Mental illness

Mental illness is a big problem in the Western world. It’s a first world problem, they say. That may be, but it needs a ‘third world solution’ (i mean that in a good way of course). I EM is the solution, togetherness and community are the solution. What if we stop judging everything little thing everyone does? What if teens these days weren’t influenced by insane beauty standards? What if we felt safe enough to not only show the good parts of our lives on social media but also the tough parts? What if we’d be met with love and care rather than judgement and ridicule? What if individualism and hate for the unknown didn’t rule the world, but love and celebrating differences did? I’m convinced this would cut the number of mental illnesses in half. That’s bold, I know. And I’m no scientist. But society is making us sick, physically and mentally. So as long as we don’t fix society we keep treating symptoms. We need to cure the cause in stead.

Story

This story is a hard one for me. It’s about Vivian, my dear friend. You should have met her. She was vibrant, sweet, smart and pretty. ‘Was’ that is… she is not with us anymore.

Vivian had just finished college, majoring in psychology. Her boyfriend and her broke up and that devastated her more than she was able to share. She’d been to South Africa for three months and said she’d been very happy there. Being back in the Netherlands was hard for her. She’d ask so much of herself. Of course, that was a part of her character, but for the most part it was dictated by others. Or at least what Vivian thought others thought. And what she had to think because of that. ‘In order to be good/happy/successful, I have to do another major/go live in that city/be good at this and that sport/you name it’. She couldn’t figure out what her next step would be. Would she get a job? Would she do another major? Where would she live? She didn’t sleep anymore. She didn’t feel she could talk to anyone. Why? Why didn’t she feel like she could talk to anyone? Because all we’re allowed to be is happy and successful these days! She must have felt that. Then, she took her life.

What if all her choices would have been okay? For her and for society? What if Vivian had felt safe enough to share her fears and thoughts? Sometimes it can be easier to talk to someone that isn’t very close to you, Kio Stark explains why. What if Vivian knew she could go into town and meet likeminded people? People practicing the I EM traits? What if she would’ve been able to share and be cared for? What if…

What if…