, you truly feel that you’re enough. You feel that you are worth it, like the world is your oyster. That pleasure then fades quickly and you’re back in that numb state, where you feel nothing, where the earth doesn’t spin, and everything seems so bleak. That’s when your life fades back to black. And living seems purposeless. “Paris, come down the stairs, it’s time to go!” she calls up to you, yelling in the frustration of the morning. You get an attitude and then realize that the “she” is your mother Shavay, and if you give any type of back talk or attitude she will raise hell. You respond with a quick and quiet “Coming,” and rush to clean up the bloody mess you caused in the bathroom. You wet your face just a little so you look more alive than dead. You practice your fake smile, so you can get used to the fact that you have to smile through the numbness because. Not only are you numb to the painful memories and emotions but the good ones as well. You aren’t depressed or sad. you’re just there. Existing! Not living nor dying but merely surviving. But even then you have no means of survival because you wanted to numb the pain so you’ve numbed your reason for wanting to be alive as well. That’s why you slice your arms with razors so deep that you feel something. You’ve been numb for so long that you hate it and would give anything just to feel. So you slice and slice and slice until you’re bleeding like crazy, just for that moment of release. Another realization pops in your head and you notice that you’re reading a story and that the story isn’t yours but mine. I am now in a mental health hospital and my advisor one day asks me why I am here. I reply, what...

  The youth need to support one another more than ever while so many are facing mental health challenges. This article and the statistics highlighting the amount of youth that have suicidal thoughts and are being seen more than ever in emergency rooms, does not surprise me at all. While running my mental health campaign, YOU ARE ENOUGH, I have seen how it is the youth who have responded the most to the campaign concept and they are the ones who are most vocal about helping their peers and loved ones get through the hard times. Yes, parents, teachers, coaches, etc., can listen and provide the pep talks, support, and love that is needed to get our youth to feel that they are not alone when it comes time to feeling ENOUGH. However, we also need to build programs where the YOUTH are empowering the YOUTH to feel seen, held, and heard when it comes time to feeling into their ENOUGH. The sense of not feeling truly connected and hard-wired is truly messing with the hearts and souls of our youth. We need to help them continue to find the strength and support needed to fight the stigma around mental health and show them that they can find their voices through the voices of others who may not be feeling mentally tough. It’s time to run youth-to-youth mental wellness programs where each individual can find true connection, support, and love. The hashtag, #weareinthistogether, is what mental wellness can and needs to be about and yes, we are getting there. But as you will see from this article, there are a lot of kids who are really hurting and are having a hard time getting through the dark and the dark thoughts that come with depression, anxiety, and isolation. https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/14/health/suicide-er-visits-kids/index.html?fbclid=IwAR2uZbU6MuR4O4ZQ2y7kKN-xns9XKHed6WvMCxZomL37ib-6z3DW49QodYY...

    The world might benefit from more compassionate acts and attitudes, and the change can start with you. Compassion is closely related to empathy. Empathy is about understanding and relating to someone else’s challenges. Compassion is the part of you that naturally wants to offer help. Without compassion, life as we know it would be very different. Compassion is part of what drives positive change in the world. It inspires us to assist people in their individual lives as well as on a global scale. Compassion is limitless and far-reaching. It can impact humans, animals, the planet, and future generations. It can enrich your life as well as the lives of those around you. Compassion is considered both innate and learned, 2015 researchTrusted Source says. And if you want to be more compassionate, specific strategies can help to enhance it. Finding your inner teacher Expressions of compassion don’t come easily to everyone. If that describes you, it doesn’t mean you lack compassion. According to Michael Kinsey, a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist in New York City, behaviors you’ve learned throughout your life can get in the way of expressing compassion. “The first tip I would give anyone seeking to feel more compassion for others is to remember that it comes to you naturally,” he says. Unless you live with a condition that affects your ability to experience empathy, Kinsey notes that “finding compassion is just a matter of returning to your natural state of being.” Connecting with your inner essence can help you be more compassionate by constantly reminding you to adjust your perspective in every situation and see things from your heart. Remembering self-compassion Self-compassion is real, though you may find it easier to show kindness toward others than to yourself. Albert Nguyen, a licensed psychotherapist from Palo Alto, California, recommends practicing self-compassion in small ways, like allowing yourself to rest when you’re tired. “Give yourself permission to take a break or to feel your emotions,” he advises, “and accept that you’re human. Give yourself encouragement. Take yourself out on a date. Write yourself a self-compassionate letter.” Even eating healthy and exercising can be considered forms of self-compassion, Nguyen says. Though research from 2017 suggests that self-compassion doesn’t necessarily boost compassion toward others, it can be an important tool in managing your overall well-being. Being wary of envy Envy can be the gatekeeper of compassion, warns Wakefield. If you want to be more compassionate, try to keep envy at bay. Envy is that feeling of resentfulness and longing for the blessings you see in someone else’s life. To help shift feelings of envy into a more helpful emotion, Wakefield recommends changing your perspective from envy to ambition. “Envy can be hard to deal with,...

  This is Kaden. He is 11 years old and has told his mom a few times that he does not want to live anymore. His mother asked me to post this and wants to let other parents know that she is having conversations with such a young boy about suicide. She is working with me and others to raise awareness around the fact that young children such as Kaden are getting dark feelings and are scared to reach out. Feeling ENOUGH is something we all struggle with, no matter what age we are. Prior to launching my first campaign billboard, I interviewed folks of all ages to learn about what the phrase YOU ARE ENOUGH means to them. The age group that was the most vocal were those in the 10 to 16-year-old range. I must admit that I was shocked to hear “kids” explain the pressure they feel to do enough in order to be seen and valued. We know social media is playing a huge role in depression, anxiety, FMO, isolation, and low self-esteem. When I met Kaden he was the quiet one watching life with such curiosity and a pained look while his twin brother was the life of the party. When I gave him a campaign wristband, he thanked me for helping him feel seen. When he put the hoodie on, he said that he felt so powerful because he could help others see that they are ENOUGH. He transformed before my eyes. His mom called me last night to say that he had not taken the hoodie off since I gave it to him a week ago. He is now on a mission to help other kids feel that they got this and they are not alone. We definitely need more Kaden’s out there, helping kids feel into their ENOUGH, and I am on a mission of my own to work more closely with schools to find these young mental health...

I had a woman reach out to me this morning who wanted to talk about how the YOU ARE ENOUGH billboard that has been up in Redondo Beach for the past two months has kept her going after she lost her 11-year-old son to suicide over the Christmas holidays. She talked about the shame she feels and how she has isolated herself from the world because it hurts too much to see how people around her seem to be happy. She feels alone, defeated, and says that she can barely breathe. She explained through tears how the billboard is like a shrine to her son and that he is telling her that she is ok and that she needs to take care of herself. She feels depleted but she also feels hope. She sent me this picture of the board and explained how the board feels like a human hug because it was launched due to strangers donating to get it up. This is what societal healing is all about. I love working on this campaign because it gives me hope that we can come together to heal and unite at a time when our country seems to be getting more divided. People need people to remind them that they are seen, loved, and supported. We need to feel connected and this billboard campaign is proving to help so many feel that they are not alone and that someone is watching over them. It’s time to get these boards up around the country while so many of us are struggling to feel into our ENOUGH....