tunnel it will be better tomorrow do you
have to have a little rain to get a
rainbow we hear these cliches day upon
day we always just toss them aside as
cliches it’s who ever stop to think and
realize that they are cliches for a
reason there are times where people
can’t see the light at the end of that
title some people don’t know what that’s
like
others know too much what that’s like I
am one of those people who has
experienced it when I was in seventh
grade I became afraid to leave my house
I was a agoraphobic for a month because
of how badly I was picked on and bullied
for my beliefs and that led to me
becoming physically ill before going to
school every day so I couldn’t go to
school every day after time went on it
just got progressively worse for me it
got to the point where I was either
going to need to see a therapist or I
was going to need to be hospitalized me
being me and probably a decent amount
people out there I don’t enjoy hospitals
very much so I braved going out of my
house for the first time in again months
I was in the car I was shaking twitching
a bit because that’s just how my panic
attacks manifested after that day I was
diagnosed with clinical depression
chronic anxiety disorder and a panic
disorder they put me on a medication to
help and it did
I went from vomiting every time I looked
at a door and thought about going
outside to sitting outside at night on
my deck just looking
at the stars that was a huge step from
where I was before this I didn’t feel
like I mattered I constantly heard a
voice in my head saying the same things
that my tormentors were my bullies were
saying you’re not anything you’re
worthless you’re a freak
you’re don’t belong anywhere why are you
still here I do admit to having had
suicidal thoughts but I was one of the
lucky ones to not take action but then I
got the help I needed so at that point
of my life I would think about the
future and I wouldn’t see a thing
It was as if I was having a dreamless
sleep it was just black I didn’t see the
10 years from now five years from now I
didn’t even see it tomorrow that’s a
scary thought for someone who is 12 14
years old if you were to tell me five
years ago I would be standing here I
would have called you insane
more so than I’ve been told I was
because I couldn’t see that future but I
am here today because I got the help I
needed was this help in the form of
therapy
no in fact therapy doesn’t always help
people with my issues sometimes it makes
them worse because it reminds us that
there’s something wrong with us that
we’re not normal so my help
was a very tight-knit support group of
people that I knew and that I trusted
so my friends and my family are the ones
that really helped me through after
being able to go outside again that
whole summer I took time to just go out
with that support group with my friends
and my mom and my dad and my family we
would even just go bowling for an hour
too but it was getting me out of my
house I couldn’t be out there too long
because I came became fatigued and I
would practically be falling asleep
sitting there but I was still out even
if it was an hour two hours tops because
that was a start when the next school
year came I was worried I was shaking
that morning I was horrified at what was
going to happen but there’s one thing I
remember I forget which movie it was but
this quote has stuck to me five seconds
of courage is all it takes
I took five seconds to be courageous and
I got on a bus and I was going I got to
school I stayed through the day and now
here I am I couldn’t see the light at
the end of the tunnel before then I
stand here today to say that it is there
why went from not seeing a future to a
senior in high school about to graduate
going to college during this coming fall
on a scholarship I still to this day
can’t believe it but I can look and see
a future again and that’s what matters
to me now there are people who still
can’t see it for those of you who don’t
know what it’s like be that support
group be there all we need is someone to
listen to let us just talk and be out
there because that way we’re not
bottling it up when we bottle it up
so just be there for the people with
these issues what if you don’t know they
have them because it’s not obvious there
are warning signs they will stop in
doing what they enjoy like you’ll ask
them to do something that they love
and they’ll say I’d rather just stay
home or I really don’t feel like that
going today
they’ll distance themselves because they
don’t want to burden others just let
them know that they aren’t a burden that
they it is okay to talk and let feelings
out those of you who don’t see the light
I’m here to tell you that it is there
you just can’t see it yet
thank you [Music]