Youth Mental Health Day 2023 – Bravery by Jaden
19 September 2023Trigger warning: the content of this blog contains references to suicide, self-harm and eating disorders
We’ve all heard that typical icebreaker question— “what one word would you use to describe yourself?”
I was asked it the other day at my cousin’s wedding, after being directed a few indiscreet glances of bewilderment towards my arm, which I had desperately tried to scrawl with makeup concealer. I suppose it didn’t cover the scars as much as I thought it would. I ignored the looks, because I’m relatively used to them now. Instead, I simply answered the question:
“The one word I would use to describe myself is brave.”
My struggles with mental health began at a young age, when I found myself embraced in the arms of crippling illnesses that I truly thought were on my side—my “friends,” as I used to think of them. Only later did I realise that my eating disorder, my depression, and my anxiety were nothing more than ravaging beasts intent on tearing my life and relationships away from me.
As I spiraled further into my struggles, I remember how time dilated, and everything felt sluggish. Every movement; every word; every gesture I made; was obscured by a cloak of deception that I’m “fine, really,” and “I don’t need help.” I believed, so firmly, that with this cloak draped around me, I was being “brave.” But really, I was just a confused child with monsters in her head that were steadily fastening their grips on her. And I told no one, because I wanted to be “brave.”
And it’s not like I wasn’t being brave. Every second that I stayed on this Earth was me being brave. All the times I woke up in the morning, showered, ate—that was me being incredibly brave, even though I didn’t see it at the time. I thought I was pathetic. What kind of person can’t even get out of bed? What kind of messed up person wants to hurt themselves? Now, I look back at that young girl with a softened gaze, knowing that it was because of something that was completely out of her control. Mental illness is never our fault, and I wish I had realised that sooner. It would have saved me countless sleepless nights of blaming myself for the way my brain screamed at me each time I wanted to do “normal” kid things. Berating me each time I considered my future. And cursing me when I thought about staying alive.
I look back on those times today and experience a myriad of emotions that I can’t quite explain the purpose of. There’s the sadness and pity, of course. But there’s also that aching, bittersweet nostalgia when I think of the paradoxical comfort, I felt amidst all that agony. It’s so incredibly easy to say to someone struggling with mental illness: “Don’t you hate being like this? Why don’t you just try to get better?” Yet, it’s never as straightforward as that. I was in immense pain, so much so, that it was far easier to spiral downwards than it was to put in the effort to get back on my feet. So, I remained trapped for what felt like an eternity.
And in that, there was an inherent bravery. Anyone grappling with the all-encompassing clutches of mental illness bears an innate mantle of courage.
But that’s not why I describe myself as brave. I reserve that word for the moment I realised that bravery wasn’t about toughing it out and gaslighting myself into being “fine.” Rather, I think my bravest moment was acknowledging that I had lost control and reaching out for help. I think it was learning to not blame myself for something I didn’t ask for. It was realising that recovery will never be a linear journey that travels in a neat little diagonal line upwards. My bravery lied in letting my mental and physical wounds heal, without feeling the need to reopen them. It was recognizing that I didn’t need to prove my struggles to anyone, because they are valid in their mere existence. And that’s why I call myself brave.
But that’s not quite the answer my distant relatives were looking for, so I told them it was because I stubbed my toe once and didn’t cry. After all, I no longer have the need for others to acknowledge a kind of bravery they would never understand.
About the author:
Jaden’s social media:
jqden.mas@gmail.com