It's important that parents talk openly and regularly about mental health with their teens and take a proactive stance, Here are a few ways to start the conversation.

Sooner or later, most of us who try to cope with depression feel so overwhelmed that all we can hold onto is: I just can’t do it. I can’t stop being depressed. I can’t stop it from coming back.

Basquiat once said, “I don’t think about art when I’m working. I try to think about life”

How honest are we when it comes to mental health, and can we be doing better?

You and I must determine to outlast and outlive the rejection in life.

Purpose (your ability to make a difference) may not always come in the big moments of life. Sometimes purpose is revealed in the little things you choose to do generously. You have something to offer this world. You have hope to share. And almost every world religion or spiritual thought shares the principle of sowing and reaping. Some call it Karma, but in principle what most of us would agree on is, what you give away in someway comes back to you. This might be the greatest hope hack of them all in sustaining hope over the long haul. The life span of hope is lengthened when you choose to share hope with others.

Listen to me closely, if you don't have hope you don't have anything. The first level to success in any area of your life is hope. You have to see it! You have to believe that you can. You deserve it. Before you’ll ever have it you have to have hope for it! More than a budget, or an opportunity, you need hope! Don't give up, hope. Nobody else has to believe in you, you have to believe in you. Nobody else has to see you dream you have to see your dream. Why!? Because its yours.

As a life long athlete, former NCAA athlete and high school football and track coach for over 20 years Its time that ALL coaches stand up, stand in and stand out for mental health. When we have a star running back with a bruised muscle we specialize his training and care to accommodate something out of his control so he can perform when it is necessary. I understand the challenge being both a coach and someone who deals with a mental health challenge. Because, my mental health challenge is not easily identifiable. My limp isn’t physical. But I, as a coach am tired of attending athletes funerals or watching athletes with incredible opportunities in their future self destruct because they do not know how to handle the pressure and I just don’t know how to help them. And doing nothing because I don’t know what to do has never been the mantra of a successful athlete. What makes us successful on the field or track is the same thing that will make us successful in this arena. Find a way, dig deep, leverage our gift and win.

Churchill’s unbelievable accomplishments are proof that, despite being challenged with bipolar disorder, individuals in today’s society can still achieve great things. Churchill’s adamant nature towards his depression and advantageous use of his mania can motivate those of us overcoming our own mental health challenges and show that it is possible to overcome impairments and pursue excellence. Churchill’s hardheadedness to his disorder benefitted the Allied Powers in World War I, the Allies during World War II, and his literary endeavors. Just like Buzz Aldrin, Theodore Roosevelt, Ted Turner, and many other historic figures who suffered from bipolar disorder, Winston Churchill overcame his manic-depressive illness and lived a life of success and fulfillment.

So much of the mental health struggle today is still found behind the closed doors of fear, shame, worry and stigma. So we never show up in the world as the authentic us. The true us. We perform and act on the stage of life giving the audience what we think they want. Which in turn frustrates our mental and emotional health because the greatest crime in this response is our dishonesty to ourselves. You can never fix what you refuse to identify. Or let me say it this way: You never find recovery, or health mentally or emotionally until you own your truest self. There is a better way. Mental illness is not a life sentence. There is recovery, and it starts with telling yourself the truth.

In the words of philosopher and psychologist William James: “We don’t laugh because we’re happy, we are happy because we laugh.”

I know the power that the right heartfelt sentiment can have. I also know that it can be hard to find the right words. So, as an example, I am sharing a letter below to people struggling with mental illness. I hope my peers will read this message and know that it comes from the heart, from someone who understands their struggles. I hope that those who support someone with mental illness, but might need a little help with what to say, share it with their loved one, too. Let them know it comes from a peer who cares, who gets it, who wants to see them well.

WARNING: This is going to be honest. So if you want to just be affirmed, shoot me an email at shannon@ifyoudontquityouwin.com. I love to encourage people but this post is to practically help.

To be a person is to have a story to tell.” – Isak Dinesen

Storytelling is one of the oldest art forms practiced by humans. Stories entertain and teach. They reflect on experience and create community. Stories about recovery have the power to heal.

“I just think it’s ###### up to stigmatize people as crazy and say that they are unable to do stuff that anyone can do,” he continues. “It’s not their fault and it’s the wrong way for people to look at things. Mental illness is not a joke, it’s a real thing. There’s kids out there killing themselves. And it’s ####### horrific. For all those struggling, I want you to know that I love you and I understand you and it is going to be okay.”

Its been said, fail to plan or plan to fail. The truth is stress is a part of everyone’s life. Whether you have a mental health challenge or not. According to the Mayo Clinic undealt with stress over extended periods of time can cause:

Anxiety

Depression

Digestive problems

Headaches

Muscle tension and pain

Heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure and stroke

Sleep problems

Weight gain

Memory and concentration impairment

Shame dies when stories are told in safe places.

Supporting your child’s mental health is deeper than dealing with a diagnosable condition like depression or anxiety. Teenagers will benefit from daily support and knowing that their parents or guardians are always there for them. If you notice your teenager has been struggling with stress or other mental health issues, try these tips to help them develop emotional stability, resilience, and a positive outlook.

Parenting is hard work. Parenting well takes no days off. That’s at least 18 years, that is 216 months, that is 6,575 days of work. And from parenting three kids into their adulthood and working with parents and their teens over the last 28 years I know for certain there’s no shortage of second-guessing and agonizing about whether you are on the right track. It doesn’t get any easier when even the professionals can’t seem to agree on parenting strategies.