As a young child, I hated the idea of medication. This was probably rooted in the fact that
My dad had this mindset that pills were for the weak, and I wanted to be strong just like him. My
Mom, however, was the complete opposite. She had multiple pills, all colors of the
rainbow—big, small, circles, capsules—to take multiple times a day. No labeled container with
separate sections for each day of the week, just a pile on the kitchen counter. I would only take
cherry liquid tyanol if I had an unbearable fever as a child, to be “tough,” and also because I had
a fear of pills as well as the thought of taking them and accidentally choking. As I have grown
up, I have realized medication can be crucial sometimes, and my mother was never weak, just
dealing with chronic, physical, and mental pain.
For a while, I considered becoming a neurologist, as nothing intrigues me more than
discovering and analyzing the endless maze of puzzles in the human brain. The brain is
everything—your consciousness and your ability to comprehend your existence. Your morals,
memories, and personality—all the things that create you. The true essence of a person. I quickly
I realized the neurology field was too medical for me, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t still study
the mind. Mental health—it’s highs and lows, the root of my trauma, the reason I am me, the bane
of my existence. The single topic I could go on about with a firey passion for hours. My true
calling. It is a clear and obvious choice for me—the invisible puzzle piece—that I kept
overlooking.
Why the mental health field? Why a psychology major? I could lie and make a neat linear
story about how the various counselors, therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, and doctors I’ve
had throughout my life inspired me, and I wanted to be just like them. When you are at your
lowest point in your mind, nothing like that matters. Faces blur, and the repeated questions about
symptoms tune out. Doctors are just looming figures, and many fail to understand your inner
invisible pain. It was my roommate in the facility I remember most—her comforting smiles, even
though there was darkness in her eyes. The way she took my meal tray because I was too
mentally exhausted to even leave my bed. How can someone who doesn’t relate to you
understand and help? I felt that way about many of the medical professionals assigned to my
case. The best healers are those who know the pain. When it comes to mental pain, I’ve seen and
experienced a great deal. I know it is real. I will do anything and everything I can to use my
understanding of it to make an impact and help others
Literature is my creative passion. Reading and writing are my therapy, my escape from
reality, and my coping mechanism. Writing is a healthy way to release emotions. In the future, I
would love to incorporate writing techniques and exercises into my work. No matter what I
choose to do in the mental health field. Whether I am working one-on-one with a patient, helping
a group, or even developing an entire program to really mark the impact that writing has on
overcoming trauma, releasing inner feelings, and being in complete creative control of
something, I will find a way to incorporate it.
I am very focused on mental pain, and so it was interesting to see the perspective of our
classmate Gabby, who is more into physical health. She is a current biomed major on track to
become a physician assistant. Still the health field as a whole, but so far from my specific lane.
Despite the differences, we share the same perspective on medication. We feel that medication
should be used as a last resort when it comes to treating a patient for pain. Alternative methods
should be carried out first. I cannot agree more. An example I associate this with is therapy
should be done first before just pumping a patient full of pills. Even when medication is
involved, other treatments need to be in action to monitor and be sure the overall healing process
is running smoothly.
I have goals, ambitions, and hopes for a good future. Still, I truly just want to be happy as
an individual, have a positive mindset, and feel that my mental health is stable. Pain is pain.
Whether physical, emotional, temporary, or chronic. We must learn to respect others pain, even if
we don’t understand it. That is very crucial, especially for those going into the mental health
field. Still, having empathy is a trait everyone should learn to embrace. So that we, as humans,
can come together as a whole and not fight and tear each other down until it fails.