Emma Crawford

“Some words of encouragement I would share with anyone in their mental health journey, is that you may not always need an answer. Sometimes all you may need is a heart of courage, you have power over your narrative, taking care of yourself is not selfish and healing has no time limit. Embrace your feelings in order to overcome them, continue on. You are so beyond loved. There truly is a light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how far down you may feel. Be patient with your process, and give some love to yourself.”

NAMI: What has your mental health journey been like? Why are you passionate about advocating for mental health awareness?

EC: My mental health journey has been nothing short of the biggest learning experience I will ever face. My mental health struggles began in high school. These feelings continued to intensify as I got older, while mourning close friends who felt there was no other escape than to take themselves off this Earth completely. I found myself in a very dark place, with what felt like no where to go. As I internally battled my own self worth, and attempted to make do with a toxic school environment, I realized how there was such a lack of education for teens on mental health. 

EC: My high school unfortunately experienced quite a handful of losses, of individuals who felt they did not have a place here. As I witnessed firsthand the lack of resources that were provided to us as teens, it pushed me to spread the word on my own, through other platforms as an advocate for mental health as I began my healing journey. 

NAMI: How have you healed and grown from your experiences?

EC: Healing and growing from my experiences took quite some time, beginning with acknowledging what I was struggling with what I was feeling, and that I couldn’t get through it solely on my own. It was quite the roller coaster, thinking I didn’t actually need the help, or that I was just better off gone. As I began to talk to loved ones, I was referred to trained professionals who could help me, on top of doing my own research to understand why my brain was thinking the way it was. This then led to my love for Psychology, which I am still pursuing to this day. 

NAMI: What forms of mental health-related stigma have you observed or run into personally? How do you combat stigma?

EC: There are plenty of circumstances of mental health related stigma that occurs on a day to day basis. This stigma arises from the lack of education and awareness that can be easily spread through the community in regard to teaching about mental health.  When I was younger, I had witnessed firsthand the stigma of naming calling a person who was mentally struggling, “crazy”, “incapable”, or “psychotic”. There are many forms of stigma, which can range from personal, to public, to professional. Stopping the stigma can start with as little as spreading the word! In addition to choosing your words wisely, and knowing the facts about mental health before calling someone a negative name. Mental illnesses do not define us, therefore treating everyone as an individual and educating on mental health are just a few extremely easy ways of combatting stigma. 

NAMI: You are a college student! In your experience, what are some of the challenges college students are facing today? How can the community support the mental health of college students?

EC: As a college student, it can become quite difficult with the change of pace in a new environment, with new people. There are plenty of challenges that coincide with being in college, for example increased anxiety due to the heavy work load enforced upon us by multiple professors. It can get very discouraging when it feels like there is always more that can be done, even though your brain may be drained. Professors can become very demanding, and expect students to put in the effort as if their class is the only class. Addiction and substance abuse is another very prominent issue within universities. Moving into a new setting with having to fend for yourself completely, on top of the anxiety of being separated from your home and family, are just few of many challenges that college students face. The community can support the mental needs of college students by providing open support groups, as well as resources for students who are struggling to contact and participate or even just to listen. This is why I am thankful for my opportunity to intern with NAMI Roc this summer, since they provide numerous varieties of support for people of any age and any background to participate and share their story in a comfortable, safe space.

NAMI: You are interning with NAMI Roc this summer! What interested you in working with NAMI Roc?

EC: The reason I was interested in working with NAMI Roc was the fact that I haven’t ever seen before a group of people who put their hearts and souls into providing the best support for people who live with mental health challenges. Each person within this organization has such a unique story of their own, and has such creative, fun ways of emphasizing the importance of mental health awareness. I love the variety of groups and means of support offered through NAMI, and I intend on pursuing a career in advocating for mental health and being a support system for those who struggle. After learning about NAMI, I knew that it would be the place for me to not only grow and learn about my career plans, but also to heal in ways I never knew were possible. 

NAMI: What words would you share to encourage others in their mental health journey?

EC: Some words of encouragement I would share with anyone in their mental health journey, is that you may not always need an answer. Sometimes all you may need is a heart of courage, you have power over your narrative, taking care of yourself is not selfish and healing has no time limit. Embrace your feelings in order to overcome them, continue on. You are so beyond loved. There truly is a light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how far down you may feel. Be patient with your process, and give some love to yourself.