Breaking the Stigma of Mental Health

[MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] 3PM Eastern Time on Voice America Kids, where teens talk and the world listens. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Looking all the stars like a bigger than it seems ♪ Get inspired, encouraged and connected on our lively award-winning, healthy living power hour, star-style. Be the star you are with host and empowerment architect, Cynthia Bryan. Live every Wednesday at 4PM Pacific on the Voice America Empowerment Channel. Tune into the Power Party for positive, uplifting, life-changing talk radio. Visit star-styleradio.com. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Where can you listen to some of the world's top life coaches ready to dish out success tips and entrepreneurial guidance? The Voice America Empowerment Channel will do just that. Whether it's personal growth, building a better business or inspirational life stories, make it a daily habit to tune into our programs. From weight loss and personal branding to law of attraction and increased tapiness, you'll find it every day at voiceamerica-empowerment.com. The Voice America Empowerment Channel. It's your world. Motivate, Change, Sexy. ♪ ♪ Success starts here. VoiceAmerica Empowerment.com. It's your world. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ You're listening to Express Yourself on the Voice America Kids Channel where teens talk and the world listen. Express Yourself is produced by star-style productions LLC as an international outreach program of Be the Star You Are Charity. For more information about our show, visit expressyourselfteenradio.com. Now, back to our star teams. Welcome back everyone. I'm your host, once again, Kürfe, talking with Jutton Beins. Hi, Jutton. How are you? I'm good. So let's get to the topic of mental health. Why is mental health important for everyone? Our emotional health is part of us. We are not only our eyes, ears, voice, but we are also our emotions. We are mostly the fec how we feel and portray ourselves to the world. I agree. I definitely think that the way we act and the way we feel definitely affects how other people see us. So it's kind of a way, an image on how people see us and how people portray us in a way. So how are we breaking this stigma against mental health? We have overcome many barriers when it comes to mental health. When we look around whether on TV or online, we have a lot of social media. We will often see messages about mental health, even in the grocery store, the person in front of you, maybe when you're sure that from their promotes mental health and wellness. These are the reasons that we are breaking the stigma around mental health. And it's because we are having open conversations. When we talk openly, others feel welcome to express their own emotions. I agree. I think like I said previously, like mental health is such a big topic, I think, within the younger generations. And so many young people are taking the stand and advocating for mental health. And how people should really feel and bringing the importance of it so people don't struggle on their own. So as teenagers, what can we continue to do to help be the voice for mental health? We could volunteer for local organization, be a mentor, participate in activities during mental health. And continue to talk about mental health with our peers. I agree. I think especially within my own community right now, we have so many non-me-youth leadership councils. I have my own club around advocating for mental health. So I think there's so many people that are just really using their voice and they're volunteering for local organizations. And they're trying to teach the younger generations as well as the older generations. Really the importance of mental health and how to break that cultural stigma that surrounds it. So speaking of mental health, what could someone do if they really need help? They could look for a therapist, a professional that could help them without judgment. Talk to their parents or mentors. Call the youth help, learn, join the support group. Talk to staff here, do exercise, do hygiene, surrounding your source of positive people that are in support and stay away from anyone that does not have your best interest. Hi, Giri. I definitely think the people you surround yourself by really, truly kind of make or break your self image and how you see yourself. So thank you so much, Justin, for your insight. I'll be back for my personal take on mental health. In the meantime, please visit our charity site at bethestorywara.org. Buy books, get involved or make a donation. I'll be right back with more on Express Yourself Teen Radio. Stay tuned. Enjoying our shows and can't get enough of us? Follow us on Instagram at VoiceAmericaTalkRadio and see what we're cooking up for you. Tuesdays at noon Pacific time, 3 p.m. Eastern time, on VoiceAmerica Kids, where teens talk and the world listens. [Music] Looking on the stars, like a bigger than it seems. [Music] [Music] Where can you listen to some of the world's top life coaches ready to dish out success tips and entrepreneurial guidance? The VoiceAmerica Empowerment Channel will do just that. Whether it's personal growth, building a better business, or inspirational life stories, make it a daily habit to tune into our programs. From weight loss and personal branding to law of attraction and increased tapiness, you'll find it every day at VoiceAmerica Empowerment.com. The VoiceAmerica Empowerment Channel, it's your world. Motivate, change, succeed. [Music] Success starts here. It's your world. [Music] You're listening to Express Yourself on the VoiceAmerica Kids Channel, where teens talk and the world listens. Express Yourself is produced by Star Style Productions LLC as an international outreach program of be the star you are charity. Once again, I'm your host Kirtbat, and today I'll be talking