It’s a spiral of silence.
If no one is talking about it, how can someone experiencing mental health issues know it’s okay to not be okay? How will they know what to do when they are struggling? By not talking about this topic, the spiral continues. Sometimes, the spiral is fatal.
Recently, I attended the JED Foundation Gala in New York City; the JED Foundation has been working to provide resources for teenagers and young adults to combat this spiral of silence and give them a voice to share their stories. Data presented at the event shows that since 2007, the number of 5-17 year olds hospitalized for suicidal thoughts and actions has doubled. While this is alarming, there is a light of hope to find here: in being hospitalized, these young people got the help they needed. At the gala, we experienced something very different than a spiral of silence. As Jolene McCaw, winner of the Voice of Mental Health Award, put it, “When there is a young rapper singing a song with the suicide prevention hotline at the Grammys, you see times are changing, and you see the momentum.” The spiral of silence shrinks every time we stand up, share our story, and join the movement. At the gala there was an uplifting spiral of hope, of empathy, of compassion, of love, of understanding 
The night was hosted by Larry Wilmore, Emmy Award-winning producer, actor, writer, and comedian. Larry served as a flawless reminder that everyone is affected by mental health, sharing his personal story of experiencing suicidal thoughts, and how he struggled to keep these thoughts hidden…until one day, Larry’s brother called and said he had been having suicidal thoughts. Larry demonstrated the power of conversation and compassion, and how his experience of seeing so many people ‘sad’ led him to a career in making people laugh. He thanked the JED Foundation for “wanting to be there for people” as it has been shown to make such a large impact.
Throughout the night, JED Foundation honored individuals and corporations for their leadership in mental health advocacy. As each honoree graciously received their awards, they emboldened this upward spiral of empathy. Chirlane McCray, First Lady of New York who created ThriveNYC, the most comprehensive mental health program in the country, made sure to tell the audience about multiple resources available. She even had the audience recite together the number of a help hotline, 1-888-NYC-WELL. She shared her personal story growing up with parents struggling with mental health and not talking about it, of family dinners marked by silence instead of joy and laughter. She learned from her past, knowing that when her daughter was diagnosed with depression and anxiety, she had to find the necessary resources. She recognized the importance of knowledge surrounding mental health and knowing what resources are available.
Jolene McCaw, received the Voice of Mental Health Award, and also emphasized the need for openness and conversation. She shares in the flawless vision of focusing on prevention and education, which will hopefully “reduce the need for intervention.” She engaged with the crowd, dedicating her award to all young people struggling with their mental health, so they know they are not alone, continuing the spiral of empathy.
The themes of empathy, compassion, and open dialogue were crystal clear in Sam Orley and Max Rothman’s speech as they accepted the Student Voice of Mental Health Award. Sam courageously spoke about his brother’s death by suicide, saying one of the hardest parts was that he “suffered in silence.” Max and Sam had a vision to change this culture of silence on college campuses by creating the Wolverine Support Network, a peer to peer support group. Max left the crowd with a sense of hope, “vulnerability and empathy are contagious, and they start with us.”
Every single person spoke of openness, compassion, being there for others, and knowing it’s okay to talk about mental health. The spiral of silence has begun to reverse its course, and it’s contagious. We need to all engage in upward spiral of love and understanding, knowing we all share the human experience. There is still a lot of work to be done in the arena of mental health, but the JED Foundation and all of the awardees envision a flawless world, where everyone is heard and understood by society.
