TOPIC: A Consequence, Not a Solution

Hey, all.

So, I'd like to start this post off by saying that no one person's voice is any more valid than others. I just wanted to tell a story, and I didn't know if the other topic was the right place for it.

When I was 14, I was mugged. It was just outside school, I had just finished P.E., and I was gonna get the bus home. I decided it would be a good idea to kill some time by walking to the next bus stop, which wasn't far off. I walked down to it, and brought out my phone to check through songs and such. Was normal, up until a guy on the other side of the road spotted me, hopped a fence, and reached me. He asked me what I was carrying, I said it was my phone, he asked me to give it to him. When I asked him why, he just repeated it with the slight addendum:

"Give it to me, or I'll stab you."

I did as instructed. Running away wouldn't have done much good if he caught me and stabbed me. Calling for help just gave him an opportunity to do so anyway and then run off, and trying to fight him off was a bit difficult when I was a scrawny 14-year-old and he was, I can only assume, in his late teens, early twenties.

After this incident, I went through a profound depression, and suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Some people find it strange that others can get PTSD from something like that, when it's fairly common in big cities. Hell, the person who had mugged me was actually arrested eventually, he had mugged twenty other kids. Now, with how scummy it is to mug children, oddly enough, some "took it on the chin", so to speak. Some just went about their business, went on with their lives. People have different reactions to things, and everyone's experience is different. I almost got mugged again in 2013, and when I told a work friend about it, he simply looked at me funny and said "People still do that?".

Went through a vicious cycle of feeling suicidal, agoraphobic, afraid of people and not wanting to go anywhere I thought was dangerous.

I've met quite a few people, and quite a few of them, I've learned of their difficulties. I've learned how some people with ASD, or PTSD, or DID, or social anxiety manage their lives, and even people who don't have any existing mental health issues have gone through a tough time, have felt depressed, have felt lonely, and like people don't want to hear it.

I've still had those issues to this day, still felt bad about myself, still felt lonely, and despondent. Separated from reality.

But I'm not the only one.

The Samaritans get 5 million calls a year. Mind charities report 1 in 4 people in England experience a mental health problem every year. So many people out there experience the difficulties of life and yet...

There's still stigma.

We live in a time where people are more sensitive than ever before, and yet more selfish than ever before. More compassionate than ever before, and yet more disconnected than ever before. We feel we support people's plights, but don't want to listen to a person of an opposing view. It's a chaotic world, and one that's struggling to look any better because of how many people want their voices heard, but don't want to listen.

We're making strides in the right direction every day, but it's still a huge undertaking. If you wanna share a story, go right ahead. If you want to give support to those struggling, leave your details. If you want to support a charity? Here's a couple that might benefit from support.

UK

MIND:

www.mind.org.uk/donate/

SAMARITANS:

www.samaritans.org/donate-now/

MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION:

www.mentalhealth.org.uk/donate

EUROPE

www.mhe-sme.org/donate/

GERMANY

www.nummergegenkummer.de/spenden-und-helfen.html

INDIA

itsoktotalk.in/get-involved/

JAPAN

www.befrienders-jpn.org/

NETHERLANDS

www.113.nl/

NEW ZEALAND

thelowdown.co.nz/

AUSTRALIA

www.sane.org

AFRICA

strongminds.org/

CANADA

cmha.ca/

USA

www.mhanational.org/


And many more that can probably be found here:

www.thecalmzone.net/2019/10/internationa...al-health-charities/

Please feel free to share links to places you might think helped. I'm sorry for any links to weird places above - as far as I'm aware, they should be fine.

You are valuable. And remember:

Suicide is a consequence, not a solution

As an addendum, here's a couple codes. I don't consider this doing my part, it's more just for anyone who wants another escape from things.

I'm only putting three down for now. Might put more down later.

Honestly, I can't do anything to stop you - but I'd really like it if you could just take one each.

QV8FW-IFPGX-GJ7ZT

GECYW-8RLR5-KN38A

JP8CR-G60L7-R98FA

i yoinked 1 of them it was dirt rally 2 cheers man, great guy!

Maddox wrote:
Thanks for respecting the process, Mad. I hope you enjoy it.

This will really help someone in need. Thank you

I'm hoping so, Noot. The best thing we can do is give support to those who need it - even if it's just hearing them out and not making them feel like they're alone.

Great guy Watson, really nice of you to openly share your experience about such an atrocity, at the same time I'm really sad to hear that you went through such a situation, no human being should go through something so cruel and inhumane that causes them unecesarry trauma and stress.

These times are especially tough too, with everything that's been taking place, take care everybody!

Mugging killed relatives of mine and I think this partially affected me in growing skepticism of people, especially in public; I've never experienced mugging myself but I constantly note my surroundings and walk the long way if needs be. Social anxiety is tough but we can get through this.

Thank you for taking the time to share this Watson!

Father Watson wrote:
Take one please <3

Couldn't even fathom something like this, it's incredible of you to share such a deep and personal experience that you have had though, I applaud you for that Watson.

I think there will always be a stigma with mental health in general, and people judging and comparing your situation with someone else's and sort of undermining what you're feeling because someones experience objectively sounds 'worse', which is horrible and really doesn't do any good for anyone.

I've said it before but I really, really appreciate all of you coming out with your stories or just generally supporting people that may be having a rough time as mental health is such an incredibly important subject that some people shy away from, which is understandable as it's a very touchy subject, but it's very important to speak and educate people on.

Stay safe everyone and take care of yourself and the ones you love! <3