05/25/2026
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. With the help of community members, we are shining a spotlight on mental health conditions and people who have shared their stories.
Here is Kaylie’s story -
Around age 13-14, I learned what depression and anxiety truly felt like. I was easily irritable, always self doubting, low self confidence, and overall not enjoying life. I was hanging on by a thread. That was until my sophomore year of high school, we had a mental health lesson. Our school nurse came in, talked to us about the signs, and had us fill out a questionnaire. She read mine, contacted my parents, and I immediately got set up with medication and therapy. I had my episodes, but for the most part I was finally stable. February 12, 2022, my little brother died by su***de. I watched my parents and my sisters go through grief. I watched my aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, friends, and what hurt the most, watching his friends grieve. The entire town was grieving. Seeing how hurt everyone was showed me that there will ALWAYS be someone who cares and loves you. There will ALWAYS be someone in your corner.
Only a short 4 years later, I watched my boyfriend’s family go through the same thing. I watched my boyfriend, his brothers, his parents, and all the kids go through the worst pain imaginable. Something broke inside of me. I instantly spiraled. I was somehow reliving my brother’s death while also trying to support my boyfriend and his family through their loss. I was basically at square 1 again. I immediately called my therapists, got appointments set up with them and was back to a weekly basis. Overtime, reliving the grief of my brother went away and I was finally back on track again.
I am still in therapy, still on medication, but I am finally stable. I no longer wonder if I belong here, or if I’m pretty enough, or what anyone thinks about me. In some way, losing my brother saved my life. It opens my eyes to all the love I was surrounded by. Seeing the love and joy surrounding us is something we often lose sight of. Just like my Aunt Pam always said, Choose Joy.
If you or a loved one is struggling, call or text 988 for assistance. Your life matters.
