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 When I was little, sometimes my mom would talk to me about her day. My mother is a very busy woman and she can get stressed easily, so those conversations were usually a little bit of a rant session for her. I don’t know if she thought I was actually listening or that I would understand, but still she talked. When she was done, I would simply say something like I’m sorry you are feeling this way, or I hope tomorrow is better. She always seemed a little surprised when I would respond that way. She would smile and say one of the most genuine thank you's I have ever heard.
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 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! The start of new year should be all about reflecting on the past year and asking yourself what you could improve. New year new me, right? This year is all about you and finding new ways to be the best person you can be for yourself.
Something that has been weighing on my mind over the past year is the importance of connections and communication with the people around me. I realized through the past decade that I cannot get through this obstacle challenge called life alone, especially when I am in the dark.  What if you are not the person struggling? What if you are the support system? What are you supposed to do when you feel like what you are doing is not enough or you just plainly do not know what to do?
If someone you know is stuck and struggling with themselves, you need to take it seriously. This is such a serious and prevalent issue that our society is facing. If someone reaches out to you, you need to recognize that they are making a cry for help because it is not easy to talk to people about what is going on inside your head. The main thing you can do is support them and encourage them that they will get through this.  Hi everyone. I just want to apologize and explain the reason for my long absence. As I have mentioned before, everyone struggles with internal darkness no matter who you are, including me. Even though I have worked through the darkness successfully before, I can still get lost. I did get lost, and I was consumed by my darkness. I needed someone to help me out of it, but I did not want to ask someone because I did not want to admit and accept that I was in the dark. I am back now, and I have been reminded that I cannot face this alone.
Something that I have really learned from this experience is the importance of acknowledgement, but it doesn’t stop there. The first step after acknowledging that you are in the dark, is to scream. Being lost in the dark seems a little easier when you have someone there with you. The best thing you can do is to talk to someone because you can end up talking your way out of the darkness. Once you confide in someone you are not alone in your darkness. There are people waiting in the light at the end of your dark tunnel. Listen to their voices and they can help guide you to the light. In order for them to help you though, you have to want help. You have to want to be in the light again. The worst thing you can do is get comfortable in the dark. You have to convince yourself that there is the opportunity to escape the darkness.  “What’s wrong?” is probably one of the most frequently used phrases I have heard throughout my life. For me, I usually never knew how to answer this question because I used to not understand my feelings at all. I have gotten better at learning to explain myself and my actions to the people around me in a way that may help them understand what is going on inside my head.
When I try to explain mental illness to people, I like to use the analogy of darkness. We all experience darkness every day. How you respond to that darkness is what makes the difference. There are many different responses. Some people immediately scream and start freaking out, contributing nothing to solving the problem. Some people are paralyzed and feel like if they move, something horrible will happen. These people disappear into the darkness. Then there are people who will just turn the lights back on or light a candle. These people have learned that they can solve the problem of being in the dark for themselves.  Hi, my name is Meredith. I am scared of the dark. I am a senior at Alter High School. I have four sisters, one brother, two very loving parents, and two adorably mischievous cats. I love to sing, dance, and act. I have bipolar disorder. I am the manager of a small café. I am obsessed with pineapples and the color purple. All these things make up who I am as a person. Some of them may have more of an effect on my life than others, but they are all necessary to truly describe me.
To address it right away… yes, I am afraid of the dark, and yes, I am a senior in high school. It is not particularly the literal darkness that scares me, although it is pretty terrifying, but the internal darkness I have struggled with my whole life. I believe that everyone has some sort of internal darkness. It could be stress, anxiety, or just any negative thoughts. Just how people react to the literal darkness in different ways, people deal with their internal darkness differently. Throughout this little blog I will be delving deeper into my own concept of internal darkness. We are absolutely THRILLED at all of the positive engagement and strong students that reach out to us wanting to help others sharing their stories, personal battles and triumphs. Meredith Russ is most certainly one of those people. We are so excited Meredith will not only share her story, she will be a regular contributor on our blog in a section titled "A Light in the Dark." Meredith will be posting on a regular basis beginning this week detailing her own journey while engaging others who face the similar challenges. Thanks, Dayton Daily News, for featuring us in your article! Read more here  It's Time 2! founder, Brian Ceccarelli was recently interviewed by Hawks Eye on Business! Check it out and make a difference! |
AuthorsStories and inspiration from people all over the nation making the decision to come together as a community of people who want to spread love, joy and peace and break down the barriers of racism, hatred, violence and prejudice of any kind. We're all in this together. Archives
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