I was going to write something about Christmas coming up for this blog entry but I happened across a video that changed my mind. This video concerns a young boy of perhaps about 12-13 years of age. There is no dialogue to the story but instead the tale is given to us through a collection of handwritten flashcards. His name is Jonah Mowry and he has been cutting himself since the 2nd Grade (8 years old).
As the video progresses we learn that Jonah has been bullied since the 1st Grade (6-7 years old) and that he will be entering in the 8th grade next month. Jonah is terrified of returning to school because every day he gets picked on and he is hated by everyone. This doesn’t surprise him because he hates himself too and he has frequently thought of suicide as his only way out.
Despite the emotional nature of this video it ends positively with Jonah saying that he is not going anywhere and that he has a million different reasons to stay. Upon seeing this video I found myself thinking about my own schooldays. I was lucky enough to never have had any trouble like Jonah but I knew people who were miserable for five days a week throughout their time in primary school and secondary school and I wish I had done more to help them. Even just stop and talk to them and let them know I was there.
Coming from a background in psychology I am very passionate about the emotional health of my friends and colleagues in both the MDP and beyond. I also know from personal experience that one of the simplest and most effective ways of coping with depression or anguish is to talk about it. Jonah felt that he had to turn to the online community for support but even confiding in a friend or someone you trust can have a very positive effect on someone’s wellbeing.
A link to the video is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdkNn3Ei-Lg&feature=share
And please remember to share it on either facebook or twitter to spread the story of Jonah Mowry.
For anyone looking for more information on depression or feel the need to talk about themselves or others anonymously, Aware Ireland offers a depression counselling -service.
You can get in touch with them here: http://www.aware.ie/
If you do think someone you know might have depression then the worst thing you can do is ignore it. Far too much grief in this world has been caused by others assuming someone else will solve the problem.
Thank you and good night.
Despite all the great marketing blog posts we've seen on this page, I think this is the best I've ever read. Good to see that sometimes, marketing and business and money need to be replaced with things that are far more powerful and emotive. It is an extremely harrowing and sad video but it is wonderful to see Jonah remain so positive at the end. Depression and sadness alike are two things that we see becoming all too commonplace in society these days. It is perhaps their publication in the media that has almost normalised them,
ReplyDeleteThe passing of Gary Speed has reportedly led 8/9 professional footballers to seek help for depression. This is fantastic but more can be done and needs to be done. While his life was a catalyst possibly for the saving of others, he should never have been able to get to the point where he felt he had to take his own life.
Jeremy Clarkson's latest gaff about the selfishness of those who take their lives does raise some interesting questions but in a time when simple economics is pushing men and women to the brink. The onus rests not just with the state but with every single citizen to be more proactive about looking out for those in need before its too late not after. A fine piece robert, well done.