There are two sides to people having mental health problems. The first side is people thinking that mental health issues aren’t real and that teenagers and young adults just play it up for sympathy. Then there’s the other side of the view that tells us that mental health problems are very real and should be treated as such. I think sometimes people don’t pay enough attention to the side that is telling mental health problems are real and some of them need a little extra attention.

It isn’t a bad thing to need a little extra time or explanation for something. It’s not a bad thing to need help sometimes. 

I feel like some people just believe their kid is just making excuses for why they act the way they do, and I do think some kids really do play it up for sympathy and that makes it even harder for people who actually have a need for something to ask for help because then people no longer believe them.  

Not everything should be looked at as bad or something you should hide. Personally I have both ADD and Dyslexia so it is pretty hard sometimes to focus in class or read what I’m supposed to so it can take me a little extra time to work on things when others are getting them done before me. That’s ok though because even though it can be really hard to focus on or read something I try my best anyways. Because my mother paid attention to when I needed help or why I needed the help I did it made it easier for me to learn and grow. It took me quite a few years to be able to read at the level I do now but because she helped me I was actually able to learn how to. 

I am not speaking for every other person with ADD and/or Dyslexia or even anything else someone might be struggling with because each person has their own needs and I’m not going to compare myself to other people because that would just be unreasonable and unrealistic. I can say however, it’s ok to ask for help when you need it, it takes a lot of courage and strength to ask for help if you are used to doing that but i believe in you so you can believe in yourself too. 

Don’t compare yourself to someone else because they just might be struggling with something of their own. Don’t judge someone because they don’t see things the way you do or don’t do things the same way you do. If a friend asks for help don’t be afraid to give them a little push in the right direction because they came to you hoping you could help them so don’t bully them just because they are different than you are. 

Thank you for reading! Don’t forget to love yourself and others.