about my take on mental health. So today I want to talk about something that affects every single one of us, whether directly or indirectly, and that's mental health. For generations, mental health has been surrounded by silence. People have been told to toughen up, to get over it, or just to keep their struggles private. Many people grew up believing that talking about anxiety, depression, trauma, or stress, was just a sign of weakness. But the truth is this, mental health is health. It's just as real, just as a poor and just as deserving of care as physical health. Every one of us has mental health, just like we all have physical health, and just like physical health, it can fluctuate. Some days we don't feel strong, balanced, or capable. And other days we feel overwhelmed, anxious, low, exhausted. That doesn't mean we're broken, it just means we're human. The stigma surrounding mental health is often more damaging than the conditions themselves. The stigma creates shame, the shame creates silence, and the silence for friends, people from reaching out for help. And when someone feels judged or dismissed, they're less likely to open up. They may isolate themselves, believing that they have to face everything alone. But no one should have to struggle alone. Breaking the stigma starts with changing the way we talk. It means being mindful of the language we use. It means not using mental health conditions as jokes or insults. It means listening when someone shares their experience instead of immediately trying to fix them or liminize them for what they're feeling. But it also means recognizing that mental health challenges don't have one look. Someone can appear successful, outgoing, and put together on the inside will quietly, they're battling anxiety or depression. We never truly know what someone else is caring. When we create spaces for honest conversations, we just give people their permission to be real. It's simple, how are you? Can open a door and sometimes just listening without judgment can be life changing for someone who feels unheard. Breaking the stigma also requires education. Mental health conditions are not character flaws. They are not signs of weakness. They are not attention seeking. They are medical and psychological experiences influenced by biology, environment, and life circumstances. Seeking therapy, counseling, or medical treatment is no different than seeing a doctor for physical illness. It is being responsible, proactive, and it is brave. We also need to remember that healing is not linear. There may be good days and hard days. Progress doesn't always move in a straight line. Offering patience and compassion, both to others and to ourselves, is truly essential. Work places, schools, families, and communities all have a role to play. Leaders can model openness. Parents can teach children that feelings are not something to hide. Friends can check in consistently, not just when it's convenient. Small cultural shifts can create powerful ripple effects. If you're listening right now, and you're struggling, know this. Know that your feelings are valid. You're not a week. You are not dramatic and you are not a burden. You deserve support. You deserve understanding and you deserve care. Raging out can feel scary. It can feel vulnerable, but vulnerability is not a weakness. It is a courage and action. Talking to a trusted friend, family member, teacher, counselor, or healthcare provider can be the first step towards feeling better. Imagine a world where mental health conversations are as normal as talking about a cold or a sprained ankle. Imagine workplaces where taking a mental health day is respected. Imagine schools where students are taught emotional skills alongside academics. And imagine families where I'm not okay, isn't that with compassion instead of criticism. That world is possible, but it starts with us. It starts with choosing empathy over judgment. It starts with listening more than we speak. It starts with challenging harmful stereotypes when we hear them. It starts with sharing our own stories when we feel safe enough to do so. Every time we speak openly about mental health, we chip away at a stigma. Every time we support someone without judgment, we create change. And every time we choose compassion, we build stronger, healthier communities. Mental health is not a side issue. It is central to how we live, learn, work, and connect. We prioritize it. We improve not always at our individual lives, but as an entire community. So today, let's commit to breaking this stigma. Let's commit to learning more. And let's commit to speaking kindly and let's also commit to supporting one another. Because when we normalize mental health conversations, we replace shame with understanding. We replace silence with support. And we replace stigma with hope. Thank you so much for listening and let's keep this conversation going. As always, we express our gratitude to Starstop Productions, Cynthia Bryan, Be the Star You Are, and our engineer, Jordan. Thanks to our guests from across the world. And a huge thank you to our listeners for making us a top rated program. For more information about Be the Star You Are a Charity, visit www.be thestar you are.org. Find us on Instagram and express yourself radio. Don't forget that change starts with our own voices. Always remember to speak up, speak out, and express yourself. Be the Star You Are, and our engineer, Jordan. Be the Star You Are. Thanks for joining us this week on Express Yourself, produced by Star Style Productions LLC as an international outreach program of Be the Star You Are Charity. For more information about our show, be sure to visit www.ExpressYourselfTeamRadio.com. Please join us again next Tuesday at noon Pacific Time 3PM Eastern, Wind Teams Talk, and the Worldlisten on the Voice America Kids Channel. Until then, remember to Express Yourself. ♪ I'd someplace you know ♪