From Mental Institution To Paralympic Gold: Deja Young Recounts Her Harrowing Mental Health Journey

.....2016 was a Paralympic Games year and I could feel the pressure. I had a lot of expectations not just from myself but from everyone around me. In every aspect of my life I felt like I no longer had control; I had given up. Finally, in unfortunate circumstances, it resulted in me being admitted into a mental institution. It was four months before the Games, and I was sitting in a mental institution. I didn’t know where to go from there. My depression had evolved and had taken over my life. After some time there, I realized that there were things that I had to come to terms with.

I had to come to terms with the realization this is something that I am going to have to live with for the rest of my life. I had to come to these terms because I had to realize that it’s okay to not be okay. I had to realize that depression is extremely complicated, and I wasn’t the one who was complicated. Lastly, I had to realize that when glass is broken, when the pieces are big enough, you can put it back together; but when it shatters it can’t be fixed. I realized that even in shattering I could still be put back together......

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Bethany`s Notes: May is Mental Health Awareness month and I am grateful for athletes all over the world who are sharing their story. No matter their status, from JV teams to elite athletes, everyone should feel comfortable to reach out when they need help.